Overview

This book provides researchers, clinicians, and students with a useful overview of measuring client change in clinical practice. It reviews the history, conceptual foundations, and current status of trait- and state-based assessment models and approaches, exploring their strengths and limitations for measuring change across therapy sessions. Meier shows how to effectively interpret and use measurement and assessment data to improve treatment evaluation and clinical care. A series of exercises guides the reader to gather information about particular tests and evaluate their suitability for intended testing purposes.

Full Product Details

Author:   Scott T. Meier (University at Buffalo, United States) ,  James W. Lichtenberg ,  John Suler ,  David A. Vermeersch
Publisher:   Guilford Publications
Imprint:   Guilford Publications
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.560kg
ISBN:  

9781593857202

ISBN 10:   1593857209
Pages:   303
Publication Date:   01 September 2008
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Out of stock  
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Table of Contents

1. Introduction and Rationale Contemporary Psychological Testing Contemporary Psychotherapy Research and Practice The Implications of Research Stuckness for Clinical Practice Summary and Conclusions 2. A History of Traits The Seeds of Conflict The Desire to Be Scientific The Model of Physiology Biology and Individual Differences The Desire to Be Relevant The Need for Classification The Consequences of the Adoption of a Trait-Based Measurement Paradigm Loss of Experimental Methods Inhibits Recognition of Method Variance The Gain of Traits and Loss of Situations Handling Error with Classical Test Theory Statistics Related to Measurement Assessment as a Complement to Measurement Deemphasizing Measurement Theory Loss of Precision The Wisdom and Tyranny of Tradition The Success and Failure of the Market Summary and Implications 3. Reliability, Validity, and Systematic Errors Introduction Thinking about Reliability and Validity Types of Validity Constructs, Theories, and Valid Measurement Construct Explication Multitrait-Multimethod Matrices: Investigating the Effects of Method Variance on Validity Campbell and Fiske Criteria for Construct Validity An MTMM Example Problems with Campbell and Fiske's approach The Factor Analytic Approach to Construct Validity History of Self-Report and Interview Errors Self-Reports Interviews and Observational Methods Measurement Error Systematic Errors Associated with Self-Reports Dissimulation and Malingering Social Desirability Systematic Errors Associated with Ratings by Others Halo Errors Leniency and Criticalness Errors Causes of Inconsistency Cognitive Influences Item Comprehension Problems Test Cues Low Cognitive Ability Affective and Motivational Influences Test Anxiety Negative Emotional States Environmental and Cultural Influences Reactivity Stereotype Threat Summary and Implications 4. States, Traits, and Validity Introduction History The Controversy of Mischel and Peterson: The Benefits of Conflict The Rejection of Traits: Behavioral Assessment Reinforcing the Trait Argument Person-environment Interactions Aptitude-by-Treatment Interactions Environmental Assessment Moderators of Cross-Situational Consistency Summary and Integration 5. Context Effects and Validity Introduction Understanding Inconsistency: Clues from Psychophysics Measurement The Limitations of Psychophysical Measurement Conclusions and Implications from Psychophysical Research Improving the Principles of Construct Explication Test Purpose Test Content Test Context Shared Contexts and Method Variance Applications Recommendations Related to Test Purpose Recommendations Related to Test Content Recommendations Related to Test Contexts Summary and Implications 6. Nomothetic Approaches to Measuring Change and Influencing Outcomes History and Background Examples of Nomothetic Measures Beck Depression Inventory State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Global Assessment of Functioning Outcome Questionnaire Psychometric Principles and Nomothetic Measures Reliability of Nomothetic Measures Validity Applications Creating Change-Sensitive Measures Psychometric Properties of Aggregate Scales Using Change-Sensitive Tests in Program Evaluations An Evidence-Based Approach to Supervision Summary and Integration 7. Idiographic Approaches to Measuring Change and Influencing Outcomes History and Background Psychometric Principles and Idiographic Measures Reliability of Idiographic Measures Validity of Idiographic Measures Applications Begin with the Case Conceptualizatio

