Drawing on the work of internationally acclaimed experts in the field, Handbook of Item Response Theory, Volume Two: Statistical Tools presents classical and modern statistical tools used in item response theory (IRT). While IRT heavily depends on the use of statistical tools for handling its models and applications, systematic introductions and reviews that emphasize their relevance to IRT are hardly found in the statistical literature. This second volume in a three-volume set fills this void. Volume Two covers common probability distributions, the issue of models with both intentional and nuisance parameters, the use of information criteria, methods for dealing with missing data, and model identification issues. It also addresses recent developments in parameter estimation and model fit and comparison, such as Bayesian approaches, specifically Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods.

*Complete coverage of administration, scoring, interpretation, and reporting *Expert advice on avoiding common pitfalls *Conveniently formatted for rapid reference The hands-on guide for confidently administering, scoring, and interpreting the WJ IV(R) Tests of Achievement Written by Nancy Mather and Barbara J. Wendling two experts on the topic Essentials of WJ IV(R) Tests of Achievement provides step-by-step guidance for administering, scoring, and interpreting the achievement portion of the WJ IV(R).Designed to be an easy-to-use reference, the text goes beyond the information found in the WJ IV(R) test manual to offer full explanations of the tests and clusters on the WJ IV(R) ACH. This essential guide also explains the meaning of all scores and interpretive features and includes valuable advice on clinical applications and illuminating case studies. Essentials of WJ IV(R) Tests of Achievement contains: * Concise chapters that feature numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and 'Test Yourself' questions * Separate chapter on the use and interpretation of the WJ IV(R) Tests of Oral Language and how the WJ IV(R) ACH and WJ IV(R) OL can be used together to increase diagnostic utility * Expert assessment of the test's relative strengths and weaknesses This accessible resource highlights the most informative aspects of WJ IV(R) ACH, points out common errors, and reviews the complexities of administration and scoring the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement.

First published in 1993. This book is intended for managers and occupational psychologists involved in the selection and assessment of the workforce. It details the history and development of the use of biographical data for both recruitment and promotion of employees. Grounded in relevant research literature, it offers a comprehensive analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of biodata in different contexts. It also includes examples of applications and recommendations for use, as well as examples of questionnaires. Written by experts, it represents a wide-ranging review of the contemporary research in the field. This work will be of interest to students of business and psychology.

A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR 'History that reads like biography that reads like a novel - a fluid narrative that defies expectations and plays against type' New York Times 'Brilliant and savage' Philip Hensher An unprecedented history of the personality test conceived a century ago by a mother and her daughter - fiction writers with no formal training in psychology - and how it insinuated itself into our boardrooms, classrooms, and beyond. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is the most popular personality test in the world. It has been harnessed by Fortune 100 companies, universities, hospitals, churches, and the military. Its language - of extraversion vs. introversion, thinking vs. feeling - has inspired online dating platforms and Buzzfeed quizzes alike. And yet despite the test's widespread adoption, experts in the field of psychometric testing, a $500 million industry, struggle to account for its success - no less validate its results. How did the Myers-Briggs insinuate itself into our jobs, our relationships, our internet, our lives? First conceived in the 1920s by the mother-daughter team of Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, a pair of aspiring novelists and devoted homemakers, the Myers-Briggs was designed to bring the gospel of Carl Jung to the masses. But it would take on a life of its own, reaching from the smoke-filled boardrooms of mid-century New York to Berkeley, California, where it was honed against some of the 20th century's greatest creative minds. It would travel across the world to London, Zurich, Cape Town, Melbourne, and Tokyo; to elementary schools, nunneries, wellness retreats, and the closed-door corporate training sessions of today. Drawing from original reporting and never-before-published documents, What's Your Type? examines nothing less than the definition of the self - our attempts to grasp, categorise and quantify our personalities. Surprising and absorbing, the book, like the test at its heart, considers the timeless question: What makes you you?

