Glossary of Psychological Tests & Scales
A curated reference guide to the most widely used psychological assessments—from classic inventories to modern tools. Whether you're a student, clinician, or curious learner, this glossary helps you understand what these tests measure, how they’re used, and why they matter. All definitions are written in accessible, real-world language—without jargon or gatekeeping.
“The first practical intelligence test wasn’t born in a lab—it came from a classroom. In the early 1900s, French psychologist Alfred Binet developed the Binet-Simon Scale to help identify schoolchildren who needed extra support. He warned it shouldn’t be used to label kids for life. Later, it evolved into the Stanford-Binet, shaping modern IQ testing worldwide.”
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Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire
A 10-item screening tool developed by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente to assess early exposure to potentially traumatic events—such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction. Higher scores are associated with increased risk for physical and mental health problems later in life. The ACE test doesn’t diagnose but reveals how early environments shape long-term well-being.
See also: Trauma Screening, Risk Assessment
Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ)
A self-report tool used to evaluate how people relate to others in close relationships. It measures patterns like anxious, avoidant, secure, or disorganized attachment. While often used in clinical and research settings, many online versions have made it widely accessible to the public.
See also: Relationship Patterns, Emotional Regulation
Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)
A 21-item self-report scale that measures the severity of anxiety symptoms. Unlike general anxiety screeners, the BAI focuses on physiological symptoms—like heart palpitations, dizziness, or shortness of breath—making it especially useful in differentiating anxiety from depression.
See also: Clinical Assessment, Somatic Symptoms
Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
One of the most widely used tools for assessing the presence and severity of depressive symptoms. The BDI consists of 21 questions that explore mood, motivation, sleep, appetite, and self-perception. It’s often used in both therapy and research settings as a baseline and progress measure.
See also: Mood Disorders, Self-Report Measures
Big Five Inventory (BFI)
A personality assessment that evaluates individuals across five core traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Unlike typologies like the MBTI, the Big Five uses a continuum-based model grounded in decades of cross-cultural research.
See also: Trait Psychology, Personality Measurement
Brief Resilience Scale (BRS)
A short, 6-item assessment designed to measure an individual’s ability to bounce back from stress. It’s not about avoiding difficulty—but about recovering from it. The BRS is increasingly used in workplace wellness, therapy, and trauma recovery settings.
See also: Coping Mechanisms, Strengths-Based Assessment
Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ)
A 28-item self-report inventory designed to assess experiences of childhood abuse and neglect. It evaluates five types: emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect. Unlike the ACE, the CTQ focuses on frequency and intensity.
See also: Trauma Histories, Psychometric Screening
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)
A structured interview or questionnaire used to assess the severity and immediacy of suicidal ideation and behavior. It’s widely used in hospitals, schools, and research. The C-SSRS helps standardize suicide risk conversations and guide interventions.
See also: Crisis Screening, Risk Management
Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS)
A 48-item tool that categorizes coping styles into task-oriented, emotion-oriented, and avoidance-oriented responses. It helps clinicians and researchers understand how people manage stress—not just whether they experience it.
See also: Stress Response, Behavioral Coping Patterns
Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES)
A screening tool for assessing the presence and frequency of dissociative symptoms—like depersonalization, amnesia, or identity confusion. While not diagnostic on its own, it can flag the need for further evaluation in trauma or dissociative disorders.
See also: Trauma Screening, Dissociation
Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26)
A widely used 26-item screening tool for identifying symptoms and risk of eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. It evaluates behaviors and beliefs around food, weight, and body image. Though not diagnostic, it helps flag those who may benefit from clinical assessment.
See also: Body Image, Disordered Eating
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
A 10-question self-report tool used to screen for postpartum depression in new mothers. It focuses on mood, anxiety, and self-critical thoughts during the weeks following childbirth. The EPDS is easy to administer and widely used in both medical and psychological settings.
See also: Maternal Mental Health, Depression Scales
Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ)
A brief, research-based scale that assesses how people manage their emotions—particularly through cognitive reappraisal or emotional suppression. It’s commonly used in studies of mood disorders, stress, and personality.
See also: Coping Styles, Emotional Suppression
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7)
A 7-item self-report questionnaire used to screen for and assess the severity of generalized anxiety disorder. It’s fast, easy to use, and increasingly common in both primary care and mental health settings.
