One event that influenced the development of psychology tests and measurements was the First World War. For the United States, there was the goal and desire to recruit only individuals that could withstand the psychological stress of the battlefield. Soldiers were not supposed to be individuals who would easily break down even when they are worn out by the stressors of war. The First World War specifically gave rise to the Alpha and Beta examinations in the U.S. Robert M. Yerkes persuaded the U.S. government and the army that all individuals being recruited needed to be subjected to intelligence tests for better classification and assignment (Gregory, 2004). The alpha examination comprised of eight verbal tests for average and high-functioning recruits while the beta examination was a non-verbal group test given to illiterates and recruits who first language was not English. The examination was designed to classify and eliminate mentally incompetent individuals.
The emergence of computers ushered in a new era of psychological testing and measurement. Valle and Klimo (2016) particularly mention the introduction of self-reports using online tests. For instance, people can evaluate their personalities using various online platforms; they can rate themselves in accordance with the answers they provide to the questions asked. Computers have made it easy for people to try and identify some of their psychological dispositions without necessarily having to consult a psychologist.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Regarding misuse of psychological tests and measurements, the alpha and beta examinations were misused when recruiting individuals from different racial backgrounds. According to Cohen et al. (1996), groups such as African Americans, and immigrants from the Mediterranean region were often perceived as inferior according to the assessments. The implication was that these groups were discriminated against and were not assigned important roles. Therefore, these tests were used to profile and perpetuate racial discrimination that was very prevalent in the past.
References
Cohen, R. J., Swerdlik, M. E., & Phillips, S. M. (1996). Psychological testing and assessment: An introduction to tests and measurement . Mayfield Publishing Co.
Gregory, R. J. (2004). Psychological testing: History, principles, and applications . Allyn & Bacon.
Valle, R., & Klimo, J. (2016). The evolution of psychological testing: Embarking on the age of digital assessment. https://www.pearsonassessments.com/content/dam/school/global/clinical/us/assets/q-interactive/The_Evolution_of_Psych_Testing_Embark_on_Digital_Assess_Pade_Final.pdf
