An Introduction to Psychometrics and Psychological Assessment

This book has three distinctive features. First, it stresses the basic logic of psychological assessment without getting bogged down with mathematics; the spreadsheet simulations and utilities which are integrated into the text allow users to explore how numbers behave, rather than reading equations. Readers will “learn by doing”. Second, it covers both the theory behind psychological assessment and the practicalities of locating, designing and using tests and interpreting their scores. Finally, it is evaluative. Rather than just describing concepts such as test reliability or adaptive testing, it stresses the underlying principles, merits and drawbacks of each approach to assessment, and methods of developing and evaluating questionnaires and tests. Unusually for an introductory text, it includes coverage of several cutting-edge techniques, and this new edition expands the discussion on measurement invariance, methods of detecting/quantifying bias and hierarchical factor models, and features added sections on:

• Best practices for translation of tests into other languages and problems of cultural bias
• Automatic item generation
• The advantages, drawbacks and practicalities of internet-based testing
• Generalizability theory
• Network analysis
• Dangerous assumptions made when scoring tests
• The accuracy of tests used for assessing individuals
• The two-way relationship between psychometrics and psychological theory

Aimed at non-mathematicians, this friendly and engaging text will help you to understand the fundamental principles of psychometrics that underpin the measurement of any human characteristic using any psychological test. Written by a leading figure in the field and accompanied by additional resources, including a set of spreadsheets which use simulated data and other techniques to illustrate important issues, this is an essential introduction for all students of psychology and related disciplines. It assumes very little statistical background and is written for students studying psychological assessment or psychometrics, and for researchers and practitioners who use questionnaires and tests to measure personality, cognitive abilities, educational attainment, mood or motivation.

Reviews

‘Colin Cooper’s book is a masterpiece of lucidity and a must-have for students, researchers, and practitioners alike. Psychological testing can be a challenging topic, given the mathematical underpinnings of the field, and Cooper deftly navigates the territory between technical details and approachable exposition. A valuable and comprehensive resource, fully updated in its second edition, and well-suited as a textbook for university courses in psychological assessment.’

Robert F. Krueger, PhD, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, University of Minnesota

‘Colin Cooper is a leading authority on psychometrics with an uncanny ability to convey high-level technical concepts. To this day, I keep learning from his texts and so I am delighted to welcome the publication of this – substantially updated – second edition. It is the first textbook I recommend to anyone wishing to get acquainted with the science of psychometrics.’

K. V. Petrides, Professor of Psychology and Psychometrics (UCL)

‘Colin Cooper’s book is superb – the work of a true expert in psychometrics. Not only is it comprehensive and rigorous, it tackles often neglected issues (e.g., the role played by factor analysis and the conceptual nature of psychological measurement). It is practical, too, with data sets and exercises provided. Cooper’s wit infuses the pages which makes for an enjoyable read.’

Philip J. Corr, Professor of Psychology, School of Health and Psychological Sciences, University of London

‘Professor Colin Cooper taught students the principles of psychometrics and psychological testing for 30 years. Also, he edited related journals for almost as long. It has resulted in this extremely valuable book which is characterized by unique and quality content, natural flow, substance, and expert knowledge. It will be invaluable to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as practitioners who are seeking emphatically not a statistics text.’

Małgorzata Fajkowska, Head of the Laboratory of Personality Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences