FAQ/Finding Information About
Psychological Tests
(This document is published by the APA and is available at: http://www.apa.org/science/faq-findtests.html#findinfo)
Full credit is given to the APA for this document.
The APA Science
Directorate answers hundreds of calls and emails each year from persons trying
to locate the right test or find more information about psychological tests. APA
neither sells nor endorses testing instruments, but it does provide guidance in
using available resources to find psychological tests. Answers to frequently
asked questions are provided here.
Section 1: Published
Psychological Tests
The first section contains information about published
psychological tests -- those available for purchase through a test publisher.
It includes tips on how to locate tests within a given subject area, how to
contact the test publisher once you find an appropriate test, and where to find
computerized testing materials and information.
Finding Information on a Particular
Test
Finding a Particular Type of Test
Locating a Specific Test
Locating Test Publishers
Purchasing Tests
Test References
Available Software and Scoring
Services
Additional Information on the
Proper Use of Tests
Section 2: Unpublished
Psychological Tests and Measures The second section focuses on
unpublished psychological tests and measures -- those that are not available
commercially for purchase. Information about unpublished tests usually appears
in journal articles. The test can usually be obtained directly from the
researcher who created the test or measure. This section tells you how to find
unpublished tests in your area of interest and highlights your responsibilities
as a user of unpublished psychological tests.
Printed Directories
Other Directories
A Final Word and Responsibilities of Test Users
Where can I find tests
to measure self-concept?
Can you send me a copy
of this test?
Am I qualified to
administer this test?
Although some questions
like these do require the assistance of professionals, most can be answered by
consulting one of many sources of testing information available to the public.
Whether student, teacher, concerned test-taker, or psychologist, everyone can
benefit from the many reference texts, databases, test reviews, and other items
accessible through local colleges or public libraries.
The following information
answers some of the most frequently asked questions regarding published tests.
The first
place to start is with one of several excellent testing references available at
your local library. These references provide comprehensive, useful, and
directive information on tests. They can also provide answers to a variety of
questions, such as these: What tests are available for a specific purpose
(e.g., clerical spatial relations)? Who publishes the test? How can I evaluate
the test? How do I get more information on a specific test?
Tests in Print (TIP),
the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY), Tests, and Test Critiques are the
four most useful and popular references. These are described in detail later in
this document and are available in the reference section of most college,
university, and larger public libraries.
Whether
you are trying to locate tests that measure self-concept, or some other specific
cognitive skill or personality trait, you should begin your search with one of
the four test reference books identified above. If available, TIP may be
your best choice, because it has the most entries per volume: 3,009 in the most
recent edition. Each of the references contains several indexes to aid in such
a search. Subject and test title indexes may be most helpful. For example,
suppose you are interested in measuring self-concept. Looking under
'personality tests' in the TIP subject index, you would quickly find
three tests for self-concept. On further inspection, you would identify over a
dozen additional tests that may be relevant, but are listed somewhere else in
the nine-page index of personality tests. Yet a relatively quick search of a
specific subject heading in the index can provide you with several useful
leads.
Once you have identified
several tests that may be of interest, you would review the more detailed
entries on each test to determine if they are useful for your intended purpose.
Entries typically identify the age or school grade levels for which the test is
appropriate, as well as any subtests.
Of course, if you are
searching for a very specialized test or measure, your search is not so simple.
For example, if you are interested in measuring letter recognition or honesty,
you may not locate any relevant tests through the subject index. In this case,
your best option is to go to the MMY and use the 'score index,' which
would identify tests measuring subareas (e.g.,
honesty, letter recognition).
Once you
have a name or author of a test, your chances of locating it are greatly
improved. Again, you could check any of the four test reference books, but TIP
and the MMY have the largest indexes of tests. Title and author indexes
in each of the reference books should refer you to the section of the book
describing the test. (In the case of the MMY or Test Critiques,
you may actually be referred to an earlier volume of the book for more
information).
