If you’ve considered a career in psychology, you may be intrigued by all the different job roles. One of the most well-known is role is that of a psychologist. According to the American Psychological Association, a practicing psychologist has the “professional training and clinical skills to help people learn to cope more effectively with life issues and mental health problems.” There are many different types of psychologists including:
- Clinical psychologists
- Forensic psychologists
- Industrial and Organizational psychologists
Psychologists rely on a variety of tests and assessment tools to measure and observe behavior. These tests and assessments are created and evaluated by psychometricians. A psychometrician is a scientist who develops tests and interprets results.
What Does a Psychometrician Do?
Psychometricians have a variety of responsibilities. Some design, administer and evaluate psychological tests used in educational settings. Others create employment and certification or credentialing applications. Some work closely with clinical psychologists to administer and evaluate psychological assessments for psychological and psychiatric conditions. A psychometrician may also design and evaluate a program assessment or evaluation. This position requires a significant amount of research experience. Their role allows for better understanding of:
- pedagogical effectiveness
- fairness in hiring practices
- greater refinement of treatment or action plan development.
The psychometrician is a role indispensable to the modern practice and study of psychology. It also has broad impacts on the general development of testing standards and assessment of performance in a variety of fields based on human factors. While the subfield of psychometrics has significantly evolved, the needs for data, reliable standards of testing, and practical education have only increased. For those interested in learning how to become a psychometrician, this article describes the role in greater detail.
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Observing and Evaluating
While psychometricians are trained in the parent discipline of psychology, their roles are far broader and center on education. In essence, when any standardized test is developed, a psychometrician is involved. They help to design assessments that measure human factors of those taking the tests and produce significant data. This means that such testing is a valid assessment of knowledge. It is relevant across ethnicities and other social or economic boundaries. Such careful design is crucial in any multicultural environment. It enhances the equity of standards.
Psychologists interested in pursuing this field are generally highly trained within a specific subfield of their discipline. The aspect of metrics in any credential indicates a focus on anthropological and psychological measures of:
- meaning
- fitness
- personality
Many psychometricians work in contexts of either government entities or human resources, evaluating test takers. Others will pursue a career centered on designing the tests administered by universities, government bodies, and across the business world.
Slippery Figures
That might sound like an overly simplistic idea, but it’s one that has been nearly two centuries in the making. Modern psychometrics has its early roots in the German psychophysics movement. This movement paralleled the more anthropological Victorian field propounded by those such as Darwin. In psychophysics, Herbart, Weber, and Fechner successively explored the relationship of the mind and physical stimuli with increasing accuracy.
While these pioneers did significant work, they were often hampered by the then-current cultural ideologies about mind and body. It was not until the arrival of Wilhelm Wundt that a purer science of psychology began to develop. During the 1930s, L.L. Thurstone founded the American Psychometric Society and, profoundly influenced by his German philosophical forebears, made significant strides in factor analysis.
By the mid 20th century, psychometrics was officially a program of study at many American universities. During this era, psychologists reassessed the reliance upon pure data, which was often gleaned from tests without regard to the questions themselves. They argued that psychological thinking had been supplanted by statistical thinking. In more recent decades, similar protests arose. What are these tests measuring? Is the data legitimately indicative? How does a blind reliance on biased testing data influence policy and social climate?
What is the Difference Between a Psychometrist vs Psychometrician?
While both psychometricians and psychometrists work in the area of psychometrics, they are very different positions.
A psychometrician develops tests and interprets results. In most cases, the psychometrist is responsible for administering and scoring those tests. The psychometrist works under the guidance of a clinical psychologist or neuropsychologist in a support role.
Another primary difference between a psychometrician vs psychometrist is in the level of education required to do the job. A psychometrist only needs a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a closely related field to be considered for an entry level position. Some organizations have a staff of psychometrists. Professionals with advanced education or training may have supervisory responsibilities. A psychometrician requires a master’s degree, or even a doctorate in some cases. They usually have an advanced degree in psychology, psychometrics, or even mathematics.
While there is no specific certification for psychometricians, psychometrists can earn a designation as a Certified Specialist in Psychometry. Aspiring CSP’s with their bachelor’s degree must have 3,000 clock hours of professional experience. Those with a master’s degree or higher must have 2,000 clock hours. Once these requirements are met, candidates must pass the CSP exam through the Board of Certified Psychometrists.
What Skills Do I Need to Become a Psychometrician?
A psychometrician is typically strong in areas like mathematics and statistics. They should have a strong attention to detail. Analytical skills are also important since they must be able to analyze testing tools for effectiveness. Soft skills like collaboration and organization are also important.
The role of a psychologist requires a different skill set. Since research plays an important role in psychology, psychologists must have strong research skills. They must have excellent communication skills since many work with clients. Ethical behavior and patience are also key attributes of a psychologist. Math skills are important in order to make sense of data.
How Much Does a Psychometrician Make?
A psychometrician can make a very good salary. According to Payscale.com, the average base salary for a psychometrician is $80,626/year. The lowest 10% make approximately $48,000/year while the highest 10% make over $114,000/year. Late career professionals make the most amount of money due to the professional experience in the field.
While the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not specifically report on the salary information of psychometricians, the Psychometric Society reports that most make between $50,000 and $100,000/year.
Conclusion
Today, psychometrics is most critically essential in the development, administration, and assessment of personality and educational testing. Standards for these areas were updated in 2014, and include the considerations of:
- validity
- fairness
- weighting
- scoring of test responses
- relevance of test questions to social and economic factors
These applications profoundly influence the structure and elaboration of Western society. These advances in the field improve equity and parity across many spheres of life.
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