See also: Anxiety Screening, Brief Inventories
Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A)
One of the first clinical rating scales developed to quantify the severity of anxiety symptoms. The HAM-A includes both physical and psychological indicators, making it useful in complex cases or research contexts.
See also: Clinical Interviews, Anxiety Scales
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)
A clinician-administered tool used to rate the severity of depressive symptoms. Unlike self-report measures, the HAM-D relies on structured interviews and observable behavior, offering a different lens on depression severity.
See also: Depression Scales, Clinical Assessment
Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ)
Originally developed to assess trauma-related symptoms in refugees and survivors of mass violence, this tool also measures PTSD symptoms across populations. It includes culturally sensitive items and has been translated into many languages.
See also: PTSD Screening, Cross-Cultural Assessment
Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)
A multi-dimensional measure of empathy that breaks it down into emotional and cognitive components—such as perspective-taking and empathic concern. It’s widely used in psychology research to study empathy styles across contexts.
See also: Empathy, Social Cognition
Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG)
A tool used to assess symptoms of prolonged or dysfunctional grieving. It measures things like difficulty accepting loss, preoccupation with the deceased, and emotional numbness. The ICG helps clinicians identify when grief may require targeted support.
See also: Grief Assessment, Bereavement Scales
Iowa Gambling Task (IGT)
A behavioral test used to measure decision-making under conditions of uncertainty. Participants choose cards from different decks, each with varying reward and loss structures. It’s often used to study risk-taking, impulsivity, and executive function.
See also: Neuropsychological Testing, Risk Behavior
Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC)
A clinical instrument designed to assess cognitive development in children ages 3 to 18. The KABC emphasizes processing style over acquired knowledge, making it particularly useful across diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. It supports educational planning and can highlight both strengths and learning needs.
See also: Cognitive Testing, Child Assessment
Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS)
A 24-item scale designed to measure the range and severity of social phobia symptoms. It evaluates fear and avoidance across various situations, such as public speaking or being observed. The LSAS is often used in research and clinical screening for social anxiety disorder.
See also: Social Anxiety, Avoidant Behavior
Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale
A psychological tool used to assess the tendency of respondents to answer questions in a socially acceptable way rather than truthfully. It helps detect response bias, especially in self-report instruments where honesty may be compromised by self-image.
See also: Self-Presentation, Response Bias
Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)
One of the most widely used tools for measuring burnout in professionals, especially in human service fields. The MBI assesses emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. It has become a standard in organizational psychology and workplace wellness.
See also: Occupational Health, Emotional Exhaustion
Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI)
A comprehensive diagnostic tool that assesses personality disorders and clinical syndromes in adults. Used by clinicians to align with DSM criteria, the MCMI helps evaluate underlying personality traits that shape emotional functioning and interpersonal behavior.
See also: Personality Assessment, Diagnostic Tools
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2)
One of the most extensively used and researched psychological assessments in the world. The MMPI-2 evaluates a broad range of psychopathologies and personality structures, often used in legal, clinical, and employment settings. Its validity scales also help detect inconsistent or exaggerated responses.
See also: Personality Disorders, Clinical Diagnostics
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
A popular personality typology that categorizes individuals into 16 types based on preferences in perception and judgment (e.g., introversion vs. extraversion). While widely used in career counseling and leadership development, its scientific reliability is debated.
See also: Personality Typing, Trait vs. Type
NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R)
A psychometric assessment that evaluates the Big Five personality traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Considered more empirically grounded than the MBTI, it’s widely used in research and psychological profiling.
See also: Trait Psychology, Big Five Inventory
Parenting Stress Index (PSI)
A self-report tool that measures the level of stress experienced by parents in their role. It includes both parent and child domains, helping identify areas where intervention may support emotional wellbeing for both.
See also: Family Dynamics, Stress Evaluation
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
A 9-item depression screener commonly used in healthcare settings. It evaluates symptom severity and functional impairment and includes a final item to assess suicidal ideation. It's brief, easy to administer, and useful for tracking change over time.
See also: Depression Screening, Self-Report Measures
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
A 10-item tool designed to measure the degree to which situations in life are appraised as stressful. It focuses on feelings of unpredictability and overwhelm, rather than specific events, and is widely used in both research and clinical contexts.
See also: Stress Measurement, Emotional Load
Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI)
A self-administered inventory designed to assess mental disorders and personality traits. The PAI includes validity scales and is often used for diagnostic clarification, treatment planning, and forensic evaluations.
