Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Constructs


Book Description

Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Constructs assists researchers and practitioners by identifying and reviewing the best scales/measures for a variety of constructs. Each chapter discusses test validity, reliability, and utility. Authors have focused on the most often used and cited scales/measures, with a particular emphasis on those published in recent years. Each scale is identified and described, the sample on which it was developed is summarized, and reliability and validity data are presented, followed by presentation of the scale, in full or in part, where such permission has been obtained. Measures fall into five broad groups. The emotional disposition section reviews measures of general affective tendencies, and/or cognitive dispositions closely linked to emotion. These measures include hope and optimism, anger and hostility, life satisfaction, self-esteem, confidence, and affect dimensions. Emotion regulation scales go beyond general dispositions to measure factors that may contribute to understanding and managing emotions. These measures include alexithymia, empathy, resiliency, coping, sensation seeking, and ability and trait emotional intelligence. The interpersonal styles section introduces some traditional social–psychological themes in the context of personality assessment. These measures include adult attachment, concerns with public image and social evaluation, and forgiveness. The vices and virtues section reflects adherence to moral standards as an individual characteristic shaped by sociocultural influences and personality. These measures include values and moral personality, religiosity, dark personalities (Machiavellianism,narcissism, and subclinical psychopathy), and perfectionism. The sociocultural interaction and conflict section addresses relationships between different groups and associated attitudes. These measures include cross-cultural values, personality and beliefs, intergroup contact, stereotyping and prejudice, attitudes towards sexual orientation, and personality across cultures. - Encompasses 25 different areas of psychology research - Each scale has validity, reliability info, info on test bias, etc - Multiple scales discussed for each construct - Discussion of which scales are appropriate in which circumstances and to what populations - Examples of scales included




Measurement in Social Psychology


Book Description

Although best known for experimental methods, social psychology also has a strong tradition of measurement. This volume seeks to highlight this tradition by introducing readers to measurement strategies that help drive social psychological research and theory development. The books opens with an analysis of the measurement technique that dominates most of the social sciences, self-report. Chapter 1 presents a conceptual framework for interpreting the data generated from self-report, which it uses to provide practical advice on writing strong and structured self-report items. From there, attention is drawn to the many other innovative measurement and data-collection techniques that have helped expand the range of theories social psychologists test. Chapters 2 through 6 introduce techniques designed to measure the internal psychological states of individual respondents, with strategies that can stand alone or complement anything obtained via self-report. Included are chapters on implicit, elicitation, and diary approaches to collecting response data from participants, as well as neurological and psychobiological approaches to inferring underlying mechanisms. The remaining chapters introduce creative data-collection techniques, focusing particular attention on the rich forms of data humans often leave behind. Included are chapters on textual analysis, archival analysis, geocoding, and social media harvesting. The many methods covered in this book complement one another, such that the full volume provides researchers with a powerful toolset to help them better explore what is "social" about human behavior.




Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes


Book Description

Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes: Volume 1 in Measures of Social Psychological Attitudes Series provides a comprehensive guide to the most promising and useful measures of important social science concepts. This book is divided into 12 chapters and begins with a description of the Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes Project's background and the major criteria for scale construction. The subsequent chapters review measures of "response set"; the scales dealing with the most general affective states, including life satisfaction and happiness; and the measured of self-esteem. These topics are followed by discussions of measures of social anxiety, which is conceived a major inhibitor of social interaction, as well as the negative states of depression and loneliness. Other chapters examine the separate dimensions of alienation, the predictive value of interpersonal trust and attitudes in studies of occupational choice and racial attitude change, and the attitude scales related to locus of control. The final chapters look into the measures related to authoritarianism, androgyny, and values. This book is of great value to social and political scientists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, non-academic professionals, and students.




Psychological and Social Measurement


Book Description

In this tribute to Benjamin Wright, former students and colleagues recall the foundational contributions he made to the theory and practice of measurement in a career spanning over five decades. Wright is recognized as the foremost proponent of the psychometric approach of Georg Rasch, a Danish mathematician, whose ideas continue to provoke controversy. Wright’s colleagues and students, and students of their students, are leaders in educational research and practice around the world. This volume relates the extent of Wright’s influence far beyond education and psychology, where his work in measurement began, into health care and the social sciences at large. The editors and contributors—all leading measurement scholars—trace the development of themes in Wright’s work, identifying the roots of today’s formative assessment methods, the integration of quantitative and qualitative data, and the contrast between scientific and statistical methods. These previously unpublished papers reflect on Wright’s lifelong passion for making measurement both more scientific and more meaningful. They recount how Wright’s insight, energy, and gregarious nature led him to produce multiple innovations in computing, estimation methods, model development, fit assessment, and reliability theory, stimulating practical applications in dozens of fields, serving on over 120 dissertation committees, and founding several professional societies. The volume includes three reprinted articles by Wright that provide insights into his early engagement with Rasch’s ideas. Psychological and Social Measurement will be welcomed by the broad international measurement community of professionals and researchers working in such diverse fields as education, psychology, health sciences, management, and metrology. Scientists working in any field involving measurement science and technology will appreciate an inside look at this seminal figure and a new perspective on the expanding conversation across the sciences about measurement and the communication of meaningful, transparent information.







