Identify two of these forces and describe their historical significance.

          Tests are devices and means of evaluation, whereas psychological tests are devices and means of making assessments. Major categories of tests include mental ability, achievement, individual achievement, personality, objective, and neuropsychological tests (Hogan, 2007). Fields involved in testing that are major users of testing are clinical and school psychology, counseling, neuropsychology, education, employment, and research (Hogan, 2007). The development of testing has occurred over numerous years and testing improves and becomes more effective with each passing year. Six major forces that influence the historical development of testing include the scientific impulse, concern for the individual, practical applications, statistical methodology, the rise of clinical psychology, and computers.

          Two of these forces that I find of particular interest in their historical significance are the concern for the scientific impulse and clinical psychology. Throughout the history of testing, the scientific impulse has triumphed. The concerns of the scientific impulse are why it holds historical significance, that is, its concerns as for testing being scientific and for scorer reliability (Hogan, 2007). Therefore, these concerns have been the motivation for developing early and current achievement tests. Clinical psychology also has a historical significance as for testing. Clinical psychology has been one of the main fields of using testing and applying psychology and a scientific approach toward testing. Therefore, clinical psychology utilizes the scientist-practitioner model by maintaining its approach of being both scientific and practical. Also, individuals in clinical practice have needed, used, requested, and developed excessive amounts of tests. These are some of the reasons of clinical psychology's historical significance.   

Reference

Hogan, T. P. (2007). Psychological testing: A practical introduction (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.