 
Finding the
appropriate psychological test or measurement is often the most difficult,
frustrating and time consuming part of a research project. There
are actually two steps in this process.
First, you
must locate the appropriate instrument. That is, you need to use
a database to find something that will measure the concept you have
in mind. You can do this using some of the same techniques you
would use to locate an article in the periodical literature although
the places to look may be new to you.
Second, once
you have located the name or the test or the title of the measure, you
must locate a copy of it. This sometimes proves to be even more
difficult than locating the test in the first place!
We have tried
to provide some guidance in helping you in both stages of your search.
The purpose of
this guide is to identify resources on psychological tests and measures
that are available on campus. The guide is not comprehensive; rather,
it should be used as a starting point for your research. It does, however,
cover the major potential sources for this type of information: PsycINFO,
reference books, and several electronic databases specifically designed
to locate psychological testing instruments of one kind or another.
General
Guide to Finding Tests & Measures
PsycINFO
1. Use of
the database thesaurus
A. Thesaurus
of Psychological Index Terms
Relatively
few instrument titles will be found in this list of descriptors
(i.e., subject terms). Only some very prominent instruments are
included. They should be searched, as the subject of an article,
like any other descriptor:
e.g.,
Bem-Sex-Role-Inventory in DE
It is useful
to also conduct a free-text* search on the instrument title:
e.g.,
Bem Sex Role Inventory
A free-text
search will identify other articles which mention the instrument,
even if it is not the focus of the article.
B. Thesaurus
of ERIC Descriptors
No instruments
titles will be found in this list of descriptors. Therefore, free-text
searches are most appropriate.
___________
* Searching is
usually done using a "controlled vocabulary", a special set of index terms
or descriptors that have been assigned to each article or book. Sometimes,
however, it is necessary to search the entire record using a term that
might not have been included as a key phrase or descriptor. This type
of searching is called a free-text search.
2. What if
the instrument title does not appear in the database thesaurus?
Just do
a free-text search on the title name. In the free-text example, above,
the search was not limited to a particular field. This approach will
generally yield the greatest number of results.
However,
free-text searches can be limited to specific fields if the initial
search results are too broad.
e.g.,
Bem Sex Role Inventory in AB [AB = Abstract]
Bem
Sex Role Inventory in TI [TI = Title]
Bem
Sex Role Inventory in KP [KP = Key Phrase]
3. Can I search
by the acronym for an instrument name instead of the full name of the
instrument? Will that affect the results of my search?
In the
abstract of a record, any time the acronym for an instrument name
appears (e.g., BSRI), the full name of the instrument will also appear
at least the first time the acronym is provided. Both the acronym
and the full instrument title may appear in the article title; only
the full title is likely to appear in the key phrase. Consequently,
searching the full title will generally yield a greater number of
records than a search restricted to the acronym.
4. In the PsycINFO
database, how can I make use of the Content Classification System in my
search for information on tests and measures?
Content
Classification System categories and codes have to be used judiciously
because, in general, only one category/code is assigned to each article
indexed. This means that if the category/code selected does not reflect
what the indexer thought was the most significant aspect of the article,
the article will be missed. Check the appendix of the Thesaurus of
Psychological Index Terms to a table of the categories and codes.
The code for the category of Psychometrics and Statistics and Methodology
is 2200. The three subcategories listed with their codes are Tests
& Testing (2220), Statistics and Mathematics (2240), and Research
Methods & Experimental Design (2260). Let's say that, for example,
Tests and Testing is thought to be the most useful. The code 2220
can be combined, in either of two ways, with the name of a specific
instrument (descriptor or free-text) of the descriptor for a type
of instrument, For example:
Sample
search A
#1
Rorschach-Test in DE
#2
cc=2220
#3
#1 and #2
Sample
search B
#1
Projective-Personality-Measures in DE
#2
cc=2220
#3
#1 and #2
Sample
search C
#1
Attitudes Toward Women Scale
#2
2220 in cc
#3
#1 and #2
5. How do I handle
variant spellings when searching free-text in either database?