Directories
of test publishers are included in most major testing reference books (MMY,
Tests, TIP). The size and scope of the directory
usually reflects how many tests are included in that book. For example, TIP
provides brief information on the greatest number of commercially available
tests and, thus, has an extensive publishers
directory. The Test Collection at Educational Testing Service (ETS) has a free
pamphlet entitled Major U. S. Publishers of Standardized Tests, which lists the
names, addresses, and phone numbers of 28 major test publishers. Call or write
to them for your free copy at ETS, Library,
All of
the major test publishers have catalogs listing their own products. The
catalogs are published on an annual or semiannual basis. These catalogs are
frequently the best source of information for the most recent editions of a
test. Information on the cost of materials and scoring, types of scoring services,
and ancillary materials are available through the catalogs. The catalogs also
include information on variations of the test, such as large-print or foreign
language versions. Contact the test publisher to request their
catalog(s).
Commercially
available tests are usually purchased through the test publisher. Publishers
hold the copyright to tests they distribute, and they maintain the copies of
tests, test manuals, and scoring keys.
After locating the name,
address, or phone number of a test publisher, contact the publisher with your
request for information on a particular test (including purchase inquiries).
Such inquiries should be made directly to the test publisher. Many publishers
have separate policies for individual and organizational purchases of tests.
Individuals may be required to complete a test purchaser qualifications form
that allows a publisher to determine if the purchaser is qualified and
competent to administer and interpret the test.
As
mentioned earlier, the four most popular, useful, and easy to locate printed
references for published tests are TIP, MMY, Tests, and Test
Critiques. The following is a brief summary of these references.
What information is
here? TIP
is a bibliographic encyclopedia of information on every published (and
commercially available) test in psychology and achievement. Each entry consists
of the test title, intended population, publication date, acronym (if
applicable), author, publisher, foreign adaptations, and references. There are
no critical reviews or psychometric information on the tests; detailed
information on individual tests is available in other reference books such as MMY
or Test Critiques. TIP was created to serve as a master index to
the whole Buros Institute reference series on tests,
including the 15 MMYs and the monograph
series.
What tests are
included? The
only criterion for inclusion is that the test be in print and available for
purchase or use. So TIP covers a wide range of tests across psychology,
education, and achievement. In all, there are 2,780 entries in the fourth
edition.
How do I use it? Tests are listed alphabetically,
within subjects. However, if you know a test title, you can flip to an
alphabetical index to find it. There are five indexes: test title, classified
subject, publisher, name (of authors, reviewers), and a publishers' directory.
These five indexes are handy for locating tests by means other than the title
or for accessing whole groups of tests for making comparisons (e.g., all tests
tapping vocational interests). After you have located a test that interests
you, turn to the MMY for more detailed information on that test, or use
the directory of publishers to contact the test publisher for more
information.
What information is
here? In the MMY,
tests are listed alphabetically by title. Each entry provides descriptive
information, such as the test name, intended population, publication dates,
forms and prices, test author, and publisher. It also contains additional
information on the extent to which reliability, validity, norming
data, scoring and reporting services, and foreign language versions are
available. Most entries also include one or more reviews of the test and
testing materials (e.g., manuals) by qualified psychologists.
What tests are
included? The
criteria for inclusion in the MMY are that the test be new or revised since the
previous yearbook and that the publisher provide
documentation supporting the technical qualities of the test.
How do I use it? The introduction contains
step-by-step directions for using the text to locate testing information. If
you know the test title, you can look it up directly through the alphabetical
listings. The seven indexes arrange tests by title, print status (in or out), acronym,
classified subject, publisher, name (author, reviewer), and score. These can be
used to access tests about which you have limited information or to access
groups of tests that fit into the same category (e.g., yield the same score or
are all measuring stress).
What information is
here? Tests,
like TIP, is a bibliographic encyclopedia containing information on
thousands of testing instruments in psychology, education, and business. It
provides concise descriptions of tests, with each entry including the test
title and author, the intended population, the tests purpose, the major
features, the administration time, the scoring method, the cost and
availability, and the primary publisher. Also, a scanning line uses coded
visual keys to indicate whether the test is self- or
examiner-administered.
Tests does not contain evaluative critiques
or data on reliability, validity, or norms; this information can be found for
selected instruments in Test Critiques.
