Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1113): Tests & Measures

Psychological instruments are referred to by many names/types: measures, tests, questionnaires, surveys, inventories, checklists, scales, among others.

You will likely encounter both commercial and non-commercial measures as you research measures on your topic. Keep these definitions in mind and be aware that both are subject to copyright:

Commercial measures are available only through the publisher and cost to use. Often, training is required before one can administer commercial measures, if minimum qualifications are not met. Libraries do not have access to commercial measures.

Non-commercial measures are sometimes called unpublished measures. These measures will often appear in articles that can be accessed using the library databases.

For more on finding measures and your responsibilities when using them, check out this guide from the American Psychological Association (APA).

• Psychology Tools
  Find assesment tools in topic areas such as addiction, anger, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep, etc.
• Psychological Tests for Students (York University)
  This page is maintained by Ron Okada, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, York University. provides easy access to many psychological tests. Test authors have given permission to have these copyrighted tests downloaded and used by student researchers free of charge.
• DSM 5-TR Online Assessment Measures (American Psychological Association)
  See "emerging measures” in Section III of DSM-5-TR. 
• Psychology Measure Instruments, Surveys (Delaware County Community College)
  See a list of sources offering free access to tests and measures. 
• Psychology Research Portal (Monash University)
  Find free online tests and measurements
• The Test Collection at ETS - can be used to find instruments. It doesn’t usually provide the instrument itself but it will provide a citation for where to access. You can use the citation to locate it via the TCC library or Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
• Child, Youth and Family (CYF) Database
  This database provides information about outcomes measurement tools that have been used in Irish research and evaluation with children, young people, and their families. The inclusion of a measure in this database is not an endorsement, and we strongly recommend that you follow up with your research on a measure of interest. 
• University of Miami Measures Library
  The open-access library of measures contains brief descriptions of each measure, scoring information (where available), links to related peer-reviewed articles, and measure items in both languages. Links to measure websites where commercially available measures can be purchased are included, as is contact information for measures that require author permission. Links to several other measures libraries are hosted on the library website.

This video will guide you through using APA PsycArticles and the Child, Youth, & Family databases to find survey measures.

Explore articles in journals from relevant fields utilizing databases like PsycARTICLES, EBSCOhost's Psychology and Behavioral Health Sciences Collection, Gale Psychology Onefile, and PTSDpubs available in TCC Library's Articles & Databases. Discover the instruments employed by other researchers in your area of interest. 

Unlock the wealth of information in the Buros Institute for Testing's Mental Measurements Yearbook where tests are categorized into 19 major categories since the 19th edition. Here is how to make the most of the resource

• Score Index: Located in this reference resource, this index (available in various campus libraries) details the variables measured by each test. Since there's no cumulative index, check each edition individually.  Consider using alternate terms for the variable you are interested info an effective search. To find the campus library locations, select the title: Mental Measurements Yearbook
• Comprehensive index: Buro's online index offers a thorough listing of measures in each edition of the Mental Measurements Yearbook
  For additional resources:
• Tests:  A Comprehensive Reference for Assessments in Psychology, Education, and Business:  This source provides a quick guide  to major tests with some special features like a foreign language availability index and indexes of tests suitable for special populations. Find it at shelf location is BF 176.T43.
• Consult specialized books: explore the Library's catalog searches (use suggested terms below) for books for books that delve into tests in specialized areas.: