Introduction to Test Construction in the Social and Behavioral Sciences

This book offers beginning researchers in psychology and education with limited statistics backgrounds a practical, hands-on guide to the preparation, assessment, and development of quantitative research instruments. With the explicit goal in mind of making the text accessible to readers with only a beginning level of statistical expertise, the authors include numerous examples and figures to illustrate necessary concepts and procedures, while minimizing jargon. The book includes an appendix with directions for the required statistical analyses for readers with access to SPSS. The organization of the book into two sections, theoretical and practical, with complementary chapters in each section, results in a practical and versatile resource to have in a variety of contexts. Because of its versatility, the book may be used either as a textbook for courses on test construction and instrument design or quantitative research methods in psychology and education, as a reference for researchers using and constructing quantitative instruments, or as background reading for professionals in related fields.

Joshua A. Fishman is Distinguished University Professor Emeritus in Social Sciences at Yeshiva University, and visiting professor at Stanford University [Linguistics and Education], New York University [Multiculturalism] and CUNY-Graduate Center [Linguistics]. TomOs Galguera is an associate professor in the Teachers for Tomorrow's Schools teacher education program at Mills College and a fellow at the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.