
Psychological Testing
Theory and Practice
Colin Cooper(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 15. October 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
348 pages
978-1-138-22889-4 (ISBN)
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Description
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 Testing: 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.
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 Testing: 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.
Reviews / Votes
"I'd recommend this book to practising professionals as well as students. It's a useful reminder of procedures, as well as a clear exposition of the challenges... Overall, this book provides a thorough coverage of major procedures, and a helpful summary of significant controversial issues. It's also, in itself, an interesting read!" - Nicky Hayes, Testing International"Colin Cooper's book is a splendid synthesis of the theory, statistics and applications of psychometrics. We are taken on a journey through this 'measurement of the human spirit', spanning basic concepts (reliability/validity), workhorse statistics (factor analyses), more recent techniques (item response theory), how to interpret test scores and, even, how to develop scales. But there is more: this is a hands-on book - each chapter comes with a datasheet on which to practice newly-acquired knowledge of psychometrics. Students, lecturers, test developers and practitioners will delight in this charming book."- Professor Philip J Corr, City, University of London, UK
"What a gem of a book this is! I am delighted to recommend Colin Cooper's Psychological Testing: Theory and Practice to students, researchers, clinicians and educators. While the book eschews unnecessary diversions into mathematical and statistical obscurities, it also steers clear of the superficial, homespun presentations that sacrifice rigour in the altar of unrewarding readability. Without a doubt, this is one of the most accessible, effective and comprehensive introductions to psychological testing in the market today."- Professor K. V. Petrides, London Psychometric Laboratory, University College London, UK
"Colin Cooper has written the 'down-to-earth' book that many of us have been waiting for on the very complex and often misunderstood field of psychology tests and assessment. It is grounded in both the established cornerstones of psychological testing and contemporary developments necessary to understand how tests are made, evaluated and used in research and clinical assessment. This book will be of particular relevance for undergraduate and graduate university courses in psychological tests and measurement." - Dr. Don Saklofske, Western University, Canada
"Overall, Cooper delivers. The text gives readers such as myself the ammunition needed to critically select methods and justify why we develop and validate instruments of psychological measurement. For any researcher blindly running numbers through a powerful statistical package, Psychological Testing is a must-read." - Jack Tomlin, The Psychologist
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
73 farbige Zeichnungen
73 Line drawings, color
Dimensions
Height: 246 mm
Width: 174 mm
Weight
725 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-138-22889-4 (9781138228894)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions

Colin Cooper
An Introduction to Psychometrics and Psychological Assessment
Using, Interpreting and Developing Tests
Book
05/2023
2nd Edition
Routledge
€100.90
Shipment within 10-20 days
Additional editions

Book
10/2018
1st Edition
Routledge
€193.13
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
Dr Colin Cooper has researched and taught psychometrics and individual differences at Queen's University, Belfast for 20 years. He has published widely in these fields, and has been extensively involved in test design and consultancy.
Content
Introduction to Psychometrics
Tests, Scales and Testing
Scoring Tests and Scales
Interpreting Scores
Correlations
Random and Systematic Errors of Measurement.
Validity
Introduction to Factor Analysis
Performing and Interpreting Factor Analyses
Alternative Factor Analysis Designs
Developments in Factor Analysis
Item Response Theory
Constructing a Scale
Problems with Test Scores
Psychometrics in Context
References
Index
Tests, Scales and Testing
Scoring Tests and Scales
Interpreting Scores
Correlations
Random and Systematic Errors of Measurement.
Validity
Introduction to Factor Analysis
Performing and Interpreting Factor Analyses
Alternative Factor Analysis Designs
Developments in Factor Analysis
Item Response Theory
Constructing a Scale
Problems with Test Scores
Psychometrics in Context
References
Index