Saturday, April 24, 2010

Journal of Psych Assessment: New editor focus on measurement



Kudos to Cecil Reynolds.  I like the new emphasis on basic measurement for the journal.

Reynolds, C. (2010).  Measurement and Assessment:  An Editorial View.  Psychological Assessment, 22(1), 1-4

If a thing exists, it can be measured. Measurement is a central component of assessment if we believe that fear, anxiety, intelligence, self-esteem, attention, and similar latent variables exist and are useful to us in developing an understanding of the human condition and leading us to ways to improve it. Much of what is published in Psychological Assessment deals with the development and the application of measurement devices of various sorts with the end goal of applications in assessment practice. What is submitted but not published largely deals with the same topics. As the new Editor writing the inaugural editorial, I am focusing on this topic for two major reasons. The first is that the most frequent reason why manuscripts are rejected in the peer-review process for Psychological Assessment and other high-quality journals devoted to clinical or neuropsychological assessment is inadequate attention to sound and high-quality measurement practices. The second reason is my surmise that measurement as a science is no longer taught with the rigor that characterized the earlier years of professional psychology. One of the tasks of Psychological Assessment is to promote a strong science of clinical assessment as practiced throughout professional psychology. To that end, I have attempted to pull together an eclectic group of Associate Editors and Consulting Editors. Our hope is to attract more and better manuscripts that deal with issues focusing on all aspects of clinical assessment

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