Psychometrics

Psychometrics, short for psychological measurement, is a specialized branch of psychology dedicated to the theory and practice of developing, administering, assessing, and interpreting psychological variables, such as personality traits, cognitive skills, and intelligence. Psychometrics, as a science, has found application in the realm of education, employment, and criminology, to name a few. Psychometrics lends objectivity to the measurement of a subject’s knowledge, personality characteristics, skills, attitudes, and educational accomplishments.

Psychometrics, as a science, comprises two major functions – the development of measurement tools and methods, the design and revision of theoretical approaches to measurement. Psychometrics primarily studies the variation between individuals. Undertaken initially to understand and measure intelligence, the scope of psychometric theory was gradually broadened to include the measurement of personality, beliefs, and attitudes.