Psychology Resources
What Are Tests and Measurements?
As you get ready to conduct your own research, you will need to decide how you will gather and evaluate your data. Tests and measurements are standardized tools that can help with this part of the research process. They allow you to measure different psychological variables and can include questionnaires, rating scales, inventories, and more.
Where Can I Find Tests and Measurements?
Tests and measurements are available both commercially and non-commercially.
Non-commercial tests (unpublished tests) are tests, scales, or instruments that have been developed by students and scholars. Unpublished tests can be found in selected books, and also in journal articles and dissertations. In general, you will need to seek permission from the author to administer the test.
Commercial tests (published tests) are standardized instruments/tests that have been copyrighted as stand-alone tests or test kits. They are often purchased from a test publisher.
- APA PsycTests This link opens in a new windowAPA PsycTests serves as a repository for the full text of psychological tests and measures, as well as a rich source of structured information about the tests. A wide variety of test types are included in the database, including achievement and aptitude tests, intelligence tests, tests of cognitive functioning, occupational tests, personality tests, and so on. In-depth indexing of the tests and related information allows users to quickly identify the availability of tests in a certain area and to find helpful information for research and studies.
- Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HAPI) This link opens in a new windowHealth & Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI), produced by Behavioral Measurement Database Services, is a comprehensive bibliographic database providing information about behavioral measurement instruments. Information in the database is abstracted from hundreds of leading journals covering health sciences and psychosocial sciences.
- Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in PrintContains full-text information about and reviews of over 2,000 commercially available English-language tests. It covers educational skills, personality, vocational aptitude, psychology, and related areas as included in the printed Mental Measurements Yearbooks. All entries contain descriptive information (e.g., test purpose, publisher, pricing) and edited review(s) written by leading content area experts. Coverage is from 1985 (Volume 9) to the present.