Utilize
the database index. Instructions on the use of this function (key
F5) are provided on the back side of the database Quick Reference
Guides at the workstations.
Books
to Consult
1. How can
I find books in Pelletier Library pertaining to tests and measures?
There
are several search categories that can prove quite helpful in finding
material in our library. You might begin by using one of the following
broad, general categories:
-
psychometrics
-
psychological tests
-
psychology, applied
Then you
may wish to limit your search in some fashion to a specific subset
of these more general books (e.g., intelligence or personality). However,
be careful that you don't limit your search too much and thereby exclude
some useful titles.
Here is
a sample of the general books (and one periodical) on tests and
measures that are available.
Anastasi, A.
(1988). Psychological testing (6th ed.). New York: Macmillan.
[Stacks,
150.28 An15pe]
Bonjean,
C. M., Hill, R. J., & McLemore, S. D. (1967). Sociological measurement:
An inventory of scales and indices. San Francisco: Chandler Publishing
Company.
[Stacks,
016.301 B642s]
Educational
and Psychological Measurement
open
shelves Vol 1 (1941) - Vol 39 (1979)
microfilm
Vol 40 to the present
last
five years are on reserve
Kline,
P. (1993). The handbook of psychological testing. New York: Routledge.
[Stacks,
150.28 K685ha]
Lake,
D. G., Miles, M. B., & Earle, R. B. (eds.) Measuring human behavior:
Tools for the assessment of social functioning. New York: Teachers
College Press.
[Stacks,
155.28 L148m]
Miller,
D. C. (1991). Handbook of research design and social measurement
(5th ed.). New Park, CA: Sage.
[Stacks,
301.072 M613hb]
O'Brien,
N. P. (1988). Comprehensive test construction: A bibliography of
selected sources. Westport, CT: Greenwood.
Standards
for Educational and Psychological Testing. Committee to Develop
Standards of Educational Psychological Testing. Washington, D.C.: American
Psychological Association.
[Stacks,
371.26 Am35s]
2. What are some
of the more useful books about tests and measures that the library has
on hand?
Pelletier
Library has a rather complete collection of books that describe and
review various testing instruments. Some of them are kept in the reference
area and are available for use within with library while others are
on the shelves.
The following
list highlights the more important of our holdings. Most of these
books are designed to help test users identify and locate testing
materials that will be useful for them. To help you identify which
sources might be helpful, note the "Key To Content" associated with
each title.
Key to
Content of Test Reviews
D =
Test Development
F = References
P = Publisher/Distributor
R = Reliability
S = Test
subjects
T = Test
sample
V = Validity
Beere,
C. A. (1990). Gender roles: A handbook of tests and measures.
Westport, CT: Greenwood.
[Key:
D,F,P,R,S,T,V]
[Stacks,
305.3072 B392g]
Beere,
C. A. (1990). Sex and gender issues: A handbook of tests and measures.
Westport, CT: Greenwood.
[Key:
D,V,P,R,S,T]
[Stacks,
155.3 B392s]
Beere,
C. A. (1979). Women and women's issues: A handbook of tests and measures.
San Francisco: Josey-Bass.
[Key:
D,F,P,R,S,T,V]
[Stacks,
305.4 B392w]
Bishop,
L., & Lester, P. E. (1993). Instrumentation in education: An
anthology. New York: Garland.
[Key:
F,P,R,S,T,V]
[Stacks:
016.3 B541i]
Chun,
K., Cobb, S., & French, J. R. (1975). Measures for psychological
assessment: A guide to 3,000 original sources and their applications.
Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research.
[Key:
F]
[Stacks,
016.15528 C472m]
Compton,
C. (1996). A guide to 100 tests for special education. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Globe Fearon.
[Key: P, R, S, V]
[Stacks, 371.26C 739g]
Educational
Testing Service. ETS Test Collection Catalog. Phoenix, AZ:
Oryx Press.
[Key:
P,S]
[Reference,
016.371 Et74a]
Vol.