Scaling Methods is written for professionals in the behavioral sciences who analyze data that results from subjective responses. Other books on scaling attitudes or measuring perceptions focus on the psychometrician's view of measurement. This book focuses on the users' view by concentrating on effective ways to analyze data rather than the mathematical details of how each program works. The methods included handle the majority of data analysis problems encountered and are accompanied by a software solution. Each chapter features the theory surrounding that methodology, an example, a real-world application, and a computer solution. This book introduces the major uni- and multi-dimensional scaling method techniques most common in educational, social, and psychological research. Using four primary methods of data collection--ordering, categorical rating, free clustering, and similarity judgments--Scaling Methods, Second Edition explains how such data can be represented in ways that illustrate relationships among the data and help reveal underlying dimensional structures. Each method serves as an independent unit so readers can pick and choose from a variety of easy-to-use procedures and more advanced techniques. The new edition features a new chapter on order analysis and downloadable resources that provide stand-alone, as well as SAS supported demonstrations of multi-dimensional scaling techniques, plus programs to get raw data into matrix form. The text is written for researchers, practitioners, and advanced students in education and the social and behavioral sciences interested in analyzing data resulting from subjective responses, especially in the measurement of attitudes. Each chapter is self-contained making this an excellent resource for use in the classroom or as a self-study tool. A first course in statistics is a helpful prerequisite.

Originally published in 1983 and written in the tradition of the British School of Psychology, Spearman, Burt, Eysenck, Cattell, this book from a well-known author was exceptional at the time in its attempt to wed quantification and psychological theory in the study of personality. The student is presented with a discussion of the different methods of measuring personality and the various findings which have been made. The results are then discussed in the light of psychological theories of personality and here the author stresses the need for a theory with a properly quantified bias. However, the emphasis on findings from measurement and not the measurement itself makes the book psychological, truly about personality and not simply another text on psychological measurement.

In a managed care era, the MMPI-2 is becoming an overloaded workhorse, required to generate more and more of the assessments that a battery of instruments once did. Though all now rely on the MMPI-2 for good reasons, and the MMPI has fallen out of use entirely, some important and clinically useful scales were lost in the transition. Edward Gotts and Thomas Knudsen have recovered these scales and integrated them with all the standard MMPI-2 scales, the recently published Restructured Clinical Scales, and a number of scales they have constructed to assess positive strengths and coping abilities, and response consistency-inconsistency. This book lays out their new Content Cluster interpretive approach. Drawing on data from a large psychiatric inpatient sample, they present item composition, reliability, and validity information for each recovered and new scale, and convincingly demonstrate that their new Content Cluster approach results in improved prediction and interpretive power. They also show how to conjoin Rorschach and MMPI-2 results in more effective assessment strategies, and how to tie MMPI-2 results to specific DSM-IV criteria. The Clinical Interpretation of the MMPI-2: A Content Cluster Approach offers psychologists essential new tools for clinical and personality assessment.

Originally published in 1960, the two volumes of Experiments in Personality report a number of experiments in psychogenetics, psychopharmacology, psychodiagnostics, psychometrics and psychodynamics, all of which formed part of the programme of research which had been developing from the late 1940s at the Maudsley Hospital. Presenting the studies together in a book, rather than the more usual route of journal articles, was itself felt to be an experiment at the time, especially given the wide area covered. The decision was deliberate because all the studies reported formed part of a larger whole, which would have been lost if published separately. Volume II looks at psychodiagnostics, psychodynamics and psychometrics.

Originally published in 1926, the first part of this book attempted to formulate a theory of ability in the light of recent experimental results of the time. It discusses the nature of intelligence and the problem of special abilities, and includes a study of some typical forms of genius. The second part gives an account of a three years' experimental study of special abilities in arts and science respectively, carried out upon university students. Samples of the tests employed are included. The results are presented in non-technical form. Victoria Hazlitt was a pioneer of experimental psychology, which was particularly significant as a woman in the early twentieth century. In many cases her work anticipated later developments in psychology by many years. Today it can be enjoyed in its historical context.

