What Does Psychological Testing Measure?

Psychologists, therapists, and counselors use psychological testing as a way to add to the clinical interviews that they have with their patients. The testing enables them to gather a lot of information about the patient in a short period. It allows these accurately assess patients and provide a concrete diagnosis. Once a patient is diagnosed, a treatment plan can be created. 

Here are some of the reasons why Santa Clara County psychological testing is conducted:

Assessment of Mental Health

When you visit a psychologist or psychiatrist, they will ask you for a lot of information. Your first appointment will usually be an assessment, where you will have to provide information about your medical history, the existing status of your mental health, and family history. This assessment allows the psychologist or the psychiatrist to identify if you have any mental health issues and to come to a diagnosis and plan your treatment. 

Adaptive Behavior Assessment

In this assessment, a Neuropsychologist in Santa Clara measures a person’s social and practical skills to find if they can function every day at home, school, or work. Usually, this assessment is done in conjunction with a cognitive test. Children with ADHD often have to undergo this assessment. 

Aptitude Testing

As the name suggests, this psychological testing is done to find out a person’s aptitude or ability to do different types of tasks. It helps to determine which skills in the person are the strongest and which career path they should follow. This testing is often used to guide students, who want to pursue higher education, towards a field based on their abilities.  

Cognitive Testing

This test determines the cognitive abilities of a person. It can be used to test seniors, who may be suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease as well as children to test their IQ. A Neuropsychologist in Los Altos will use this assessment to test a person’s problem-solving, vocabulary, memory, reasoning, and comprehension abilities. In a senior, usually, this test is used to provide a diagnosis of age-related dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. 

Neuropsychological Testing

This assessment is used to find out how a person’s brain is working and this enables the psychologist or psychiatrist to figure out if there is a problem in the functioning of the brain. This test is often performed after a traumatic brain injury or concussion and enables the doctor to diagnose and treat the person based on the results. 

The Bottom Line

Psychological testing is used for different patients and different reasons. Now you know when this test is used and why. Remember, the tests and assessments have to be conducted by a qualified professional, who will be able to interpret the results and guide you on how to proceed further. 


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