1: Achievement Tests and Measurement Devices
Vol. 2: Vocational
Tests and Measurement Devices
Vol. 3: Tests
for Special Populations
Vol. 4; Cognitive
Attitude and Intelligence Tests
Vol. 5: Attitude
Tests
Vol. 6: Affective
Measures and Personality Tests
All volumes
of an earlier edition of this work are available. So far only volumes
1 and 2 of the new edition have been published.
Fischer,
J., & Corcoran, K. (1994). Measures for clinical practice:
A sourcebook (2nd Ed.). New York: Free Press.
[Key:
F,P,R,S,T,V]
[Stacks,
150.287 F523ma] (two volumes)
Fredman,
N., & Sherman, R. (1987). Handbook for measurements for marriage
and family therapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
[Key:
F,P,R,S,T,V]
[Stacks,
616.8915 F874h]
Goldman,
B. A., & Saunders, J. L. (1995). Directory of unpublished experimental
mental measures (volume 6). New York: Behavioral Publications.
[Key:
F]
[Reference,
150.28 G569d]
Hammill, D.,
Brown, L., & Bryant, B. R. (1994). A consumer's guide to tests
in print (2nd Ed.). Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
[Key:
P]
[Stacks,
371.26 H183ca]
Hersen, M. (ed) (2003). Comprehensive
handbook of psychological assessement. Hoboken, N.J. : J. Wiley
& Sons.
[Key: D,F,P,R,S,T,V]
[Reference, 150.287 C738 h]
Volume 1: Intellectural and neurological assessment. Volume 2:
Personality assessment. Volume 3: Behavioral assessmen. Volume 4:
Industrial and organizational assessment
Hersen, M.,
& Bellack, A. S. (eds) (1988). Dictionary of behavioral assessment
techniques. New York: Pergamon.
[Key:
D,F,P,R]
[Reference,
150.28 D561.h]
Johnson, O.
G., & Bommarito, J. W. (1971). Tests and measurements in child
development: A handbook. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
[Key: F, P, R, S, T, V]
[Reference, 155.41 J635t]
Johnson,
O. G. (1976). Tests and measurements in child devleopment: Handbook
II. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
[Key: F, P, R, S, T, V]
[Reference, 155.41 J635te]
Keyser,
D. J., & Sweetland, R. C. (eds) (1984). Test critiques.
Kansas City, MO: Test Corporation of America.
[Key:
D,F,P]
[Reference,
150.28 T286] (10 volumes)
Keyser,
D. J., & Sweetland, R. C. (eds) (1991). Tests: A comprehensive
reference for assessment in psychology, education, and business (3rd
ed.). Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
[Key:
D,F,P]
[Reference,
150.28 T286sb]
Mental Measurements
Yearbook. (published irregularly). Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska
Press.
[Key:
D,F,P,R,S,V]
[Reference:
016.1539 B937]
Note:
Each edition consists only of commercial tests newly developed or
revised since the publication of the previous edition. Therefore,
you may need to look at several volumes to find the test you are looking
for. We currently have 13 volumes.
Newmark,
C. S. (1996). Major psychological assessment instruments (2nd
ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
[Key: D, F, P, R, S, T, V]
[Reference, 150.28 M288na]
Robinson,
J. P., Shaver, P. R., & Wrightsman, L. S. (1990). Measures
of personality and social psychological attitudes. San Diego,
CA: Academic Press.
[Key:
D,F,R,V,T]
[Stacks,
155.28 M463r]
Robinson,
J. P., & Shaver, P. R. (1973). Measures of social psychological
attitudes. Ann Arbor, MI: Survey Research Center, Institute for
Social Research.
[Key:
F,P,R,S,T,V]
[Stacks,
301.1 R563ma]
Note:
This updates Measures of Political Attitudes [Stacks, 320.019
R563m) and Measures of Occupational Attitudes and Occupational
Characteristics [Stacks, 301.18 R564m].
Speen, O.,
& Strauss, E. (1981). A compendium of neuropsychological tests:
Administration, norms, and commentary. New York: Oxford University
Press.