High stakes tests are the gatekeepers to many educational and professional goals. As such, the incentive to cheat is high. This Handbook is the first to offer insights from experts within the testing community, psychometricians, and policymakers to identify and develop best practice guidelines for the design of test security systems for a variety of testing genres. Until now this information was scattered and often resided inside testing companies. As a result, rather than being able to learn from each other's experiences, each testing entity was left to re-create their own test security wheel. As a whole the book provides invaluable insight into the prevalence of cheating and "best practices" for designing security plans, training personnel, and detecting and investigating misconduct, to help develop more secure testing systems and reduce the likelihood of future security breaches. Actual case studies from a variety of settings bring to life how security systems really work. Examples from both domestic and international programs are provided. Highlights of coverage include:* Best practices for designing secure tests * Analysis of security vulnerabilities for all genres of testing * Practical cheating prevention and detection strategies * Lessons learned in actual security violations in high profile testing programs. Part I focuses on how tests are delivered for paper-and-pencil, technology-based, and classroom testing and writing assessment. Each chapter addresses the prevalence of the problem and threats to security, prevention, and detection. Part II addresses issues essential to maintaining a secure testing program such as planning and monitoring, physical security, the detection of group-based cheating, investigating misconduct, and communicating about security-related issues. Part III examines actual examples of cheating-- how the cheating was done, how it was detected, and the lessons learned. Part III provides insight into security issues within each of the Association of Test Publishers' four divisions: certification/licensure, clinical, educational, and industrial/organizational testing. Part III's conclusion revisits the issues addressed in the case studies and identifies common themes. Intended for organizations, professionals, educators, policy makers, researchers, and advanced students that design, develop, or use high stakes tests, this book is also ideal for graduate level courses on test development, educational measurement, or educational policy.

This graduate-level textbook is a tutorial for item response theory that covers both the basics of item response theory and the use of R for preparing graphical presentation in writings about the theory. Item response theory has become one of the most powerful tools used in test construction, yet one of the barriers to learning and applying it is the considerable amount of sophisticated computational effort required to illustrate even the simplest concepts. This text provides the reader access to the basic concepts of item response theory freed of the tedious underlying calculations. It is intended for those who possess limited knowledge of educational measurement and psychometrics. Rather than presenting the full scope of item response theory, this textbook is concise and practical and presents basic concepts without becoming enmeshed in underlying mathematical and computational complexities. Clearly written text and succinct R code allow anyone familiar with statistical concepts to explore and apply item response theory in a practical way. In addition to students of educational measurement, this text will be valuable to measurement specialists working in testing programs at any level and who need an understanding of item response theory in order to evaluate its potential in their settings.

Testing, Measurement, Assessment Mastering Modern Psychological Testing: Theory & Methods presents quality written research in a thorough and comprehensive manner that allows students to master the material. This text 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. "Mastering Modern Psychological Testing" addresses special topics in psychological testing and includes special material on test development written by a leading test developer as well as relevant examples. The book is designed for undergraduate courses in Psychological Testing / Assessment / Testing Theory & Methods. Learning Goals Upon completing this book, readers should be able to: * Understand what constitutes a psychological test, how tests are developed, how they are best used, and how to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses * Recognize the development process and how the psychometric properties of tests are constructed so they have the generalized knowledge to always learn about any test * Engage in areas of testing that represent different approaches to measuring different psychological constructs * Understand the difficult and demanding area of how tests are applied and interpreted across cultures within the United States

Originally published in 1960, the two volumes of Experiments in Personality report a number of experiments in psychogenetics, psychopharmacology, psychodiagnostics, psychometrics and psychodynamics, all of which formed part of the programme of research which had been developing from the late 1940s at the Maudsley Hospital. Presenting the studies together in a book, rather than the more usual route of journal articles, was itself felt to be an experiment at the time, especially given the wide area covered. The decision was deliberate because all the studies reported formed part of a larger whole, which would have been lost if published separately. Volume I looks at psychogenetics and psychopharmacology.

Quickly acquire the knowledge and skills you need to confidently administer, score, and interpret behavioral assessment tests

Behavioral assessment tests analyze and assess a broad range of behavioral problems found among children and adolescents, including hyperactivity, impulsivity, and ADHD. To use these tests properly, professionals need an authoritative source of advice and guidance on how to administer, score, and interpret them. Cowritten by leading experts in the behavioral assessment field and the creators of the BASC (Behavioral Assessment System for Children), Essentials of Behavioral Assessment is that source.

