Psychometrics: An Introduction

"The main advantage of the text is a more contemporary and conceptual presentation of the material. I have been looking for a book with this level and focus for some time"
—Steven Pulos, University of Northern Colorado

In Psychometrics: An Introduction, authors R. Michael Furr and Verne R. Bacharach center their presentation of material around a conceptual understanding of psychometric issues, such as validity and reliability, and on purpose rather than procedure, the "why" rather than the "how to." Their goal is to introduce psychometric principles at a level that is deeper and more focused than found in introductory undergraduate testing and measurement texts but that is more intuitive than traditionally found in the more technical publications intended for graduate courses. By emphasizing concepts over mathematical proofs and by focusing on practical significance, this book assists students in appreciating not just how measurement problems can be addressed and why it is important to address them.

KEY FEATURES

• Presents information in a clear, easy-to-read, conversational style: The authors introduce concepts in a way that is accessible to nonprofessionals without sacrifi cing the academic integrity of the material.

• Highlights practical applications: Intended to enhance readers' appreciation of the importance of psychometrics, the book provides examples that will resonate with students.

• Offers an up-to-date treatment of topics in psychometrics: The book offers readers the most contemporary views of topics in psychometrics available in the nontechnical psychometric literature.

• Introduces statistical procedures in the context of their use rather than in a separate chapter: The authors integrate statistics with a discussion of their use as tools to solve particular psychometric problems, encouraging a more complete understanding of both.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

Appropriate for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses such as Psychometrics, Testing and Measurement, Research Methods, and Experimental Methods across a range of behavioral sciences and education.

Michael Furr is Professor of Psychology and Wright Faculty Fellow at Wake Forest University, where he teaches and conducts research in personality psychology, psychological measurement, and quantitative methods. He earned a BA from the College of William and Mary, an MS from Villanova University, and a PhD from the University of California at Riverside. He is an editor of the “Statistical Developments and Applications” section of the Journal of Personality Assessment, a former associate editor of the Journal of Research in Personality, a former executive editor of the Journal of Social Psychology, and a consulting editor for several other scholarly journals. He received Wake Forest University’s 2012 Award for Excellence in Research, and he won the Society for Personality Assessment’s 2017 Bruno Klopfer Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Literature in Personality Assessment,. He is a fellow of Divisions 5 (Quantitative and Qualitative Methods) and 8 (Social and Personality Psychology) of the American Psychological Association, a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, and a fellow of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

Verne R. Bacharach is professor of psychology at Appalachian State University. He has held faculty appointments at the University of Alabama, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, and Acadia University in Nova Scotia and has chaired the departments at Appalachian State and Acadia. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in statistics, tests and measurements, and research methods for nearly 40 years. He has a long journal publication history of research and review articles. Dr. Bacharach obtained a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Kansas in 1971.