[Key:
F,P,R,S,T,V]
[Stacks,
152 Sp78c]
Sweetland,
R. & Keyser, D. J. (Eds.). (various) Tests: A comprehensive reference
for assessments in psychologiy, education, and business. Austin,
TX: PRO-ED.
[Key, P, S]
[Reference, 150.28 T289sb]
Touliatos,
J. B., Perlmutter, B. F., & Straus, M. A. (1990). Handbook
of family measurement techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
[Key:
F,P,T]
[Reference,
306.85 H191t]
Electronic
Databases for Testing Instruments
In addition
to PsycINFO, there are several specialized electronic databases that
might be useful in locating a testing instrument for a specific purpose,
The Buros Test Review Locator, the ERIC/AE Test Locator, the HaPI database
and the ETS TestLink database.
1.
The Buros Test Review
Locator tells you which publications of the Buros Institute
for Mental Measurements contain reviews and descriptions of the test
you have identified. The reviews are not in this database, but
in the Mental Measurements Yearbook and Tests in Print (copies
in the library). Immediate, on-line reviews are avaiable but there
is a $15 charge per review.
2.
ERIC/AE is
a searchable database that inlcudes tests:
- appended
to or contained in reports in the ERIC database
- appended
to journal articles
ERIC/AE excludes
any test that is part of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Test
Collection database. Search the ETS Test Collection (see link below
to this site).
Tests listed
in the collection are NOT available from this web site or from ERIC/AE.
* Tests in appended to or contained in ERIC reports can be ordered
through the ERIC Document Reproduction Service. You will need the
"ED" number. You can order on-line.
* Tests in journal articles may be obtained in academic libraries,
or perhaps ordered through CARL. The Directory of ERIC Collections
may help you find an academic library near you.
3.
HaPI
(Health and Psychosocial Instrument)
HaPI is
a database of information about research and survey instruments, such
as questionnaires, checklists, and interview forms. It is not a database
of journal articles or book chapters on health related issues.
Some tests
can be obtained directly from the publisher or the author while others
are available from the company that produces HaPI (Behavioral Measurement
Database Services). Delivery of an instrument in the HaPI files
from BMDS is $20. In addition, BMDS can provide instruments
not in their file for $30 each.
Hints for
using HaPI:
• The
online documentation is useful and relatively complete. Just click
Help to use online assistance.
• The truncation
symbol in HaPI is ?. Add this to roots of words to retrieve variations.
For example, if you are looking for research about alcohol use, type:
alcohol? to retrieve alcohol, alcoholic, alcoholism, etc.
4. TestLink
(Educational Testing Service) The TestLink database archives descriptions
of the world's largest collection of assessments and measurement devices--many
not available anywhere else, including:
- A variety of tests available
from U.S. publishers;
- Measurement instruments aquired
from individual test authors;
- Reserach and unpublished measurement
devices; and
- Foreign tests, including some
from Canada, Great Britain, and Australia.
Some of these tests are available for
immediate down load. The cost is $25 each. Others are avaialble
on microfische for $15 each.. The rest must be ordered directly
from the publisher. Details are on the web site.
Tests
Owned by the Psychology Department
The
Psychology Department maintains a file cabinet with a large number of
tests. Check this link for the complete
list, in alphabetical order, of these that are avaiable locally.
Faculty
Owned Tests
The following tests are being held by faculty in the location noted
below.
Bender Gestalt Screening for Brain Dysfunction (book)
The book contains test materials, scoring instructions...various strategies
for administration and scoring...there are no separate manuals of
any type associatesd with this text. Held by J. Cross
Procrastination Assessment Scale - Student (PASS)
Microfiche copy of test
Held by D. Anderson
Tests held by Josh Searle-White
- Wisconsin
Card Sorting Test
- Boston
Diagnostic Aphasia Exam
- Boston
Naming Test
- Goodglass
and Kaplan: The Assessment of Aphasia
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2/2/06
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