Like all the volumes in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series, this book is designed to help busy mental health professionals quickly acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make optimal use of major psychological assessment instruments. Each concise chapter features numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as test questions that help you gauge and reinforce your grasp of the information covered.

Essentials of Behavioral Assessment is the first book to provide state-of-the-art interpretive and administrative guidelines to using the BASC, CRS-R (Conners’ Rating Scales-Revised), and CBCL (Achenbach Child Behavior Checklists), the leading and most highly recognized behavioral assessment tests used in the field. The authors also offer expert assessment of the tests’ merits and include classroom observations.

Other titles in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series:

Essentials of WJ IIITM Tests of Achievement Assessment
Essentials of WJ IIITM Cognitive Abilities Assessment
Essentials of WMS®-III Assessment
Essentials of Individual Achievement Assessment
Essentials of Nepsy® Assessment
Essentials of Cross-Battery Assessment
Essentials of Cognitive Assessment with KAIT and Other Kaufman Measures
Essentials of Nonverbal Assessment
Essentials of WISC-III® and WPPSI-R® Assessment

This new text provides a state-of the-art introduction to educational and psychological testing and measurement theory that reflects many intellectual developments of the past two decades. The book introduces psychometric theory using a latent variable modeling (LVM) framework and emphasizes interval estimation throughout, so as to better prepare readers for studying more advanced topics later in their careers. Featuring numerous examples, it presents an applied approach to conducting testing and measurement in the behavioral, social, and educational sciences. Readers will find numerous tips on how to use test theory in today's actual testing situations. To reflect the growing use of statistical software in psychometrics, the authors introduce the use of Mplus after the first few chapters. IBM SPSS, SAS, and R are also featured in several chapters. Software codes and associated outputs are reviewed throughout to enhance comprehension. Essentially all of the data used in the book are available on the website. In addition instructors will find helpful PowerPoint lecture slides and questions and problems for each chapter. The authors rely on LVM when discussing fundamental concepts such as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, test theory, generalizability theory, reliability and validity, interval estimation, nonlinear factor analysis, generalized linear modeling, and item response theory. The varied applications make this book a valuable tool for those in the behavioral, social, educational, and biomedical disciplines, as well as in business, economics, and marketing. A brief introduction to R is also provided. Intended as a text for advanced undergraduate and/or graduate courses in psychometrics, testing and measurement, measurement theory, psychological testing, and/or educational and/or psychological measurement taught in departments of psychology, education, human development, epidemiology, business, and marketing, it will also appeal to researchers in these disciplines. Prerequisites include an introduction to statistics with exposure to regression analysis and ANOVA. Familiarity with SPSS, SAS, STATA, or R is also beneficial. As a whole, the book provides an invaluable introduction to measurement and test theory to those with limited or no familiarity with the mathematical and statistical procedures involved in measurement and testing.

High stakes tests are the gatekeepers to many educational and professional goals. As such, the incentive to cheat is high. This Handbook is the first to offer insights from experts within the testing community, psychometricians, and policymakers to identify and develop best practice guidelines for the design of test security systems for a variety of testing genres. Until now this information was scattered and often resided inside testing companies. As a result, rather than being able to learn from each other's experiences, each testing entity was left to re-create their own test security wheel. As a whole the book provides invaluable insight into the prevalence of cheating and "best practices" for designing security plans, training personnel, and detecting and investigating misconduct, to help develop more secure testing systems and reduce the likelihood of future security breaches. Actual case studies from a variety of settings bring to life how security systems really work. Examples from both domestic and international programs are provided. Highlights of coverage include:* Best practices for designing secure tests * Analysis of security vulnerabilities for all genres of testing * Practical cheating prevention and detection strategies * Lessons learned in actual security violations in high profile testing programs. Part I focuses on how tests are delivered for paper-and-pencil, technology-based, and classroom testing and writing assessment. Each chapter addresses the prevalence of the problem and threats to security, prevention, and detection. Part II addresses issues essential to maintaining a secure testing program such as planning and monitoring, physical security, the detection of group-based cheating, investigating misconduct, and communicating about security-related issues. Part III examines actual examples of cheating-- how the cheating was done, how it was detected, and the lessons learned. Part III provides insight into security issues within each of the Association of Test Publishers' four divisions: certification/licensure, clinical, educational, and industrial/organizational testing. Part III's conclusion revisits the issues addressed in the case studies and identifies common themes. Intended for organizations, professionals, educators, policy makers, researchers, and advanced students that design, develop, or use high stakes tests, this book is also ideal for graduate level courses on test development, educational measurement, or educational policy.