Reviews

This text should have a prominent place in professional psychology training programs. It offers an important and needed perspective on measurement for those preparing for careers in counseling and psychotherapy, and a helpful corrective to the practice of relying on trait measures for the evaluation of clinical change. Meier has done a fine job of tying measurement to practice issues, showing how outcome data can be used for clinical feedback and to inform clinical decision making. He clearly distinguishes how a test that is valid for measuring traits may not be valid for measuring clinical change, and vice versa. At a time when accountability is a driving force in the profession, the measurement and assessment perspectives provided by this book couldn't be more opportune. This book would be most pertinent to doctoral and master's students in counseling psychology and would make an excellent addition to an assessment sequence--in particular, as a companion text in a personality/psychodiagnostic assessment course. --James W. Lichtenberg, PhD, Professor of Counseling Psychology and Associate Dean, School of Education, University of Kansas The strength of this book is that it offers comprehensive and sophisticated coverage of issues related to psychological testing, with a special focus on issues related to counseling and psychotherapy, which makes it unique and valuable. The author does a very good job of explaining terms and concepts and takes the reader deep into the complex and sophisticated world of psychological testing. I would highly recommend it to colleagues interested in psychotherapy research and empirical evaluations of psychotherapy services. --John Suler, PhD, Department of Psychology, Rider University A cutting-edge text that highlights the theoretical, methodological, and practical differences between traditional psychological measurement and the measurement of change in counseling/psychotherapy. It is very timely given the current pressures for accountability. --David A. Vermeersch, PhD, Department of Psychology, Loma Linda University The approach makes a great deal of sense. It covers important conceptual issues as well as practical matters. When students complete the assignments they will be prepared to go through the same steps in either selecting an outcome measure or in organizing an assessment strategy as well as critically appraising existing practices and their limitations. I would recommend the book to a colleague who wants students to have a good primer for assessing treatment effects. --Michael J. Lambert, PhD, Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University

The strength of this book is that it offers comprehensive and sophisticated coverage of issues related to psychological testing, with a special focus on issues related to counseling and psychotherapy, which makes it unique and valuable. The author does a very good job of explaining terms and concepts and takes the reader deep into the very complex and sophisticated world of psychological testing. I would highly recommend it to colleagues interested in psychotherapy research and empirical evaluations of psychotherapy services. - John Suler, Department of Psychology, Rider University, USA Meier has done a fine job of tying measurement to practice issues, showing how outcome data can be used for clinical feedback and to inform clinical decision making. He clearly distinguishes how a test that is valid to measure traits may not be valid to measure clinical change, and vice versa. At a time when accountability is a driving force within the profession, the measurement and assessment perspectives provided by this book couldn't be more opportune. - James W. Lichtenberg, Professor of Counseling Psychology and Associate Dean, School of Education, University of Kansas, USA The approach makes a great deal of sense. It covers important conceptual issues as well as practical matters. When students complete the assignments they will be prepared to go through the same steps in either selecting an outcome measure or in organizing an assessment strategy as well as critically appraising existing practices and their limitations. I would recommend the book to a colleague who wants students to have a good primer for assessing treatment effects. - Michael J. Lambert, Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, USA A cutting-edge text that highlights the theoretical, methodological, and practical differences between traditional psychological measurement and the measurement of change in counseling/psychotherapy. It is very timely given the current pressures for accountability. - David A. Vermeersch, Department of Psychology, Loma Linda University, USA

Author Information

Scott T. Meier is Professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. His main research and teaching are in the areas of psychological measurement (particularly outcome assessment), research methods (program evaluation), and counseling skills (integration of case conceptualization and assessment with intervention). Dr. Meier is a member of the American Evaluation Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. He is the author or coauthor of four books (including The Elements of Counseling) and has published in American Psychologist, Journal of Counseling Psychology, Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, and the American Journal of Evaluation.

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