Sample Essay On Standardized Measurement Instruments

Generally, social workers use standardized measurement instruments to measure various psycho-social concepts such as self-control, self-control family functioning or even a sense of belonging. The commonly used standardized forms of measurement instruments are:
- Questionnaires
- Logs
- Inventories
- Checklist
Questionnaires, especially those that have been peer-reviewed and critiqued by fellow researchers, would provide the general understanding of the client that the social specialist is dealing with. Logs on the other hand is a structural kind of a journal where the research participant is required to record various behaviours or experiences that relate to them, in note form. In regard to inventories, the client creates a list of the things that may be affecting them. For instance, the specialist can ask the client to list three major things that they think is making them feel depressed. Additionally, a checklist is also an imperative measurement instrument that is usually prepared by the researcher. For example, if they were measuring the rate of depression in a client, the checklist may include items such as; I wish to be alone, powerlessness, anxiety and sadness.
Unlike a questionnaire-type scale, rating scales measures various behaviours and attitude using answers that shows the intensity of the variable ranging from one extreme to another. For example, the scale of a person who lacks self-esteem can range for “Not at all likely” to “Extremely likely” thus showing the magnitude of the state of self-esteem in the respondent. Questionnaire-scales are known only to show either the acceptance or disapproval of a given variable using a simple YES/NO. Therefore, the rating scales are very advantageous especially when a researcher wants to uncover degrees of opinion.
If used correctly, these measurement instruments can be able to accurately determine or assess a client’s needs. In general, these standardized instrument greatly assists measuring the client’s mental state, physical behaviour, their support systems and resources.