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Glite Dictionary
mental testing

mental testing

3.7
A process of giving standard tests to measure thinking, memory or personality
  • noun
  • /ˈmɛn.təl ˈtɛs.tɪŋ/
translation icon : evaluación mental
  • In 1932, when Charles Spearman, one of the great pioneers of mental testing, retired as head of the Department of Psychology at University College, London, Burt was appointed to his position, probably the most influential in British psychology.

Examples

  • After years of research, the psychologist published a paper on the validity of mental testing for assessing intelligence and personality traits.

  • In 1913, a temporary position opened at the Clearing-House for Mental Defectives in New York City for someone to aid in its mental testing program.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Witmer and Wallin called for extensive mental testing to supplement school medical inspection, as well as the creation of psychological clinics to study and work with children.

    Academic text (2014)

  • In 1884, he set up the first mental testing center at the International Health Exhibition in London and charged visitors a fee for measuring sensory capacities, which he believed indicated mental ability (DuBois, 1970).

    Academic text (1995)

  • The school implemented a program for mental testing to evaluate the students' cognitive abilities and tailor their educational needs.

  • In preparation for the summer camp, all participants underwent mental testing to ensure their readiness for the challenging activities planned.

Synonyms

mental measurement
vsmental testing
  • Specialized
6.8

A way to check thinking skills with standard tests

focuses on administering standardized tests as the practical process rather than the quantifying method

How Thorough

battery
  • Specialized
15 4.1
mental testing
3.7
test
∞ 1.0
screening
23 3.9

Surface Forms

mental testing singular
mental testings plural

Morphology

mental + testing

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from 'mental' (relating to cognition) plus 'testing' (administering tests); together they naturally denote testing of cognitive abilities. This adjective+noun compositional pattern is common across languages and follows standard English noun phrase formation, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Mental testing comes from the idea of giving a person set tasks to check the mental (the 'mind') using testing questions or puzzles. So, mental testing means measuring how someone thinks, remembers, and solves problems.