Karen B. Goldfinger - Psychological Testing in Everyday Life: History, Science, and Practice

History, Science, and Practice

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Goldfinger, Karen, author.

Title: Psychological testing in everyday life : history, science, and practice / Karen B. Goldfinger.

Description: Thousand Oaks, California : SAGE, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017048475 | ISBN 9781483319315 (pbk. : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Psychological testsHistory.

Classification: LCC BF176 .G65 2019 | DDC 150.28/7dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017048475

Printed in the United States of America

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Acquisitions Editor: Abbie Rickard

Editorial Assistant: Jennifer Cline

Production Editor: Nevair Kabakian

Copy Editor: Ashley Horne

Typesetter: Hurix Digital

Proofreader: Sally Jaskold

Indexer: Judy Hunt

Cover Designer: Alexa Turner

Marketing Manager: Katherine Hepburn

Psychological Testing in Everyday Life: History, Science, and Practice examines psychological testing in different arenas to help students become informed and thoughtful test consumers, whether they are taking a psychological test themselves or using tests to make decisions about others. It will help students who are studying psychometrics understand both the strengths and limitations of psychological tests, what tests can and cannot do.

By using examples that are meaningful to college students and a narrative approach to instruction, this book makes the study of psychometrics interesting, relevant, and easier to master than standard psychometric textbooks. The broad range of topics covered, and the depth of coverage of individual topics, ensures that most students will find something in the text they can relate to personally or professionally. In addition, the material is presented in a lively, readable, and accessible style that is engaging for college students at all levels.

After reading the text, students will have a better appreciation for core psychometric concepts because they will see their impact on decisions that affect themselves, people they know, and the world around them. They will begin to appreciate the complexities of using psychological tests in real-life situations, including the legal hurdles and technical challenges that have to be addressed.

An additional goal of the text is to engage students in critical thinking about all aspects of the testing process. The decisions that need to be made about how, when, and why to use a test are not always straightforward. Different decision makers could justify making different choices. The text aims to motivate students to think about the issues raised, and the selected material is current and compelling enough to inspire students to have ideas and points of view of their own.

The text explains the basic principles behind psychometrically sound tests and underscores, repeatedly, the importance of using psychometrically sound tests when important decisions are based on test results. After reading the text, students should have a firm understanding of the significance of psychometrics as well as an awareness of the frequent use of psychological testing in a variety of contexts.

In most courses on psychometrics, the book can be used to supplement a traditional psychometric textbook. In less technically oriented courses, the text can stand alone. Each chapter starts with learning objectives to orient students to the material in the chapter and ends with discussion and research questions to expand student learning and mastery of the chapter contents. These questions make for lively classroom discussion starters and interesting term paper topics as well.

Karen B. Goldfinger

Essex, Connecticut

This book could not have been written without the support of family, friends, and colleagues. The many college students I have known personally and professionally have helped me understand what students can do and what they might need from a textbook, and the book has benefitted from those insights. I am also appreciative of the faculty at SUNY at Binghamton and SUNY at Albany who taught me the value of science many years ago. I never forgot.

I also want to thank the first editor of the book, Reid Hester, for his encouragement from the very beginning and for his help in shaping the proposal and the early stages of the book. Abbie Rickard took the reins as editor and helped tremendously in clarifying ideas, writing, and rewriting. She turned the manuscript into a textbook that will help students master the material and one that I am proud of. Finally, I want to thank the reviewers of the proposal and of the text for their careful attention and very valuable feedback. They are:

• Amy Martin, Rockford University
• Anne-Marie R. Iselin, University of North Carolina Wilmington
• Jane L. Swanson, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• Dr. Jill S. Haasch, Elizabeth City State University
• John M. Spores, Purdue University Northwest
• Shannon Robertson, Jacksonville State University