Description
SAGE Publications Inc Foundations of Psychological Testing A Practical Approach 2010 Edition by Leslie A. Miller, Sandra McIntire, Robert L. Lovler
The third edition of this text offers a straight forward and clear introduction to the basics of psychological testing as well as to psychometrics and statistics for students new to the field. The authors focus on relating core ideas to practical situations that students will recognize and relate to. They provide a variety of pedagogical tools that promote student understanding of the underlying concepts required to interpret and to use test scores. Primarily concerned with preparing students to become informed consumers and users of tests, the text also features a final section focusing on how tests are utilized in three important settings: education, clinical and counseling practice, and organizations. This title instructs using an effective conversational tone, such as in the discussion of true scores and error in classical test theory-concepts with which students typically struggle. It incorporates more discussion of specific tests in response to reviewer feedback, with direct examples from published tests and more details of tests featured in 'Test Spotlights'.It provides new material on using validity generalization strategies in pre-employment testing and on traditional versus authentic assessment. It includes updates for all relevant chapters to reflect how the APA Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing treats validity as a unitary concept rather than discussing different types of validity. It focuses on validity as the appropriateness of the inferences made from test scores rather than whether a test measures what it was designed to measure. It offers even more discussion questions, useful for guiding classroom learning. It features: rich pedagogical tools, such as chapter-opening narratives; 'For Your Information' boxes highlighting interesting related material; 'In the News' boxes featuring testing stories from the news and 'On the Web' boxes offering useful web resources; summary sections throughout chapters; and, chapter-ending 'Engaging in the Learning Process' sections with interactive learning activities and self-test questions. Table of contents :- Section I - OVERVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING 1. What Are Psychological Tests? Why Should You Care About Psychological Testing? What Are Psychological Tests? The History of Psychological Testing Testing Today The Defining Characteristics of Psychological Tests Assumptions of Psychological Tests Test Classification Methods Psychological Assessment, Psychological Tests, Measurements, and Surveys Locating Information About Tests 2. Why Is Psychological Testing Important? The Importance of Psychological Testing Who Uses Psychological Tests and for What Reasons? The Social and Legal Implications of Psychological Testing 3. Is There a Right or Wrong Way to Use Psychological Tests? Ethical Standards for Psychological Testing Appropriate Use of Psychological Tests Testing Special Populations 4. How Does Computerized Testing Work? Computerized Testing Computerized Adaptive Testing Web-Based Assessment Implications for the Future Section II - PSYCHOMETRIC PRINCIPLES 5. How Do Test Users Interpret Test Scores? Levels of Measurement Procedures for Interpreting Test Scores Standard Scores The Role of Norms 6. What Is Test Reliability? What Is Reliability? Three Types of Reliability Classical Test Theory The Reliability Coefficient Using Computer Software to Calculate Reliability Interpreting Reliability Coefficients Factors That Influence Reliability Generalizability Theory 7. How Do We Gather Evidence of Validity Based the Content of a Test? Different Sources of Evidence for Validity The Appropriate Use of Various Validation Strategies Evidence Based on Test Content / Content Validity Face Validity 8. How Do We Gather Evidence of Validity Based a Test's Relationships with External Criteria What Is Evidence for Validity Based on Test-Criteria Relationships? Methods for Providing Evidence of Validity Based on Test-Criteria Relationships Selecting a Criterion Does the Criterion Measure What It Is Supposed to Measure? Calculating and Evaluating Validity Coefficients Using Validity Information to Make Predictions Ethical Issues Associated With Test Validation 9. How do we Gather Evidence of Validity Based on a Test's Relationship with Constructs? Construct Validity Gathering Evidence of Construct Validity Factor Analysis SECTION III - DEVELOPING AND PILOTING SURVEYS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS 10. How Do We Construct, Administer, and Use Survey Data? What Are Surveys? Knowledge Acquisition and the Scientific Method The Survey Research Method Survey Reliability and Validity 11. How Do You Develop a Test? Why Develop a New Test? Defining the Testing Universe, Audience, and Purpose Developing a Test Plan Composing the Test Items Writing Effective Items Writing the Instructions for the New Test 12. How Do We Assess the Psychometric Quality of a Test? The Pilot Test Quantitative Item Analysis Qualitative Item Analysis Revising the Test Conducting the Validation Study Developing Norms and Identifying Cut Scores Developing the Test Manual SECTION IV - USING TESTS IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS 13. How Are Tests Used in Educational Settings? Decision Making in the Educational Setting Educators as Test Users Psychological Test Use in Educational Settings Norm-Referenced, Criterion-Referenced, and Authentic Assessment of Achievement 14. How Are Tests Used in Clinical and Counseling Settings? Models of Psychological Assessment Tests Used for Diagnosis and Intervention Neuropsychological Tests Specialized Tests for Clinical Disorders 15. How Do Organizations Use Psychological Tests? A Short History of Employment Testing Preemployment Testing Performance Appraisal