An Introduction to Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics 2/e

Dr Keith Coaley is a chartered occupational and clinical psychologist, having many years of experience as an applied psychologist, trainer and lecturer at both HE and university levels. After a first undergraduate degree, he did a second degree in psychology with the Open University before a Master's degree at Cardiff University and another later in forensic and legal psychology at Leicester University. He was awarded his PhD for his research in stress, health and job performance at Manchester. Having extensive experience of psychological assessment in practice, he has researched and published on topics relating to the fields of psychometrics and assessment. He has experience of work in Human Resources, in consultancy and in the National Health Service and prison settings, and has worked in the UK, Ireland, the Far East and Africa.

Chapter 1: Introduction: Individual Differences and Psychometrics PART I: The Essential Tools of Psychological Measurement Chapter 2: The Basic Components: Scales and Items Chapter 3: How Assessment Measures are Made Chapter 4: Statistics for Psychological Measurement PART II: The Essential Characteristics of Psychological Measurement Chapter 5: The Importance of Reliability Chapter 6: The Significance of Validity PART III: Theories and Applications of Measurement Techniques Chapter 7: Theories and Measurement of Intellectual Ability Chapter 8: Theories and Measurement of Personality Characteristics Chapter 9: Alternative Perspectives: Theories and Measurement PART IV: Ethical and Professional Issues Chapter 10: Best Practice in Measurement PART V: Practical Skills for Measurement of Individual Differences Chapter 11: How to Make a Test or Questionnaire

'Once again, Coaley provides an accessible and indispensable guide to psychological assessments for students and staff. Coaley's applied expertise in psychological assessment means that the student not only benefits from a thorough explanation of the theoretical underpinnings of psychological assessments, but also have the benefit of practical explanations of the theory. Through this text, students will gain an understanding not only of how to "do" psychological assessment, but also critical issues such as fairness and ethical testing of tests, reliability and validity and also how vital testing can be in applied settings.' -- Debbie Stevens-Gill 'This revised edition of An Introduction to Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics is timely as it addresses current issues in relation to the European Federation of Psychological Associations (EFPA) and changes to the British Psychological Society (BPS) standards for competence in test use, making it an ideal text to support training and learning. There is also important recognition of recent theory and methodological development and changes in legal requirements. The author's style of writing is friendly and fluid, neither patronising nor overly complex, presenting clear and unthreatening explanations and examples of all the key materials required to become a competent psychometric test user. Thought provoking key questions at the end of each chapter help to consolidate the learning and identify areas that require more attention.' -- Dr Caroline Limbert, Programme Director and Senior Lecturer