“What is a Psychometrist?”, I am asked more often than not.
Most people have an idea of what a Psychologist is, and some people can figure out that metrics indicate measurements, yet the term Psychometrist arrests their attention.
Psychometrics refers to the measurement of psychological attributes; and Psychometrist refers to the professional trained to measure or assess these attributes.
In measuring the physical attributes of a person, such as height, weight, hearing or visual ability, the measurements can be quite precise, such as 58.9 kg in weight or 20/20 vision. However, when it comes to measuring the psychological attributes of a person, the measurement can only ever be seen as an estimate, never as an exact figure.
To tap into the psychological domain, Psychometrists make use of assessment instruments and questionnaires developed by Psychometricians, i.e. the professionals trained to develop psychological assessment instruments. Oftentimes professionals in other disciplines are also involved in developing these assessments, such as social scientist researchers, neuropsychologists, and even linguists.
Most of the assessment instruments available for use nowadays, have been very well researched. They have been designed in a way that is optimal for its purpose, and involved the work of large panels of professionals over a period of time to establish whether the test is reliable, and also valid for the intended purposes. These assessment instruments are not equipment or instruments per se; but are mostly paper-and-pencil booklets or forms to complete and score; verbal or written instructions or online forms to complete.
So I am a Psychometrist based at Haak House Fourways (Previously known as Fourways Marriage and Family Therapy Centre) and I mainly use assessment instruments already available to help people solve a number of questions to move forward in their lives. I will address some of these life questions in future blog articles.
Empower Yourself – with knowledge for better understanding