Preface
The Conceptual Orientation of This Book, Its Purpose, and the Intended Audience
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
About the Author
Chapter 1. Psychometrics and the Importance of Psychological Measurement
Why Psychological Testing Matters to You
Observable Behavior and Unobservable Psychological Attributes
Psychological Tests: Definition and Types
Challenges to Measurement in Psychology
The Importance of Individual Differences
But Psychometrics Goes Well Beyond “Differential” Psychology
PART I. BASIC CONCEPTS IN MEASUREMENT
Chapter 2. Scaling
Fundamental Issues With Numbers
Four Scales of Measurement
Scales of Measurement: Practical Implications
Additional Issues Regarding Scales of Measurement
Technical Appendix: R Syntax
Chapter 3. Differences, Consistency, and the Meaning of Test Scores
The Nature of Variability
Importance of Individual Differences
Variability and Distributions of Scores
Quantifying the Association or Consistency Between Distributions
Variance and Covariance for “Composite Variables”
Technical Appendix: R Syntax
Chapter 4. Test Dimensionality and Factor Analysis
Factor Analysis: Examining the Dimensionality of a Test
Technical Appendix: R Syntax
PART II. RELIABILITY
Chapter 5. Reliability: Conceptual Basis
Overview of Reliability and Classical Test Theory
Observed Scores, True Scores, and Measurement Error
Variances in Observed Scores, True Scores, and Error Scores
Four Ways to Think of Reliability
Reliability and the Standard Error of Measurement
From Theory to Practice: Measurement Models and Their Implications for Estimating Reliability
Chapter 6. Empirical Estimates of Reliability
Alternate Forms Method of Estimating Reliability
Test–Retest Method of Estimating Reliability
Internal Consistency Method of Estimating Reliability
Sample Heterogeneity and Reliability Generalization
Reliability of Difference Scores
Technical Appendix: R Syntax
Chapter 7. The Importance of Reliability
Applied Behavioral Practice: Evaluation of an Individual’s Test Score
Test Construction and Refinement
Technical Appendix: R Syntax
PART III. VALIDITY
Chapter 8. Validity: Conceptual Basis
The Importance of Validity
Validity Evidence: Test Content
Validity Evidence: Internal Structure of the Test
Validity Evidence: Response Processes
Validity Evidence: Associations With Other Variables
Validity Evidence: Consequences of Testing
Other Perspectives on Validity
Contrasting Reliability and Validity
Chapter 9. Estimating and Evaluating Convergent and Discriminant Validity Evidence
A Construct’s Nomological Network
Methods for Evaluating Convergent and Discriminant Validity
Factors Affecting a Validity Coefficient
Interpreting a Validity Coefficient
Technical Appendix: R Syntax
PART IV. THREATS TO PSYCHOMETRIC QUALITY
Chapter 10. Response Biases
Methods for Coping With Response Biases
Response Biases, Response Sets, and Response Styles
Chapter 11. Test Bias
Why Worry About Test Score Bias?
Detecting Construct Bias: Internal Evaluation of a Test
Detecting Predictive Bias: External Evaluation of a Test
Other Statistical Procedures
Example: Is the SAT Biased in Terms of Race or Socioeconomic Status?
Technical Appendix: R Syntax
PART V. ADVANCED PSYCHOMETRIC APPROACHES
Chapter 12. Confirmatory Factor Analysis
On the Use of EFA and CFA
The Process of CFA for Analysis of a Scale’s Internal Structure
CFA and Measurement Invariance
Technical Appendix: R Syntax
Chapter 13. Generalizability Theory
Multiple Facets of Measurement
Generalizability, Universes, and Variance Components
Conducting and Interpreting Generalizability Theory Analysis: A One-Facet Design
Conducting and Interpreting Generalizability Theory Analysis: A Two-Facet Design
Other Measurement Designs
A Practical, Consistency-Oriented Interpretation of Variance Components
Technical Appendix: R Syntax
Chapter 14. Item Response Theory and Rasch Models
Factors Affecting Responses to Test Items
Obtaining Parameter Estimates: A 1PL Example
Item and Test Information
Technical Appendix: R Syntax
Glossary
References
Index