The second volume in a set of three, this text incorporates the views of authors from a variety of nations, cultures, traditions and perspectives. It summarizes research in the areas of basic processes and developmental psychology, adopting a dynamic, constructivist and socio-historical approach.
Part of a set containing the contributions of authors from a variety of nations, cultures, traditions and perspectives, this volume offers an up-to-date assessment of theoretical developments and methodological issues in the rapidly-evolving area of cross-cultural psychology.
Adapting Psychological Tests and Measurement Instruments for Cross-Cultural Research provides an easy-to-read overview of the methodological issues and best practices for cross-cultural adaptation of psychological instruments. Although the development of cross-cultural test adaption methodology has advanced in recent years, the discussion is often pitched at an expert level and requires an advanced knowledge of statistics, psychometrics and scientific methodology. This book, however, introduces the history and concepts of cross-cultural psychometrics in a pedagogic and simple manner. It evaluates key ethical, cultural, methodological and legal issues in cross-cultural psychometrics and provides a guide to test adaptation, data analysis and interpretation. Written in an accessible manner, this book builds an understanding of the methodological, ethical and legal complexities of cross-cultural test adaptation and presents methods for test adaptation, including the basic statistical procedures for evaluating the equivalence of test versions. It would be the ideal companion for undergraduate students and those new to psychometrics.
Intended to bridge the gap between the latest methodological developments and cross-cultural research, this interdisciplinary resource presents the latest strategies for analyzing cross-cultural data. Techniques are demonstrated through the use of applications that employ cross national data sets such as the latest European Social Survey. With an emphasis on the generalized latent variable approach, internationallyâe"prominent researchers from a variety of fields explain how the methods work, how to apply them, and how they relate to other methods presented in the book. Syntax and graphical and verbal explanations of the techniques are included. A website features some of the data sets and syntax commands used in the book. Applications from the behavioral and social sciences that use real data-sets demonstrate: The use of samples from 17 countries to validate the resistance to change scale across these nations How to test the cross-national invariance properties of social trust The interplay between social structure, religiosity, values, and social attitudes A comparison of anti-immigrant attitudes and patterns of religious orientations across European countries. The book is divided into techniques for analyzing cross-cultural data within the generalized-latent-variable approach: multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis and multiple-group structural equation modeling; multi-level analysis; latent class analysis; and item-response theory. Since researchers from various disciplines often use different methodological approaches, a consistent framework for describing and applying each method is used so as to cross âe~methodological bordersâe(tm) between disciplines. Some chapters describe the basic strategy and how it relates to other techniques presented in the book, others apply the techniques and address specific research questions, and a few combine the two. A table in the preface highlights for each chapter: a description of the contents, the statistical methods used, the goal(s) of the analysis, and the data set employed. This book is intended for researchers, practitioners, and advanced students interested in cross-cultural research. Because the applications span a variety of disciplines, the book will appeal to researchers and students in: psychology, political science, sociology, education, marketing and economics, geography, criminology, psychometrics, epidemiology, and public health, as well as those interested in methodology. It is also appropriate for an advanced methods course in cross-cultural analysis.
The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), for disabled individuals, and their dependent family members, who have worked and contributed to the Social Security trust funds, and Supplemental Security Income (SSSI), which is a means-tested program based on income and financial assets for adults aged 65 years or older and disabled adults and children. Both programs require that claimants have a disability and meet specific medical criteria in order to qualify for benefits. SSA establishes the presence of a medically-determined impairment in individuals with mental disorders other than intellectual disability through the use of standard diagnostic criteria, which include symptoms and signs. These impairments are established largely on reports of signs and symptoms of impairment and functional limitation. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination considers the use of psychological tests in evaluating disability claims submitted to the SSA. This report critically reviews selected psychological tests, including symptom validity tests, that could contribute to SSA disability determinations. The report discusses the possible uses of such tests and their contribution to disability determinations. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination discusses testing norms, qualifications for administration of tests, administration of tests, and reporting results. The recommendations of this report will help SSA improve the consistency and accuracy of disability determination in certain cases.
The aim of this encyclopedia is to provide a comprehensive reference work on scientific and other scholarly research on the quality of life, including health-related quality of life research or also called patient-reported outcomes research. Since the 1960s two overlapping but fairly distinct research communities and traditions have developed concerning ideas about the quality of life, individually and collectively, one with a fairly narrow focus on health-related issues and one with a quite broad focus. In many ways, the central issues of these fields have roots extending to the observations and speculations of ancient philosophers, creating a continuous exploration by diverse explorers in diverse historic and cultural circumstances over several centuries of the qualities of human existence. What we have not had so far is a single, multidimensional reference work connecting the most salient and important contributions to the relevant fields. Entries are organized alphabetically and cover basic concepts, relatively well established facts, lawlike and causal relations, theories, methods, standardized tests, biographic entries on significant figures, organizational profiles, indicators and indexes of qualities of individuals and of communities of diverse sizes, including rural areas, towns, cities, counties, provinces, states, regions, countries and groups of countries.
Counseling psychologists often focus on clients′ inner conflicts and avoid getting involved in the clients′ environment. This handbook encourages counseling psychologists to become active participants in changing systems that constrain clients′ ability to function. . . . Besides actual programs, the contributors cover research, training, and ethical issues. The case examples showing how professionals have implemented social action programs are particularly valuable. . . . [T]his book provides an outline for action, not only for psychologists, but also for social workers, politicians, and others interested in improving the lot of disadvantaged populations. Summing up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, professionals. -- W. P. Anderson, emeritus, University of Missouri-Columbia, CHOICE The Handbook for Social Justice in Counseling Psychology: Leadership, Vision, and Action provides counseling psychology students, educators, researchers, and practitioners with a conceptual road map of social justice and social action that they can integrate into their professional identity, role, and function. It presents historical, theoretical, and ethical foundations followed by exemplary models of social justice and action work performed by counseling psychologists from interdisciplinary collaborations. The examples in this Handbook explore a wide range of settings with diverse issues and reflect a variety of actions. The book concludes with a chapter reflecting on future directions for the field of counseling psychology beyond individual and traditional practice to macro-level conceptual models. It also explores policy development and implementation, systemic strategies of structural and human change, cultural empowerment and respect, advocacy, technological innovation, and third and fourth generations of human rights activities. Key Features: Integrates research and ethical implications as well as guidelines for developing and evaluating specific types of social justice activities Addresses a comprehensive arena of issues examined from historical, theoretical, systemic, and practical perspectives Clarifies social justice in counseling psychology to distinguish it from other helping professions Provides readers with specific examples and guidelines for integrating social justice into their work supported by a solid theoretical framework and acknowledgement of interdisciplinary influences Includes contributions from prominent authors in counseling psychology to provide expert examples from the field The Handbook for Social Justice in Counseling Psychology is an excellent resource for counseling psychology students, educators, researchers, and practitioners. It will be a welcome addition to any academic library or research institution.