Measurement Theory and Applications for the Social Sciences, Hardcover

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.

About the Author:

Deborah L. Bandalos, PhD, is Professor and Director of the Assessment and Measurement Doctoral Program in the Department of Graduate Psychology at James Madison University, where she teaches courses in exploratory factor analysis, measurement theory, and missing data methodologies. Her research areas include structural equation modeling and the effects of item wording changes in instrument development. Dr. Bandalos has published articles and book chapters in the areas of structural equation modeling, exploratory factor analysis, and item and scale development. She is an associate editor of Multivariate Behavioral Research and a past associate editor of Structural Equation Modeling. In addition, Dr. Bandalos serves on the editorial boards of Psychological Methods and Applied Measurement in Education, is on the Executive Committee of Division 5 (Quantitative and Qualitative Methods) of the American Psychological Association, and has been elected 2019 President of the Society for Multivariate Experimental Psychology.