Binet and Simon developed the first intelligence test in 1916 to identify which children would need assistance in school. Terman advanced the work of Binet and Simon with the Stanford-Binet intelligence test in which he compared the mental age of children to their chronological age to determine a child's IQ. Other current measures of intelligence are the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III) used to test children and the Wechsler Adult intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV).
Psychologists use different assessment techniques and instruments to evaluate an individual's personality. Psychoanalysts are likely to use a structured interview or projective test to evaluate a client's personality. In a projective test, the psychologist shows the client an ambiguous shape (Rorschach) or scene (Thematic Apperception Test) and asks the client to interpret it, thereby revealing aspects of her personality to the clinician. Most psychologists use personality inventories such as the Myers-Briggs or Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) to evaluate a person's personality.
Clinical and counseling psychologists use assessment techniques such as structured interviews and behavioral assessments to diagnose mental disorders in patients. The information gained from these assessments is compared to classifications in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., DSM-IV). The psychologists use assessment instruments such as the MMPI-2 and the Butcher Treatment Planning Inventory (BTPI) to develop treatment plans for individual patients.
Forensic and clinical psychologists evaluate defendants for attorneys and/or the courts to determine if the defendants are competent to stand trial and/or conform to the legal definition of insanity. These experts also assess parents and guardians to advise the courts whether they are fit to have custody of a child. Psychologists who work in mental health facilities and prisons use assessment techniques to evaluate the risk of an individual being violent in the future. Forensic assessments are conducted for civil cases on issues such as discrimination and termination.