Psychological Testing

by Colin Cooper

Winner of the British Psychological Society's Textbook Award 2019. Psychological tests are everywhere. They are widely used by practitioners, researchers, clinicians, and educators -anyone, in fact, who needs to measure various aspects of personality, cognitive abilities, mood and suchlike. Psychometrics is the science of psychological assessment. It covers the construction, use and interpretation of psychological tests of all kinds – from simple questionnaires measuring personality, moods and attitudes, through to specialised tests measuring IQ and other mental abilities. Psychological Theory and Practice provides test users, test developers, practitioners and researchers in the social sciences, education and health with an evaluative guide to choosing, using, interpreting and developing tests. Its aim is to give readers a thorough grasp of the principles (and limitations) of testing, together with the necessary methodological detail. Unusually for an introductory text, it includes coverage of several cutting-edge techniques. If you find mathematics frightening and statistics dull, this engaging text will help you to understand the fundamental principles of psychometrics, that underpin the measurement of any human characteristic using any psychological test. The book is accompanied by additional resources, including a set of spreadsheets which use simulated data and other techniques to illustrate important issues, and allow users to understand various statistical procedures work, without getting bogged down in mathematical detail. These are fully integrated into the text. This is an essential introduction for all students of psychology and related disiplines, as well as a useful resource for practitioners and those seeking accreditation in psychological testing.

Genres: Psychology

348 pages, Paperback

First published November 24, 2018

Reviews

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written, lots of references, downloadable Excel spreadsheets to practice. It appeals more to the researcher community, but also has lot of tips for coaches and counselors who work with an individual. Many bad practices are highlighted, and common problems are outlined. It is full of statistics of course, but still digestible for 'people-person'. If you develop, administer, or frequently use personality, intelligence or other tests, this is a good resource to understand what you can do, what you shouldn't do, what are risky conclusions, what are limits of knowledge.

[Aaronmac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed and critical look at psychometric theory, evidence, and analyses as well as test construction. Used for teaching a class of master's level. counseling students. Too critical for introducing ideas probably, but also a good text for anyone wanting to dive into measurement and test construction.