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The assessment of individual differences has a long history. As early as 2200 B.C. the Chinese were employing methods to select candidates for civil service positions. Over the ensuing centuries philosophers, theologians, and the nobility all noticed and debated the role of'character'in shaping the destiny and quality of individual lives. This interest spawned widely different methods of evaluating the timbre of temperament-bumps on the head, lines on the hand, shape of the body-all of which were em­ ployed in attempts to gain insight into basic human motives. The emer­ gence of the scientific method and its application to this endeavor reinvigorated society's efforts in this direction, and an abundant variety of assessment instruments consequently became available. The outbreak of World War I created a need for the efficient assess­ ment of individual differences in large groups. Such instruments as the Woodworth Personal Data Sheet and the Army Alpha Test resulted in gen­ uine breakthroughs in assessment technology. These tests provided stan­ dardized sets of items that permitted quantitative comparisons among people. Over the years, numerous scales have been developed which have been based on widely differing levels of psychometric sophistication.

A complete, thorough, and pragmatic guide to clinical assessment, this authoritative book meets a key need for both students and practitioners. T. Mark Harwood, Larry E. Beutler, Gary Groth-Marnat, and their associates describe how to construct a'moving picture'of each patient by integrating data from a variety of sources. Included are detailed, systematic reviews of widely used instruments together with strategies for selecting the best methods for particular referral questions. Readers learn to conduct integrated assessments that take the complexities of the individual personality into account, serve as the basis for developing an effective treatment plan, and facilitate meaningful reporting and client feedback.New to This Edition•Incorporates the latest research findings and assessment/treatment planning tools.•Chapters on the Personality Assessment Inventory and the NEO-PI-R and NEO-PI-3.•A new extended case example runs throughout the chapters.•Critically evaluates the recently published MMPI-2-RF.

Measuring Psychopathology describes the methods by which the signs and symptoms of mental disorder are elicited, examined and evaluated.; Written for the non-clinical researcher as well as for those with clinical experience, the authors start by considering the question'what is psychopathology?'They then employ a historical perspective to explain why and how mental disorders are currently classified, and how the use of an operational approach to diagnosis was adopted. The use of operational criteria to define psychiatric disorder has facilitated the development of standardised interviewing techniques, questionnaires and rating scales. These tools are all covered in some detail, not only with regard to adults with mental disorders, but also with reference to special and challenging groups such as children and the elderly, and those with a learning disability, substance misuse, or who have a personality disorder.; The strengths and weaknesses of current methodologies are explored and debated as well as the future diagnostic needs for research in the 21st century.; Essential reading for clinicians and non-clinical scientists engaged in research on psychiatric disorders, trainees and junior psychiatrists, and clinical psychologists.