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A Timeline of Psychological Testing

2200 B.C.E. Proficiency testing begins in China. The Emperor evaluates public

officials every third year.

1800 B.C.E.Babylonians develop astrology in order to interact with the gods and

predict the future. Greeks later redefine astrology to predict and describe personality.

500 B.C.E.Pythagoras begins practicing physiognomy to evaluate personality.

400 B.C.E.Hippocrates introduces Humorology to the field of medicine for the

treatment of physical and mental illness.

400 B.C.E. Plato suggests people should find employment that is consistent with

their abilities.

175 B.C.E. Claudius Galenus designs eperiments to show that it is the brain and

the not the heart that is the seat of intellect.

500 A.D. !ith the start of the Middle Ages" science takes a backseat to faith and

superstition and the history of psychological testing is temporarily halted.

1200 A.D.#nterest in individual differences emerges as people begin to $uestion

whether those in %league with satan& did so voluntarily or involuntarily. Trials for

witchery and sorcery were common.

1265 A.D.Thomas 'c$uinas asserts that the notion of the human immortal soul

should be replaced by the notion of a human capacity to think and reason.

1550 A.D.The (enaissance witnesses a rebirth in philosophy and an appreciation for

science.

168 A.D. )uan Huarte publishes The Tyral of Wits" the first book to propose a

discipline of assessment.

1770 A.D. The cause of philosophy and sciences advances with the writings of

*rench" German" and English philosophers. +ne of these philosophers" (ene ,escartes"

proposes the mind-body $uestion.

182! A.D.The )ournal of Phrenology is founded to further the study of human

abilities and human talents. 'lthough proven unfounded by eperimentation" phrenology

proposed that human $ualities are localied in concentrations of brain fiber that press

outward on the skull.

186 A.D. /ir *rancis Galton publishes a study of heredity and genius which

pioneered a statistical techni$ue that 0arl Pearson would later call correlation.

187 A.D. #n 1eipig" Germany" !ilhelm !undt founds the first eperimental

psychology laboratory. !undt2s structuralismrelies heavily on a tool of assessment

called introspection whereby sub3ects try to describe their conscious eperience of a

stimulus.

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185 A.D. 'merican psychologist )ames 4c0een Cattell helped launch the beginning

of mental testing. Cattell eventually founds Psychological Corporation" a company with

the goal of %useful applications of psychology.&

100 A.D. /igmund *reud publishes TheInterpretation of Dreamswhich goes on to

influence approaches to understanding personality for the net 56 years.

105 A.D.'lfred Binet and Theodore /imon publish a 76-item scale of intelligence

designed to help classify schoolchildren in Paris schools. The development of the Binet-

/imon #ntelligence /cale is largely recognied as launching a new era in measurement.

108 A.D. *rank Parsons opens the 8ocational Bureau of Boston begins offering

career guidance to young adults.

114 A.D.!orld !ar # brings about a boom in psychological testing as thousands of

'merican recruits are screened for intellectual and emotional functioning.

11 A.D. (obert !oodworth publishes the Personal ,ata /heet to help identify

'rmy recruits susceptible to 9shell shock.2

121 A.D. /wiss psychiatrist Hermann (orschach publishes his famous

monograph" Psychodiagnostics" which would lead to the development of the (orschach

#nkblot Test.

126 A.D. The /cholastic 'ptitude Test :/'T; is developed and administered for the

first time.

127 A.D.Carl /pearman publishes a two-factor theory of intelligence in which he

postulates the eistence of a general intellectual ability factor and specific components of

that general ability.

1!8 A.D.4ental tests have reached the status of big business. 'ccording to

the 193 Mental Measurements !ear"oo#" at least P* ?uestionnaire" =st Edition is released for public use.

155 A.D. The first version of the !echsler 'dult #ntelligence Tests was published.

162 A.D.0atherine Briggs and #sabel Briggs 4eyers publish the 4eyers Briggs Type

#ndicator :4BT#;.

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162 A.D.!arren T. @orman publishes his first article over the Big *ive Personality

*actors.

170 A.D.)ohn 1. Holland publishes the first version of the /elf ,irected /earch

:/,/; for consumer use. The inventory was intended to help individuals identify careers

that are congruent with their personalities.

"efe#ences$

,uBois" P. H. :=A6;. ' history of psychological testing. Boston 'llyn D Bacon.

*ocroft" C. D (oodt" G. :665;. 'n #ntroduction to psychological assessment in the /outh

'frican contet. Cape Town +ford Fniversity Press /outhern 'frica.

Gregory" (. ). :66