Both psychological and neuropsychological tests aim at understanding certain aspects of human behavior. However, minor differences exist between these two sets of tests. Psychological tests are crucial in studying and interpreting human behavior in the context of particular settings or issues. Neuropsychological tests, on the other hand, are more specific focusing more on the cognitive functions of the brain (Melton et al., 1997, p. 88). While psychological tests evaluate the general abnormal human behavior in patients, neuropsychological tests serve the prime purpose of analyzing the capacity of the human brain to reason, think, learn, or comprehend particular issues.
Psychological tests are meant to help in the diagnosis of particular behavioral patterns in society. IQ tests, aptitude tests, and occupational tests offer career guidance and help companies employ persons whose abilities and potential match with the job specifications (Melton et al., 1997, p. 91). Personality tests, on the other hand, are essential in the identification of problematic behavior in individuals. The major purpose of neuropsychological tests is to identify the syndromes or specific brain damage that results from either stroke or physical brain injury. In this way, effective rehabilitative measures can be recommended.
More often, the test selection involving the various versions of psychological or neuropsychological tests is problematic. In addition, the criteria for validation of these tests vary with the settings. In this regard, Lawson, in his article ‘Development and psychometric properties of the perceptions of parenting inventory’, investigates the process of validation and development of a psychological test, the Perceptions of Parenting Inventory (POPI) (2003, p. 433). POPI is a self-administered psychological instrument specifically designed to evaluate the perceptions of parenting. In this research, Lawson involved two samples; 282 childless college students and 252 young adults with children. This research aimed to examine the validation process and the psychometric properties of the psychological test.
The results in this research indicated that, in both samples, the POPI psychological instrument produced sufficient internal reliabilities. In addition, in this research, the validity of the test was high as it could differentiate between individuals with varying intentions and attitudes about parenting (Lawson, 2003, p. 451). However, according to the research, POPI appears to be most suitable for young parents or young adult population or in university settings.
The major finding of this article is that POPI is a valid and reliable instrument for the determination of individual perceptions towards parenting. Of particular importance, is the article’s contribution to the validation or development of new psychological tools. The research demonstrated that POPI can distinctly measure individual perceptions towards parenting irrespective of whether the perceptions result from experience or expectations.
Reference List
Lawson, K. (2004). Development and Psychometric properties of the perceptions of Parenting inventory. Journal of Psychology, 138(5), 433-455.
Melton, G., Petrila, J., Poythress, N., & Slobogin, C. (1997). Psychological Evaluations for the Court: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals and Lawyers. New York: Guilford.
Stafford, K. (2003). Assessment of competence to stand trial. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.