What tests are
included? Tests was created to provide quick and easy access to
all tests available in the English language. Several thousand tests are
included from the areas of psychology, education, and business.
How do I use it? The book is divided into three
main sections: 'Psychology,' 'Education,' and 'Business,' with each of these
divided into subsections. Tests are arranged alphabetically within each
subsection.
Tests has seven indexes, including the test
title index, author index, foreign language availability index, and a
publisher/distributor index. Three indexes identify tests suitable for special
populations: the hearing impaired, visually impaired, and physically impaired.
Finally, there is a listing of out-of-print tests, which shows tests that
publishers indicate have recently gone out-of-print. Use these indexes to
locate information on a particular test or to access whole groups of tests in
your area of interest. A publishers directory, also
located in Tests, gives names, addresses, and phone numbers of
publishers to contact for more information or purchasing inquiries.
What information is
here? This text
is designed to be a companion to Tests and contains supplemental
information designated as 'not appropriate for inclusion in that directory.
This includes psychometric information such as reliability, validity, and norm
development. The tri-part entry for each test includes an Introduction,
Practical Applications/Uses, and Technical Aspects, followed by a critique. The
Introduction describes the test in detail, including information on the authors
and publisher and the purpose of the test. Practical Applications/Uses gives
information aimed toward the test user, including intended population,
administration, scoring, and interpretation procedures. Technical Aspects
includes citations from reliability and validity studies and opinions from
experts regarding the technical adequacy of the test. The text is written for
both professionals and students, with technical terms explained, and includes
helpful information not usually found in other reference books. This makes it a
user-friendly resource for students, teachers, or persons unfamiliar with test
terminology.
What tests are
included? Tests
are chosen for inclusion based on research on the most frequently used
psychological, educational, and business-related tests. Selections are also
made based on surveys of professional organizations regarding the tests they
would most like to see critiqued. This text is updated annually, with a
cumulative index keyed to correspond to Tests (10th ed. 1994).
How do I use it? Each volume contains a table of
contents that lists all reviewed tests alphabetically, along with the name of
the reviewer. Each volume also contains cumulative indexes organized by test
title, test publisher, test author and reviewer, and subject. This makes it
easy to locate information on a test reviewed in any of the volumes, all in one
location. Once you have located and read the review for any test, contact the
publisher for more information regarding the purchase of the test. Also,
because Test Critiques is a companion to Tests, you can look to
the Tests directory for more information regarding any test described in
Test Critiques.
The newest and most
comprehensive way to search for information is through the World Wide Web on
the Internet. The Test Locator allows you to access information from all
the sources listed above. It is a joint effort of the ERIC Clearinghouse on
Assessment and Evaluation at the Catholic University of America, the Library
and Reference Services Division of ETS, the Buros
Institute of Mental Measurements at the
What information is
here? The Test
Locator can search three areas: (I) The Test
Review Locator will allow an individual to enter the name of a test and
references of reviews of the test entered will be listed. (2) The Test
Publisher Locator allows individuals to type in the name of a publisher and the
contact information on that publisher will be available. (3) The Test
Locator also provides access to the ETS test file, which is a database of
over 10,000 published and unpublished tests.
Available Software and
Scoring Services for Published Tests
You can find a multitude of computerized testing
materials, including a variety of software products developed for
administering, scoring, and interpreting published tests. There are a couple of
helpful directories that can lead you to the software you need.
At the
You can
find a multitude of computerized testing materials, including a variety of
software products developed for administering, scoring, and interpreting
published tests. There are a couple of helpful directories that can lead you to
the software you need.
What information is
here? This handy
reference identifies and describes over 533 computer-based assessment tools,
including computerized versions of paper-and-pencil tests and computer-based
scoring and interpretation systems. It serves as a directory of available
computer services and contains no reviews or critiques of software or services.
Each item entry provides the test (or instrument) name, supplier, category (see
below), applications, scale restrictions, type and cost of service, and product
description. Also, an appendix showcases sample screens and sample outputs for
many products, lending a realistic preview of services.
