Library Guides: PSYCHOLOGY: Research Guide: Find Tests &amp; Measures

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In This Section

In this section, you'll find:

Search tips for finding published and unpublished tests
Resources for finding psychological tests and measurements, including
- Databases
- Books
- Websites

Search Tips

Start with databases

Start with library databases like PsycTESTS and PsycINFO.

Use advanced search features to narrow your results to tests and measures
Look for articles that use the test you're interested in--sometimes the test questions or items will be included in the text of the article or as an appendix

Then search online

Sometimes it's possible to find tests freely available through Google, especially tests and measures published by government agencies. REMEMBER: Anyone can post anything online so be careful of altered, unofficial, or incomplete versions of tests. Always use versions posted by the correct authors or publisher.

Start with the official name of the test in Google or any search engine
If that doesn't work, try Google Scholar
If that doesn't work, see if you can find contact information for the author(s) of the test. Try to find the authors' personal or institutional websites by Googling their name(s)
If you can't find the test authors' website(s), visit the website of the company or university where they work. You may be able to find the author's contact information in a faculty directory or on the webpage for their department

*Online search tips adapted from the University of North Dakota's Tests and Measurements Guide

Advice from the APA:

FAQ: Finding information about psychological tests
This website created by the American Psychology Association describes how to find published and unpublished tests.

Finding Tests

Databases

PsycTESTS This link opens in a new window
Search for psychological tests from published scholarly literature from the early 1900s to the present. About 75% of the test records contain the actual test or test items.
PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
Use Advanced Search to find tests and measures. Scroll down a bit to a search box labeled "Test & measure" and enter keywords there, or use the "Look up Tests & measures" link to the right of that same search box (see the screenshot below).

Books

Mental Measurements Yearbook
Call Number: REF 371.26 B937m
Evaluations of the latest assessments in education, psychology, business, law, health care, counseling, and management. Test entries are cross-referenced and indexed by title, subject, name, acronym, and score. An updated directory of test publishers is also included.
Tests in Print IX
Call Number: REF 150.287 T289p
A comprehensive bibliography of all commercially available English language tests in print. Information is given for tests in a wide range of areas, including education, psychology, counseling, management, health care, career planning, sociology, personnel, child development, social science, and research.

Websites

International Personality Item Pool
Tthe official website for the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP). The site includes over 3,000 items and over 250 scales that have been constructed from the items. New items and scales are developed on an irregular basis. The items and scales are in the public domain, which means that one can copy, edit, translate, or use them for any purpose without asking permission and without paying a fee.
Depression and Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS)
The DASS is a 42-item self report instrument designed to measure the three related negative emotional states of depression, anxiety and tension/stress. The DASS questionnaire is in the public domain, and may be downloaded from this website.
Family Empowerment Scale (FES)
The Family Empowerment Scale (FES), a 34-item rating scale, was developed to measure empowerment in families with children who have emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders.
National Institute on Drug Abuse Screening and Assessment Tools Chart
Screening and assessment tools from the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is the most widely used psychological instrument for measuring the perception of stress. It is a measure of the degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful.
Questionnaires for Researchers - Positive Psychology Center
Downloadable questionnaires from the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
RAND Surveys
RAND's researchers and survey experts have developed numerous health-related surveys. Available for free in the public domain, these surveys are designed for a wide range of purposes, including assessing patients' health, screening for mental health conditions, and measuring quality of care and quality of life. Many of these surveys are intended for the general population, but can be tailored to specific groups, such as the elderly, Medicaid recipients, veterans, and families with small children.
CHIPTS Surveys & Scales
Tests relating to alcohol/drug use, HIV-AIDS, and other community health issues from the Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services at UCLA.

PSYCHOLOGY: Research Guide | Find Tests & Measures