See also: Personality Pathology, Clinical Assessment
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
A 20-item questionnaire that assesses the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms based on the DSM-5 criteria. It’s widely used in both clinical and research settings to screen for trauma-related disorders.
See also: Trauma Assessment, Symptom Clusters
Raven’s Progressive Matrices
A non-verbal intelligence test that measures abstract reasoning. Often used in multicultural settings because it minimizes language and cultural bias, making it one of the fairest assessments for cognitive ability.
See also: Intelligence Testing, Cross-Cultural Measures
Reiss Motivation Profile
A psychological tool that identifies 16 basic desires that guide human behavior—such as acceptance, independence, or status. It’s used in coaching and leadership development to understand what internally drives people.
See also: Motivational Psychology, Needs Assessment
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
A 10-item scale used to measure overall self-worth or self-acceptance. It’s brief, easy to score, and one of the most commonly used tools in psychology to assess global self-esteem.
See also: Self-Concept, Identity Evaluation
Rorschach Inkblot Test
A projective psychological test where individuals interpret a series of inkblots. The responses are analyzed to understand unconscious motivations, defense mechanisms, and emotional functioning. Though controversial, it’s still used in some psychodynamic and forensic settings.
See also: Projection, Personality Assessment
Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank (RISB)
A projective test in which individuals complete open-ended sentences. The content of their responses is analyzed to uncover underlying thoughts, emotions, and conflicts. It’s often used in counseling and personality assessment.
See also: Expressive Testing, Psychodynamic Tools
SCL-90-R (Symptom Checklist-90-Revised)
A broad-spectrum self-report tool designed to evaluate a wide range of psychological problems and symptoms. It measures distress across nine dimensions including anxiety, hostility, and somatization.
See also: Symptom Inventories, Mental Health Screening
Self-Compassion Scale (SCS)
A scale developed by psychologist Kristin Neff to assess how people treat themselves during times of struggle. It includes elements like self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness—serving as a counterbalance to self-criticism.
See also: Emotion Regulation, Inner Dialogue
Sensory Profile
A tool used to assess how individuals respond to sensory input. Frequently used with children, particularly those with autism or sensory processing disorders, it helps map sensitivity across auditory, visual, tactile, and movement domains.
See also: Sensory Integration, Neurodiversity Assessment
Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ)
A parent-report screening tool used to identify symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. It focuses on social interaction, communication, and restricted behaviors, making it valuable in early identification.
See also: Autism Screening, Developmental Assessment
Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS)
A set of rating forms used by teachers, parents, and students to assess social skills, problem behaviors, and academic competence in children. It’s frequently used in school settings to guide behavioral interventions.
See also: School Psychology, Peer Interaction
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales
An updated version of the original Binet-Simon intelligence test, revised and standardized for use in the U.S. It assesses five key cognitive domains and remains one of the most widely used tools for measuring intelligence across the lifespan.
See also: IQ Testing, Cognitive Development
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
A tool that differentiates between anxiety as a temporary state and anxiety as a more enduring trait. It’s useful in clinical settings to understand baseline vulnerability versus situational stress.
See also: Anxiety Profiles, Emotional Measurement
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
A behavioral screening questionnaire for children and adolescents. It covers emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer relationships, and prosocial behavior, helping caregivers identify mental health needs early.
See also: Pediatric Assessment, Emotional Development
Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5)
A semi-structured diagnostic interview used by trained clinicians to assess and diagnose major mental disorders according to DSM-5 criteria. Considered a gold standard in psychiatric evaluation.
See also: Diagnostic Interviews, DSM Alignment
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
A projective test where individuals create stories based on ambiguous images. The narratives are interpreted to uncover underlying motives, fears, and personality traits. It’s often used in psychodynamic therapy and research.
See also: Story-Based Testing, Projective Tools
Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI-2)
An assessment used to evaluate post-traumatic stress and related psychological effects in adults. It measures symptoms like dissociation, intrusive thoughts, sexual concerns, and dysfunctional affect regulation.
See also: Trauma Profiles, Symptom Evaluation
Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale
Used by parents and teachers to screen children for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and co-occurring conditions. The scale assesses academic performance, behavior, and emotional regulation, guiding referrals and treatment planning.
See also: ADHD Screening, School-Based Tools