A separate section,
Additional Resources, contains information to direct readers to outside sources
of information on new products and critiques of available ones. These resources
include journals, newsletters, electronic bulletin boards, and databases.
What tests are
included?
Instruments are categorized using the following classification scheme:
The 533 products
described consist of both computer-based test interpretation (CBTI) packages
and assessment products.
How do I use it? Seven indexes provide easy access
to the wide range of assessment tools included. The test title index makes it
easy to trace a computer-based test version back to its paper-and-pencil
counterpart. Other indexes arrange entries by product category, product
application, service (including hardware compatibility), and supplier. These
are useful in searching for a host of available services for one particular
test (e.g., the MMPI) or in locating products compatible with your own computer
(e.g., Macintosh).
Where can I find it? Ask the reference librarian at
your university or college library. If you cannot locate it, contact the
publisher, Metritech, Inc.
The
following publications represent standards, guidelines, and principles that have
been carefully developed by psychologists, educators, and researchers to
achieve and maintain ethical testing practices by the whole community. If you
are interested in locating guidelines on the proper use of tests, you can
consult the following:
What
do you do when you need to identify and find instruments in a research area
where no published tests exist?
What
do you do when you try to find a specific test that has been used in a research
study, but is not listed as a published test?
What
responsibilities do you have when using an unpublished test?
Psychological
measures are not limited to published tests; a gold mine of unpublished (or
noncommercial) inventories, checklists, scales, projective techniques, and
other instruments exist in the behavioral sciences literature. Unfortunately, only a few individuals who work in these areas know
that the instruments exist or where to find them.
Locating
these instruments is frustrating if you don't know where to look. Many
researchers, unaware that measures may exist that are suited to their needs, re-create instruments for their own research. This
process is a two-fold waste; usable instruments lie dormant,
and time that could be spent refining existing measures is instead spent
virtually duplicating them. But finding instruments to suit your needs can be
easy if you know where to look.
The following are two of the more popular printed
directories of unpublished or noncommercial tests and measures.
This
valuable directory provides researchers and students easy access to recently
developed experimental mental measures, tests, and surveys that are not
commercially available. These measures have been used by other researchers on
topics ranging from educational adjustment and motivation to personality and
perception. The tests are arranged in a 24-category system and are grouped
according to function and content, noting purpose, format, psychometric
information (where available), and related research. The newest category,
Adjustment: Vocation,' identifies articles addressing burnout, vocational
maturity, job-related stress, job frustration, and job satisfaction.
The
directory has been updated periodically since Volume 1 was published in 1974.
Each volume has a cumulative index which makes it easy to access any of the
5,363 tests contained across the first six volumes.
This
text provides annotated references to thousands of psychological measures first
appearing in journal articles or other publications. The first section,
'Primary References,' lists each of these 3,000-plus article references, along
with the name of the measure and one or more applications of this measure in
other experimental studies. The 'Applications' section lists over 6,600
additional studies that provide experimental tests or additional uses of the
original measures. Author and subject indexes are included.
This
text can help the researcher answer such questions as What
empirical findings have been produced by the use of a given measure? or What additional information about a measure has been
acquired since its publication?
Although
it contains a wealth of references to experimental measures and corresponding
research, this text is outdated. It is a helpful resource when looking for a
specific measure appearing in the literature during the 1960s or early 1970s,
but you would want to consult a more recent measure that is appropriate for
your need.
Directories covering unpublished tests also exist in a nonprint format. The following is a summary of some of the
more complete directories that fall into this category.
The
Educational Testing Service (ETS) Test Collection database contains records on
over 10,000 tests and research instruments. These records
describe the instruments and provides availability information. ETS
Library and Reference Services Division prepares the
descriptions. The ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation maintains the
database and hosts the Search System.
The
title, author, publication date, and source appear in the record. An abstract
describing the instrument, intended population, and uses accompanies the
record. Subject terms give the age and grade level information as well as ERIC
Thesaurus terms that describe the test. For more information, call or write:
ETS Test Collection, Educational Testing Service,
Available
through the Test Collection at the ETS, Tests in Microfiche offers information
on a multitude of educational and psychological tests cited in the literature,
but unavailable commercially. This includes both never-published and
out-of-print tests. Users who purchase the microfiche may reproduce tests for
their own use.