This book shows readers how to conduct observational methods, research tools used to describe and explain behaviors as they unfold in everyday settings. The book now uses both an evolutionary and a cultural perspective. The methods presented are drawn from psychology, education, family studies, sociology, and anthropology, but the author's primary focus is on children in school, family, and social settings. Readers learn how to make observations in real contexts to help them create a verbal picture of behaviors they see. The importance of considering reliability and validity factors while testing within each environment is emphasized throughout. The author draws from the literature that provides methods for observing animals in their natural habitats, but emphasizes the use of observational methods to solve human problems. The book is organized in the way a researcher conducts observational studiesOCoconceptualizing of the idea, designing and implementing the study, and writing the report. OC Things to think aboutOCO sections provide an opportunity for students to solidify their understanding of the material and the Glossary defines the key terms introduced in the book.

Highlights of changes in the new edition include:

OCoaThe introduction of the cultural perspective in chapter 4 along with the evolutionary (epigenetic theory) perspective and the integration of cultural examples throughout the book.
OCoaMore varied examples from developmental psychology, family studies, and education.
OCoaExtensively revised chapter (3) on ethics reflects the current revelations of scientific fraud and the push for researchers to maximize scientific integrity in their community.
OCoaUpdated chapter (12) reflects the latest computer technologies used in observational methods including iPhones and Blackberrys for conducting observation, ABC Data Pro and Behavior Tracker for evaluations, and Excel for constructing observational templates.
OCoaExpanded chapter (13) on writing the research report and more on issues of plagiarism (ch. 3).a
OCoaThe latest on minimizing observer effects on participants and testing their effectiveness.
OCoaNew environmentally friendly design, the Things to Think About sections were retained, but the blank pages for answers were eliminated.

Intended as a supplementary text for advanced undergraduate and/or graduate courses in research methods and/or developmental research or developmental/child psychology taught in psychology, education, human development, and nursing, educators and researchers concerned with assessing children will also appreciate this bookOCOs introduction to observational methods.

Although its roots can be traced to the 19th century, progress in the study of nonlinear dynamical systems has taken off in the last 30 years. While pertinent source material exists, it is strewn about the literature in mathematics, physics, biology, economics, and psychology at varying levels of accessibility. A compendium research methods reflecting the expertise of major contributors to NDS psychology, Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences Using Real Data examines the techniques proven to be the most useful in the behavioral sciences. The editors have brought together constructive work on new practical examples of methods and application built on nonlinear dynamics. They cover dynamics such as attractors, bifurcations, chaos, fractals, catastrophes, self-organization, and related issues in time series analysis, stationarity, modeling and hypothesis testing, probability, and experimental design. The analytic techniques discussed include several variants of the fractal dimension, several types of entropy, phase-space and state-space diagrams, recurrence analysis, spatial fractal analysis, oscillation functions, polynomial and Marquardt nonlinear regression, Markov chains, and symbolic dynamics. The book outlines the analytic requirements faced by social scientists and how they differ from those of mathematicians and natural scientists. It includes chapters centered on theory and procedural explanations for running the analyses with pertinent examples and others that illustrate applications where a particular form of analysis is seen in the context of a research problem. This combination of approaches conveys theoretical and practical knowledge that helps you develop skill and expertise in framing hypotheses dynamically and building viable analytic models to test them.

Quickly acquire the knowledge and skills you need to confidently administer, score, and interpret the KABC-II

Now designed for children aged three to eighteen, the KABC-II is among the top tier of children's tests of cognitive ability. Alan and Nadeen Kaufman, authors of the KABC-II, joined forces with Elizabeth Lichtenberger and Elaine Fletcher-Janzen to produce Essentials of KABC-II Assessment.

