Psychological Testing: History, Principles, and Applications: International Edition (6e)

For junior/senior level undergraduate courses in Psychological Testing / Assessment. Designed to teach students about the characteristics, objectives, and wide-ranging effects of psychological testing.

 

In addition to the breadth of coverage of traditional topics, the sixth edition of Psychological Testing provides detailed presentations on neuropsychological and geriatric assessment, the early uses and abuses of testing, assessment of learning disabilities, testing in special settings, race differences in IQ, and cheating on national group achievement tests. The author also describes and critiques the latest versions of the most widely used tests, examine the subtleties of the testing process, and explores the value-laden issues surrounding the wisdom of testing.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

1. Chapter 2 on the History of Psychological Testing includes two additions: a brief section on the origins of rating scales, and a short summary of the contributions of Leta Hollingworth to IQ testing in giftedness.
2. Topic 4A, Basic Concepts of Validity, now concludes with brief reference to the overlooked concept of test utility:  Does use of tests yield better patient outcomes or more efficient delivery of services?
3. Updates on the WAIS-IV are included in Topic 5B: Individual Tests of Intelligence and Achievement.
4. The section on Learning Disabilities in Topic 5B: Individual Tests of Intelligence and Achievement includes new material on RTI (Response to Intervention), which is rapidly becoming the preferred conceptual approach.
5. The coverage of the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) in Topic 6A: Group Tests of Ability and Related Concepts has been increased, including a presentation of sample questions.
6. In Topic 6B: Test Bias and Other Controversies, new examples of the impact on IQ of test bias, environmental deprivation, race differences, age differences, and generational shifts, have been added.
7. The coverage of the Bayley-III has been significantly expanded in Topic 7A: Infant and Preschool Assessment.
8. Updates on the DAS-II and the DIAL-III are included in Topic 7A: Infant and Preschool Assessment.
9. The coverage of mental retardation (in Topic 7B: Testing Persons with Disabilities) has been revamped to reflect the important shift in terminology to the preferred concept of intellectual disability.
10. In Topic 8A, Theories of Personality and Projective Techniques, my prior skepticism about the Rorschach has been softened in light of the blue ribbon panel report from the Society for Personality Assessment (which concluded that the inkblot test has validity on a par with other accepted tests like the MMPI-2).
11. Substantial new material on the MBTI and CPI, two instruments widely used in “normal” assessment, has been added to Topic 9A: Assessment within the Normal Spectrum.
12. Topic 9B: Positive Psychological Assessment, is entirely new and includes extended coverage on the assessment of creativity (e.g., Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking), emotional intelligence (e.g., the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test), optimism, gratitude, and sense of humor.
13. Topic 10B: Neuropsychological Tests, Batteries, and Screening Tools, includes updating of references on most instruments and addition of the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery, a promising approach that is both comprehensive and modular.
14. A new section on personality tests such as the NEO-PI-R as a useful basis for employee selection has been added to Topic 11A: Industrial and Organizational Assessment.
15. In Topic 11B: Forensic Applications of Assessment, the section on malingering has been expanded to include the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) and the use of the MMPI-2 validity scales in the detection of malingering.
16. A brief section on cognitive disability and the death penalty has been added to Topic 12A: Psychological Testing and the Law.
17. In addition to updating several topics and tests, Topic 12B: Computerized Assessment and the Future of Testing, now includes a closing section on “Testing and the Next Big Questions in Psychology.”

NEW ONLINE RESOURCES:  MyPsychKit

• Create a Custom Text: For enrollments of at least 25, create your own textbook by combining chapters from best-selling Pearson textbooks and/or reading selections in the sequence you want.  To begin building your custom text, visit www.pearsoncustomlibrary.com. You may also work with a dedicated Pearson Custom editor to create your ideal text–publishing your own original content or mixing and matching Pearson content. Contact your Pearson Publisher’s Representative to get started.
• The text is divided into 12 chapters and 24 modular topics, making it easier for students to grasp complex ideas.
• The modular 24-topic approach also allows professors to tailor the book to fit an individualized syllabus.
• The extensive glossary and appendices for locating tests enable students to acquire additional information.
• “The History of Psychological Testing” (Ch. 2) and “Major Landmarks in the History of Psychological Testing” (Appendix A) give students a broad overview of the field.
• Because of its growing importance as a major application of psychological testing, neuropsychological assessment is discussed in detail.
• Real-world case studies bring concepts to life for students.
• Updated references throughout.

Robert Gregory earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Minnesota where he absorbed a healthy respect for the value of empiricism in psychological testing.  He taught at the University of Idaho for 23 years where he also developed a private practice in assessment.  In his practice, he specialized in the evaluation of intellectual disability and cognitive impairment.  His academic research centers on assessment topics such as subtle cognitive differences in left-handers, the impact of subclinical lead exposure on intelligence, the psychometric qualities of a wide variety of cognitive and personality tests, and meta-analysis. He has taught psychological assessment for almost 40 years. He has been professor of psychology at Wheaton College (Illinois) for fifteen years, including six years as department chair, and five years as director of their doctoral program (Psy.D.) in clinical psychology.