Currently,
there are over 800 tests included, with new sets of tests prepared annually and
added to the cumulative set. These can be purchased as a set or by individual
title, and an annotated index is available with each set. Also available is the
Cumulative Index to Tests in Microfiche (1975-1987), which indexes all tests
available for the first 13 sets of Tests in Microfiche. This reference is now available
at many college and university libraries. For more information, call or write:
ETS Test Collection, Educational Testing Service,
Many
measures created or modified for specific studies appear in journals, but never
become commercially available. This computerized database (formerly known as
the Health Instrument File) publicizes their existence and allows researchers
and students to benefit from past work and avoid re-creating existing
instruments. HAPI uses controlled vocabulary descriptors from APAs Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms and the
National Library of Medicine's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).
The database, which is updated quarterly, contains over 15,000 instruments,
most appearing in the literature between 985 and the present. One particularly
useful feature is that reliability and validity can be used as keywords to
access instruments with tested psychometric properties. You could, for
instance, search for all instruments in your area with demonstrated test-retest
reliability, construct validity, or both.
HAPI is available at many college
libraries through BRS Information Technologies. Now, it is also available on
CD-ROM. The CD-ROM version is updated twice a year and costs $265 for an
initial copy and a semiannual update. For more information, contact: Evelyn Perloff, Behavior Measurement Database Services,
Suppose
you are interested in group dynamics and want to locate a measure of group
cohesion to use for your project entitled Cohesiveness Among
Fraternities and Sororities. None of the tests or surveys you found in the
directories or databases seem suitable for your study.
There
is a chance that the measure you need is in the published literature, but has
not yet been referenced in any of these directories. You can locate more tests
through a literature search at your library. Ask your reference librarian about
PsycINFO, a bibliographic database that indexes all
published research in psychology since 1967, Psychological Abstracts, the print
counterpart to PsycINFO, or PsycLIT,
the CD-ROM version of PsycINFO. Using keywords to
denote your interest areas, you can use the database to find citations for
articles in your interest area. PsycINFO,
Psychological Abstracts, and PsycLIT provide
abstracts for each article and will mention if the author developed a measure
in the context of the study. For articles that appear relevant, use the
citation to locate the study within the literature. (More information on PsycINFO is available under the PsycINFO
menu pick in this Gopher server.)
These
citations also include the university or organizational affiliation of the
authors, along with an address where you can forward correspondence regarding
the article. Write to the author and ask for more information on the test or
measure.
Depending
on your research area, you may want to consult reference sources in fields
related to psychology. For example, the Educational Resources Information
Center (ERIC) of the American Institutes for Research produces a database
similar to PsycINFO that indexes research published
in the educational literature. In addition, the ERIC Clearinghouse on Tests,
Measurement, and Evaluation (ERIC/TM) processes information on approximately
2,000 documents and 2,000 journal articles per year, specifically in the area
of testing and evaluation. Ask your reference librarian for more information
about such alternative sources.
Finding
copies of unpublished tests and measures, or information about them, can be
easy if you follow the tips in this document. Remember that the PsycINFO database is an excellent source of information on
the very latest developments in psychology, including testing.
Users
of unpublished tests have certain ethical responsibilities. Users must (a)
contact the test author and request permission to use their test, and (b)
secure their permission in writing if the material is copyrighted. Locating the
author may be a difficult process, particularly if the measure is several years
old, but try the following steps:
11. Journal articles list the authors organizational affiliation (or university) with a
mailing address on the first page of the article. If the publication is fairly
recent, this method is almost always successful.
12. If this fails, directories
published by scientific and professional associations like APA could provide
you with a more current address and phone number for the author. This is useful
if the article is several years old and the author has moved since the article
was published.
13. If these attempts to locate the
author fail, contact the publisher holding the copyright to the original
material and request permission from the publisher. Remember that APA holds the
copyright to all material published in APA journals.
No
matter how difficult this process may seem, you should make every effort to
contact an author or copyright holder to secure permission before using any
test or other instrument.