FAQs from APA
Psychological tests are standardized measures of a particular psychological variable. Tests can be purchased commercially or unpublished tests can be found in the psychology literature.
The American Psychological Association has published frequently asked questions about psychological tests that can help you better understand the options available for identifying the best test or measure.
Recommended Tests & Measurements Databases
- Health and Psychosocial Instruments This link opens in a new windowDatabase of measurement instruments comprising the areas of medicine, nursing, public health, allied health, dental medicine, psychology, sociology, communication, and social work.
- Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print This link opens in a new windowProduced by the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements at the University of Nebraska, the Mental Measurements Yearbook provides users with a comprehensive guide to over 2,700 contemporary testing instruments. Tests in Print serves as a comprehensive bibliography to all known commercially available tests that are currently in print in the English language.
- PsycTests This link opens in a new window
This database is published by the American Psychological Association and provides bibliographic, plus full text and multimedia of psychological tests from the early 1900s to the present. Test records include descriptive summaries of the test and its development and administration, mostly drawn from articles in peer-reviewed journals or books, with downloadable tests. 75% of the test records contain the actual test or test items.
Types of Tests & Measurements
Tests and measures are used for diagnosing, researching, and assessing phenomena in the social and behavioral sciences, education, health, and other areas. They may be published or unpublished.
Published
Published tests are instruments commercially published by a test publisher. They are administered and scored in a consistent manner. The validity and reliability of the instrument are two essential elements for defining the standard quality of the test. These tests are generally only available from the publisher and often come in the form of kits or booklets. They can be very costly.
Unpublished
Unpublished tests are instruments that have been published in books or journals but have not been published by a test publishing company. Using an unpublished test may come with additional ethical responsibilities on the part of the researcher including contacting the author and requesting permission to use the test. In addition, if the material is copyrighted, permission to use the test must be made in writing.
Types of tests
- Assessments
- Interviews
- Inventories
- Measurement
- Measures
- Questionnaires
- Ratings
- Scales
- Surveys
- Tests
Search Strategies for Tests & Measurements
To find published tests, open the Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print database. It is found in the Recommended Tests & Measurements Databases list above or by going to the A-Z Database List.
A list of tests indexed in MMY is located at the Buros Center for Testing website.
When the database opens, search the name of the test and then click its title in the list of results. You will see a page with information about the test, including a section for Publisher Information. Contact the publisher for information about purchasing.
The record also includes other information about the instrument such as author, purpose, population, time, etc. Click the HTML Full Text link or scroll down below the indexing information to read a review of the test.
Finding unpublished tests is not as cut and dry as there are many more places they may be found such as in specialized databases (PsycTESTS, Health and Psychosocial Instruments), subject databases (ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, PsycINFO, etc.), books, articles, and other resources.
Stay tuned for more an in-depth guide to locating tests and measures in our library databases. In the meantime, please contact the library if you need help with your search.
Internet Sources for Tests
The following websites are a sampling of reputable and trustworthy options for identifying tests and measures on the internet. Library staff can guide you in finding additional free resources online.
- Big Five Inventory (BFI)From Berkeley Personality Lab, a self-report inventory designed to measure the Big Five dimensions or personality.
- ETS TestLinkThe Test Collection at ETS is a database of more than 25,000 tests and other measurement devices, most of which were created by authors outside ETS. It makes information on standardized tests and research instruments available to researchers, graduate students and teachers. With information about tests from the early 1900s to the present, the Test Collection at ETS is the largest compilation of such materials in the world.
- National Center for PTSDFrom U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, provides information on a variety of measures assessing PTSD and trauma.
- National Household Education Surveys ProgramNHES provides descriptive data on the educational activities of the U.S. population. NHES surveys cover learning at all ages, from early childhood to school age through adulthood.
- Network for Research on Experiential PsychotherapiesResearch Instruments from NREP, devoted to stimulating research on experiential/humanistic psychotherapies, including client-centered therapy, psychodrama, expressive/arts therapies, emotion-focused therapy, Gestalt therapy, etc.
- Rand Health CareSurveys that are public documents, available without charge (for non-commercial purposes). Assess patient health, screen for mental health conditions, measure quality of care, measure quality of life.