Scale Construction and Psychometrics for Social and Personality Psychology


Book Description

Providing conceptual and practical foundations in scale construction and psychometrics for producers and consumers of social/personality research, this guide covers basic principles, practices, and processes in scale construction, scale evaluation, scale use, and interpretation of research results in the context of psychological measurement. It explains fundamental concepts and methods related to dimensionality, reliability, and validity. In addition, it provides relatively non-technical introductions to special topics and advanced psychometric perspectives such as Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Generalizability Theory, and Item Response Theory. The SAGE Library in Social and Personality Psychology Methods provides students and researchers with an understanding of the methods and techniques essential to conducting cutting-edge research. Each volume within the Library explains a specific topic and has been written by an active scholar (or scholars) with expertise in that particular methodological domain. Assuming no prior knowledge of the topic, the volumes are clear and accessible for all readers. In each volume, a topic is introduced, applications are discussed, and readers are led step by step through worked examples. In addition, advice about how to interpret and prepare results for publication are presented.




Measurement Models for Psychological Attributes


Book Description

Despite the overwhelming use of tests and questionnaires, the psychometric models for constructing these instruments are often poorly understood, leading to suboptimal measurement. Measurement Models for Psychological Attributes is a comprehensive and accessible treatment of the common and the less than common measurement models for the social, behavioral, and health sciences. The monograph explains the adequate use of measurement models for test construction, points out their merits and drawbacks, and critically discusses topics that have raised and continue to raise controversy. Because introductory texts on statistics and psychometrics are sufficient to understand its content, the monograph may be used in advanced courses on applied psychometrics, and is attractive to both researchers and graduate students in psychology, education, sociology, political science, medicine and marketing, policy research, and opinion research. The monograph provides an in-depth discussion of classical test theory and factor models in Chapter 2; nonparametric and parametric item response theory in Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, respectively; latent class models and cognitive diagnosis models in Chapter 5; and discusses pairwise comparison models, proximity models, response time models, and network psychometrics in Chapter 6. The chapters start with the theory and methods of the measurement model and conclude with a real-data example illustrating the measurement model.




Measurement Theory and Applications for the Social Sciences


Book Description

Which types of validity evidence should be considered when determining whether a scale is appropriate for a given measurement situation? What about reliability evidence? Using clear explanations illustrated by examples from across the social and behavioral sciences, this engaging text prepares students to make effective decisions about the selection, administration, scoring, interpretation, and development of measurement instruments. Coverage includes the essential measurement topics of scale development, item writing and analysis, and reliability and validity, as well as more advanced topics such as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, item response theory, diagnostic classification models, test bias and fairness, standard setting, and equating. End-of-chapter exercises (with answers) emphasize both computations and conceptual understanding to encourage readers to think critically about the material. ÿ




Social Support: Theory, Research and Applications


Book Description

"No one is rich enough to do without a neighbor." Traditional Danish Proverb This bit of Danish folk wisdom expresses an idea underlying much of the current thinking about social support. While the clinical literature has for a long time recognized the deleterious effects of unwholesome social relationships, only more recently has the focus broadened to include the positive side of social interaction, those interpersonal ties that are desired, rewarding, and protective. This book contains theoretical and research contributions by a group of scholars who are charting this side of the social spectrum. Evidence is increasing that maladaptive ways of thinking and behaving occur disproportionately among people with few social supports. Rather than sapping self-reliance, strong ties with others particularly family members seem to encourage it. Reliance on others and self-reliance are not only compatible but complementary to one another. While the mechanism by which an intimate relationship is protective has yet to be worked out, the following factors seem to be involved: intimacy, social integration through shared concerns, reassurance of worth, the opportunity to be nurtured by others, a sense of reliable alliance, and guidance. The major advance that is taking place in the literature on social support is that reliance is being -placed less on anecdotal and clinical evidence and more on empirical inquiry. The chapters of this book reflect this important development and identify the frontiers that are currently being explored.




An Introduction to Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics


Book Description

In An Introduction to Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics, Keith Coaley outlines the key ingredients of psychological assessment, providing case studies to illustrate their application, making it an ideal textbook for courses on psychometrics or psychological assessment. New to the Second Edition: Includes occupational and educational settings Covers ethical and professional issues with a strong practical focus Case study material related to work selection settings End of chapter self-assessments to facilitate students’ progress Compliant with the latest BPS Certificate of Testing curriculum