Psychometrics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A specialized field dedicated to measuring psychological characteristics using various standardized assessments and techniques
2. The scientific study focused on quantifying mental attributes, personality traits, and cognitive abilities through standardized tests
3. A branch of psychology concerned with designing, administering, and interpreting tests that evaluate psychological variables

Etymology: Psychometrics is a compound built from two Greek elements that date back much further than the modern discipline. The first, "psūkho-", comes from "psūkhḗ," a Greek word meaning "soul" or "breath of life," which is also the source of "psycho-" in the sense of mind. The second element, "metrics," derives from the Greek "metron," meaning "measure." Joined together, the parts literally signify the measurement of the mind. The word therefore describes an activity that its ancient ingredients could hardly have anticipated. The Greeks had no concept of administering standardized tests to quantify mental traits, so the combination is a modern coinage assembled from classical building blocks. English speakers added the pieces together to name a field devoted to measuring psychological qualities such as intelligence, personality, and aptitude, in the same way that "biometrics" names the measurement of biological features.