Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment

- Martin Guha, Librarian, Institute of Psychiatry, London

The Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment is a landmark reference work and constitutes a definitive resource for academics, practitioners and students working in any field of applied psychological science.

Psychological assessment is a key component of psychological work. Devices of scientific assessment are necessary for adequate describing, diagnosis, predicting, explaining or changing the behaviour of all subjects under examination. This double-volume collection offers complete coverage to facilitate action in each of these areas and will consequently be invaluable to psychologists in any applied setting.

The two volumes of the Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment contain a series of 235 entries, organized alphabetically, and covering a variety of fields. Each entry includes a general conceptual and methodological overview, a section on relevant assessment devices, followed by links to related concepts in the Encyclopedia and a list of references.

The Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment provides:

- A comprehensive network for psychological assessment as a conceptual and methodological discipline, and as a professional activity

- An overview of the complexity of assessment, which involves not only testing, but also a process of decision-making for answering relevant questions that arise in the different applied fields

- A presentation of relevant issues from basic theory (theoretical perspectives, ethics) and methodology (validity, reliability, item response theory) to technology and modes of assessment (tests, instruments and equipment for measuring behavioral operations)

- An attempt to unify this diverse field by offering full coverage of all areas from the most traditional, such as clinical, educational and work and organizational psychology, to the most recent applications linked to health, gerontology, neuropsychology, psychophysiology and environmental assessment.

The Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment offers a truly international perspective, both in terms of the selected authors and chosen entries. It aims to provide an integrated view of assessment, bringing together knowledge dispersed throughout several methodological and applied fields, but united in terms of its relevance for assessment. It is an essential purchase for any library with an existing collection or concern with the field of psychological science in general.