The best source of information on the new edition of the K-ABC, Essentials of KABC-II Assessment provides students and practitioners with an unparalleled resource for learning and application, including expert assessment of the test's relative strengths and weaknesses, valuable advice on its clinical applications, and illuminating case reports.

Like all the volumes in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series, this book is designed to help busy mental health professionals quickly acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make optimal use of a major psychological assessment instrument. Each concise chapter features numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as test questions that help you gauge and reinforce your grasp of the information covered.

A collection of illustrative adolescent case studies to aid clinicians in problem identification, diagnosis, and treatment planning-the only casebook for the MMPI-A-RF The MMPI-A-RF is linked to current models of psychopathology and personality, and features scales relevant for use with adolescents in a variety of clinical, forensic, and school settings. It mirrors the structure of the MMPI-2-RF, resulting in the most up-to-date, empirically based personality assessment for use with adolescents. Written by the authors of the earlier Case Studies for Interpreting the MMPI-A, this book continues the goal of serving as an authentic and illustrative guide for clinicians in understanding and using the MMPI-A-RF. Since the publication of the original Case Studies, much has changed for clinicians who assess and treat adolescents. The interpretive model described in this book demonstrates how the MMPI-A-RF can assist clinicians in assessing youth today by highlighting sixteen cases that broadly represent adolescents evaluated in clinical and forensic practice. In addition, one of the most common uses for the MMPI-A-RF is in the juvenile court setting-a landscape that has also dramatically changed since the publication of the original MMPI-A. Case Studies for Interpreting the MMPI-A-RF focuses on detailed forensic issues, including legal backgrounds, case law, and assessment methods specific to use of the MMPI-A-RF in juvenile court and related settings. Case Studies for Interpreting the MMPI-A-RF will assist clinicians in understanding MMPI-A-RF interpretation, while also being a valuable teaching tool for courses in assessment.

Quickly acquire the knowledge and skills you need to confidently administer, score, and interpret the PAI

The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) provides critical information for psychologists about a client’s psychopathology and constructs for effective treatment. To use this test properly, professionals need an authoritative source of advice and guidance on how to administer, score, and interpret the test. Written by the developer and foremost authority on the PAI, Essentials of PAI Assessment is that source.

Like all the volumes in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series, this book is designed to help busy mental health professionals quickly acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make optimal use of major psychological assessment instruments. Each concise chapter features numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as test questions that help you gauge and reinforce your grasp of the information covered.

Essentials of PAI Assessment is the only concise book of its kind to provide state-of-the-art interpretive and administrative guidelines to using this popular self-administered personality test.

Adapting Educational and Psychological Tests for Cross-Cultural Assessment critically examines and advances new methods and practices for adapting tests for cross-cultural assessment and research. The International Test Commission (ITC) guidelines for test adaptation and conceptual and methodological issues in test adaptation are described in detail, and questions of ethics and concern for validity of test scores in cross-cultural contexts are carefully examined. Advances in test translation and adaptation methodology, including statistical identification of flawed test items, establishing equivalence of different language versions of a test, and methodologies for comparing tests in multiple languages, are reviewed and evaluated. The book also focuses on adapting ability, achievement, and personality tests for cross-cultural assessment in educational, industrial, and clinical settings. This book furthers the ITC's mission of stimulating research on timely topics associated with assessment. It provides an excellent resource for courses in psychometric methods, test construction, and educational and/or psychological assessment, testing, and measurement. Written by internationally known scholars in psychometric methods and cross-cultural psychology, the collection of chapters should also provide essential information for educators and psychologists involved in cross-cultural assessment, as well as students aspiring to such careers.

