Am I Okay?: Psychological Testing and What Those Tests Mean (Encyclopedia of Psychological Disorders)

An examination of the history and types of psychological testing, and a discussion of what the results mean.

Gr 8 Up-Despite the rather personalized title, this book is aimed more at report writers than those actually affected by psychological testing. After an explanatory overview of psychological disorders and the role of testing, chapters zero in on preconceptions of testing, the history and concomitant criticisms of past methods, and strengths and weaknesses of intelligence tests. Subsequent sections discuss psychological assessments for children in schools, as well as tests used to establish interests and employment potential. The final chapter looks at the future use of specialized medical equipment, such as the PET scan, to further refine testing and the accuracy of results. The text is clear and well organized for mature readers or professionals, though occasionally there's an attempt to directly address students, who will probably have difficulty with the abstract concepts and scientific jargon. The few black-and-white photos included do little to elucidate the text. The glossary is limited in scope, and a useful index is buried between two other appendixes. For the right audience, this is a useful title. Give it to the school counselor or psychologist to use with and decipher for students rather than leave it on the shelf where teens might misinterpret the title and be confused and disappointed by the content.-Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA

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