Research Guides: Psychology &amp; Counseling: Psychological Tests

Tests - Published vs. Unpublished

Is the test published or unpublished?

Published simply means that it is available through a publisher, usually for a price. Find information, including publishers, about these tests in Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print or the ETS Test Collection Database. Or use a search engine, such as Google, to search for the test and find publication information about a test on a publisher's website.

Unpublished tests are often research instruments that can be found in journal articles, PsycTESTS, and online.

Test/Survey Info - From the Author

Researchers may post the survey or test they used on a website. Use a search engine, such as Google, and put quotation marks around the title of the test. The quotation marks will make your search more precise.

Possible last method of accessing the full text of a test or survey? Contact the author. Many authors are university professors. You can find their contact information in their published articles or the university's website. Send them an email inquiring about using their survey. Let them know you are a student or researcher working on a project and would like to look at or use their survey. The more detail you provide the more helpful they will likely be.

Tests Info - Databases

APA PsycTests This link opens in a new window
FULL TEXT
Database of psychological tests and measures. Includes (1) unpublished tests developed by researchers for use in their work, but not made commercially available; (2) tests from the Archives of the History of American Psychology, some of which date to the beginning of the 20th century; and (3) a few commercially available tests from 100+ commercial publishers. Many (but not all) of the tests in this resource can be downloaded and used by researchers and often contain scoring guides and instructions on how to use the test.
ETS Test Collection This link opens in a new window
INFO ABOUT TESTS
Contains one of the largest collections of information about tests in the world, with over 25,000 tests and other measurement devices from the early 1900s to the present. It's designed to aid researchers in finding information on standardized tests and research instruments. The database is searchable by title, author, or descriptor, and each entry includes the author, test availability, abstract if available, target population, purpose and scope, and more. It represents tests and research instruments from ETS's own test programs as well as other major test publishers in the U.S. and abroad. The tests are organized into eight broad categories: achievement, aptitude, attitudes and interests, personality, sensory-motor skills, special populations, vocational/occupational, and miscellaneous. ETS gives tests call numbers that start with "TC."
Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print This link opens in a new window
INFO ABOUT TESTS
Contains descriptive information and critical reviews of more than 2,000 commercially-available standardized English-language educational, personality, aptitude, neuropsychological, achievements and intelligence tests. References to the tests are included as well as information on availability, scoring and validity.
APA PsycInfo This link opens in a new window
FULL TEXT and INFO ABOUT TESTS
In the Advanced Search, use the "Test & Measaure" feature to find specific surveys or tests. Search by keyword or browse tests if you don't know the name of the test. This may NOT indicate that the actual test is reproduced in the article. You will need to read thorugh the article to verify. If the test isn't listed here, or you aren't finding the type of information you need, search for the test title (use quotation marks around the title) in the regular search box and look through the results. These results will also provide examples of when the test was used.