A focused look at the usesand misusesof psychological tests in the context of child custody This book presents an advanced examination of psychological testing and usage in the child custody arena. It addresses test selection issues, provides insightful discussions of how to confront confirmatory biases and avoid the distortion of test findings, and presents clear instructions for the use of specific tests, including MMPI-2 and Rorschach, and a point/counterpoint discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the Ackerman-Schoendorf Scales for Parent Evaluation of Custody (ASPECT). Psychological Testing in Child Custody Evaluations can be viewed as a work in three parts. The first section addresses theoretical and test usage issues, with chapters focusing on: addressing test selection issues from legal and psychological perspectives bias issues that interfere with the evaluator's ability to collect and consider data objectively a functional, comprehensive approach to the use of psychological tests in a child custody evaluationwith a conceptual framework for choosing assessment techniques to assess parenting competencies and other variables important in forming opinions about custodial placement and visitation access, and a practical example of how to present psychological test data in an advisory report to the court a look at psychological testing from an attorney's point of view The second section of Psychological Testing in Child Custody Evaluations focuses on the MMPI-2 and the Rorschach Inkblot Test in the child custody context, investigating hypotheses that can be inferred from the MMPI-2 regarding parenting behaviors, and the use and value of the Rorschach. This section examines: the foundation from which the MMPI-2 can generate expectations regarding five basic issuesthe quality of attachment and bonding, potential for antisocial behavior, temper control, alienation of affection, and chemical abuse and dependence the range of variables that will generate useful hypotheses regarding parent-child interactions and family systems the effects of the circumstances of litigation on score elevationsincluding recommended limits as to how much elevation can be dismissed as only contextual the important differences between occasion validity and attribute validity the clinical application of an objective interpretation system, including the courtroom credibility of explicit convergent validity the use of the Rorschach in child custody evaluations findings from a study using the Rorschach to address specific parenting variables The third section of Psychological Testing in Child Custody Evaluations is a focused point-counterpoint discussion of ASPECT, between test creator Marc J. Ackerman and Mary Connell, President of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. This book is essential reading for child custody evaluators, family law attorneys, and judges practicing in the family law arena, as well as educators and students in these fields.

Recognised as the most influential publication in the field, ARM facilitates deep understanding of the Rasch model and its practical applications. The authors review the crucial properties of the model and demonstrate its use with examples across the human sciences.

Readers will be able to understand and critically evaluate Rasch measurement research, perform their own Rasch analyses and interpret their results. The glossary and illustrations support that understanding, and the accessible approach means that it is ideal for readers without a mathematical background.

Highlights of the new edition include:

• More learning tools to strengthen readers’ understanding including chapter introductions, boldfaced key terms, chapter summaries, activities and suggested readings.
• Greater emphasis on the use of R packages; readers can download the R code from the Routledge website.
• Explores the distinction between numerical values, quantity and units, to understand the measurement and the role of the Rasch logit scale (Chapter 4).
• A new four-option data set from the IASQ (Instrumental Attitude towards Self-assessment Questionnaire) for the Rating Scale Model (RSM) analysis exemplar (Chapter 6).
• Clarifies the relationship between Rasch measurement, path analysis and SEM, with a host of new examples of Rasch measurement applied across health sciences, education and psychology (Chapter 10).

Intended as a text for graduate courses in measurement, item response theory, (advanced) research methods or quantitative analysis taught in psychology, education, human development, business, and other social and health sciences. Professionals in these areas will also appreciate the book’s accessible introduction.

This book provides an alternative method for measuring individual differences in psychological, educational, and other behavioral sciences studies. It is based on the assumptions of ordinal statistics as explained in Norman Cliff's 1996 "Ordinal Methods for Behavioral Data Analysis." It provides the necessary background on ordinal measurement to permit its use to assess psychological and psychophysical tests and scales and interpret the data obtained. The authors believe that some of the behavioral measurement models used today do not fit the data or are inherently self-contradictory. Applications of these models can therefore lead to unwarranted inferences regarding the status of the derived variables. These methods can also be difficult to apply, particularly in small-sample contexts without making additional, unrealistic assumptions. Ordinal methods more closely reflect the original data, are simple to apply, and can be used in samples of any size. The book's approach is in essence a return to simple empiricism in psychological measurement.
"Ordinal Measurement in the Behavioral Sciences" provides:
*methods for analyzing test responses;
*extensive discussions of ordinal approaches to analyzing data that are judgments of stimuli;
*methods for treating psychological data in ways consistent with its ordinal nature so as to stimulate new developments in this area; and
*ordinal test theory and the unfolding methods that are applicable to cross-cultural studies.
Advanced students, researchers, and practitioners concerned with psychological measurement should find this book relevant. Measurement professionals will find it provides useful and simple methods that stimulate thought about measurement's real issues.