Psychological Tests And Testing Research Trends

Psychological testing or Psychological assessment is a field characterised by the use of samples of behaviour in order to infer generalisations about a given individual. By samples of behaviour, one means observations over time of an individual performing tasks that have usually been prescribed beforehand. These responses are often compiled into statistical tables that allow the evaluator to compare the behaviour of the individual being tested to the responses of a norm group. The broad categories of psychological evaluation tests include: Norm-referenced, IQ/achievement tests, Neuropsychological tests, Personality tests, Objective tests (Rating scale), Direct observation tests, Psychological evaluations using data mining. This book presents new and important research from around the world.

The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), for disabled individuals, and their dependent family members, who have worked and contributed to the Social Security trust funds, and Supplemental Security Income (SSSI), which is a means-tested program based on income and financial assets for adults aged 65 years or older and disabled adults and children. Both programs require that claimants have a disability and meet specific medical criteria in order to qualify for benefits. SSA establishes the presence of a medically-determined impairment in individuals with mental disorders other than intellectual disability through the use of standard diagnostic criteria, which include symptoms and signs. These impairments are established largely on reports of signs and symptoms of impairment and functional limitation. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination considers the use of psychological tests in evaluating disability claims submitted to the SSA. This report critically reviews selected psychological tests, including symptom validity tests, that could contribute to SSA disability determinations. The report discusses the possible uses of such tests and their contribution to disability determinations. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination discusses testing norms, qualifications for administration of tests, administration of tests, and reporting results. The recommendations of this report will help SSA improve the consistency and accuracy of disability determination in certain cases.

"Psychological Testing by Theresa J. B. Kline is an accessible, easy-to-read book that effectively communicates the current concepts, trends, and controversies in the field of psychological testing. Readers are provided with an in-depth analysis of psychometrics in a format that will keep their attention and that they will be able to relate to the significance of psychological testing across numerous areas such as schools, businesses, clinical settings, military, or government." -Todd L. Chmielewski, PsycCRITIQUES, December 7, 2005 VOL. 50, NO. 49, ARTICLE 12 Psychological Testing: A Practical Approach to Design and Evaluation offers a fresh and innovative approach to students and faculty in the fields of testing, measurement, psychometrics, research design, and related areas of study. Author Theresa J.B. Kline guides readers through the process of designing and evaluating a test, while ensuring that the test meets the highest professional standards. The author uses simple, clear examples throughout and fully details the required statistical analyses. Topics include—but are not limited to—design of item stems and responses; sampling strategies; classical and modern test theory; IRT program examples; reliability of tests and raters; validation using content, criterion-related, and factor analytic approaches; test and item bias; and professional and ethical issues in testing. With the student in mind, Kline has created features that ease them into more difficult ideas, always stressing the practical use of theoretical concepts. Features include A step-by-step approach to designing a test, including construct identification, construct operationalization, collecting data, item assessment, and reliability and validity techniques Examples of data analyses with printouts and interpretation Up-to-date coverage of psychometric topics, such as difference scores, change scores, translation, computer adaptive testing, reliability and validity generalization, professional and ethical guidelines, and references IRT program outputs (dichotomous and multiple response) Coverage of traditional topics in the context of how they would be used, such as standard errors and confidence intervals Sampling approaches and their strengths and weaknesses, as well as response rates and missing data management Psychological Testing is perfectly suited as a main text for upper-level undergraduate and graduate Testing or Psychometrics courses in departments of Psychology, Education, Sociology, Management, and in the Human Services disciplines. Professional researchers, educators, and consultants will also want to add this to their libraries for up-to-date coverage of test design and evaluation techniques. "Professor Kline′s attempts to de-mystify complex measurement concepts are beautifully simplified and illustrated in her countless illustrations of practical and relevant problems for the mathematically-challenged student. This book is also a must-have for those who simply do not have the desire for the theoretical jargon used in similar textbooks but are interested in the important conceptual and practical aspects of measurement as they apply in their disciplines." —Arturo Olivarez, Jr., Texas Tech University "Kline′s Psychological Testing provides a well-written treatment of the critical issues in designing and evaluating psychometric instruments. This book will be very useful to advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers." —Richard Block, Montana State University

Psychological Testing in Everyday Life explores how psychological testing is used in real-life settings to make the study of psychometrics interesting, relevant, and highly accessible. Author Karen B. Goldfinger examines a broad range of carefully selected topics to capture student interest, encourage critical thinking, and spark class discussions. Organized in the form of an applied casebook, each chapter presents the complex issues that arise when using psychological tests in a variety of settings, providing an in-depth view of psychological testing practices, historically and in the present. This unique text will support students in becoming thoughtful, informed consumers and providers of psychological assessment.

“Forty-three years ago the Italian parliament passed a law (law 517 of 1977) that would have boasted Italy for the role of leading country in the area of inclusion. With that choice, Italy accepted to open up to diversity, to embrace it, to work with and for it, questioning the pedagogical community on what were the best practices to face this educational and social challenge. A choice that today bears fruit, in a context where diversity is normal (Canevaro, 2007, Ianes, 2006). A choice that we must defend in the name of all children and their right to education. The present book develops within this framework and is characterized by the desire to give voice to another nuance of diversity, often mistakenly considered as “good difference” and as such, not in need of targeted interventions: the Giftedness.”

This book clearly and accurately reflects the current field of psychological testing. It focuses on the use of psychological tests to make important decisions about individuals in a variety of settings. Exploring the theory, methods, and applications of psychological testing, it provides a full and fair evaluation of the advantages and drawbacks of psychological testing in general and selected tests in particular. Chapter topics include expansive coverage of neuropsychological testing; the impact of testing on society; application of psychological tests in the contexts of education, industry, and clinical settings; computerized test administration and interpretation; consistency of test scores; the process of test development; ability, interest, and personality testing; and clinical applications and assessment. For individuals interested in the latest research available and sometimes controversial issues involved in psychological testing and measurement.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to psychological assessment and covers areas not typically addressed in existing test and measurements texts, such as neuropsychological assessment and the use of tests in forensics settings. The book introduces the vocabulary of the profession and the most basic mathematics of testing early as being fundamental to understanding the field. Numerous examples are drawn from tests that the authors have written or otherwise helped to develop, reflecting the authors’ deep understanding of these tests and their familiarity with problems encountered in test development, use, and interpretation. Following the introduction of the basic areas of psychometrics, the book moves to areas of testing that represent various approaches to measuring different psychological constructs (memory, language, executive function, etc.), with emphasis on the complex issue of cultural bias in testing. Examples of existing tests are given throughout the book; however, this book is not designed to prepare students to go out and administer, score, and interpret specific psychological tests. Rather, the purpose of this book is to provide the foundational core of knowledge about tests, measurement, and assessment constructs, issues, and quantitative tools. Explains what constitutes a psychological test, how tests are developed, how they are best used, and how to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses; Describes areas of testing that represent different approaches to measuring different psychological constructs; Explains applications of psychological testing to issues in the courts; Addresses how test authors and publishers design and research tests to address the difficult and demanding issues of cultural differences in test performance and interpretation of test results.