Psychological Testing: History, Principles, and Applications, Global Edition, 7th edition

Published by Pearson United Kingdom (June 19, 2014) © 2015
Robert J. Gregory

Title overview

Establishes a solid foundation of knowledge about psychological testing

Psychological testing impacts virtually every corner of modern life, from education to vocation to remediation. Psychological Testing: History, Principles, and Applications, 7/e, covers all variations of testing and explores social issues testing raises. This program provides readers extensive knowledge about the characteristics, objectives, and wide-ranging effects of psychological testing.

  • Introduces Psychological Testing – Students will learn how to perform psychological testing and understand it through a historical perspective in Chapter 2, The History of Psychological Testing. They will then gain a firm grasp on the legal ramifications of such tests with Chapter 12, Legal Issues and the Future of Testing.
  • Explores Research – New tests and approaches are included, such as a revamped scoring system for the Rorschach, scales for assessing Autism Spectrum Disorders in children, and baseline tests of neurocognitive functioning in soldiers and athletes.
  • Relates to the Real World – Real-world case studies – including fascinating recent findings – bring concepts to life for students.
  • Supports Students and Instructors – The text consists of 12 chapters and 24 modular topics. For students, this structure makes assimilating complex ideas easier; for instructors, it allows them to tailor the text to fit individualized lesson plans.

Chapter-by-Chapter Changes

Chapter 1:

  • New empirical research on role of examiner errors in producing distorted test scores
  • New evidence of widespread cheating in high-stakes testing (school-system achievement testing, national certification exams)

Chapter 2:

  • Recent developments in evidence-based practice and outcomes assessment
  • New material on history of personality testing

Chapter 5:

  • Expanded coverage of PASS theory (Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive)
  • Highlights Cognitive Assessment System-II (Naglieri, Das, & Goldstein, 2012), a major test featuring PASS theory

Chapter 6:

  • Recent, fascinating findings
  • Explores whether statistical tests of bias are themselves biased
  • New research on impact of Head Start, fate of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, and nature of cognitive decline in advanced age
  • New Case Exhibit demonstrating impact of cultural background on test results

Chapter 7:

  • Testing Special Populations; new material includes coverage of the Devereaux Early Childhood Assessment--Clinical Form (DECA-C), and review of scales for screening Autism Spectrum Disorders.
  • Reviews complex issue of screening for school readiness

Chapter 8:

  • Origins of Personality Testing; Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS), new scoring system for classic inkblot test
  • Incorporates well-known State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
  • New material on value of ecological momentary assessment

Chapter 9:

  • New topic: stability and change in personality
  • New instrument in longitudinal research: the Big Five Inventory (BFI)
  • Increased coverage of spiritual and religious assessment, including review of ASPIRES scale (Assessment of Spirituality and Religious Sentiments, Piedmont, 2010), a promising measure of spiritual and religious variables
  • Expanded review of creativity assessment

Chapter 10:

  • Neuropsychological Assessment and Screening, latest research on mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), along with review of controversies surrounding baseline testing of neurocognitive functioning in soldiers and athletes
  • Coverage of recently revised Wechsler Memory Scale-IV (WMS-IV)

Chapter 11:

  • Most substantial revisions of this edition; new Topic 11B: Assessment for Career Development in a Global Economy, which reviews theories of career development and presents assessment approaches often useful in the global economy

Chapter 12:

  • Legal Issues and the Future of Testing; the impact of No Child Left Behind on assessment practices
  • Computerized Assessment and the Future of Testing; presents recent approaches to assessment that employ virtual reality
  • Speculates about potential impact of smart-phone revolution on near-future approaches to assessment

Table of contents

  • Chapter 1:   Applications and Consequences of Psychological Testing
  • Chapter 2:   The History of Psychological Testing
  • Chapter 3:   Norms and Reliability
  • Chapter 4:   Validity and Test Development
  • Chapter 5:   Theories and Individual Tests of Intelligence and Achievement
  • Chapter 6:   Group Tests and Controversies
  • Chapter 7:   Testing Special Populations
  • Chapter 8:   Origins of Personality Test
  • Chapter 9:   Assessment of Normality and Human Strengths
  • Chapter 10:   Neuropsychological and Assessment and Screening
  • Chapter 11:   Industrial, Occupational and Forensic Assessment
  • Chapter 12:   Legal Issues and the Future of Testing

Author bios

Robert Gregory earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Minnesota where he absorbed a healthy respect for the value of empiricism in psychological testing. He taught at the University of Idaho for 23 years where he also developed a private practice in assessment. In his practice, he specialized in the evaluation of intellectual disability and cognitive impairment. His academic research centered on assessment topics such as subtle cognitive differences in left-handers, the impact of subclinical lead exposure on intelligence, the psychometric qualities of a wide variety of cognitive and personality tests, and meta-analysis. In one phase of his assessment career, he estimates evaluating more than 100 applicants for law enforcement positions. He has taught psychological assessment for 40 years. On 50 separate occasions, he has offered a course featuring one or another of the Wechsler scales (“Now do this one as quickly as you can, and be sure to tell me when you are finished”). He was professor of psychology at Wheaton College (Illinois) for seventeen years, including eight years as department chair, and five years as director of their doctoral program (Psy.D.) in clinical psychology. In his spare time he is an ambivalent jogger (motto: “Start slow and taper off”). He also does watercolors (motto: “Ability is over-rated”) which he stores in a secret compartment in his basement. He practices mindfulness-based meditation on a regular basis (seriously). He resides in the Seattle area and maintains an active interest in testing and clinical psychology. He is Professor Emeritus at Wheaton College (IL).

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