Integrative Assessment of Adult Personality [Hardcover]

Larry E. Beutler PhD (Editor), Michael R. Berren (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0898622816 | ISBN-13: 978-0898622812

INTEGRATIVE ASSESSMENT OF ADULT PERSONALITY
Edited by Larry E. Beutler and Michael R. Berren

* What questions should a personality assessment address?
* What types of information are necessary to complete an
assessment?
* What instruments are needed to answer the questions?
* How can the data be integrated and understood once various
types have been collected?
* How can the integrated assessment be best utilized in
treatment planning?

Addressing these issues and more, this unique volume presents an integrative approach to the process of personality assessment. This process includes the administration, scoring and interpretation of psychological tests; clinical interviewing, observation, and the gathering of historical and collateral information; and, finally, the integration of those unique pieces of information to reliably predict a patient's functioning. While maintaining the standardized administration methods necessary for using test norms and comparing results across subjects, the approach described in this text shows how to construct a "moving picture" that takes into account the complexities of individual personalities and provides insights that will be invaluable in deriving effective treatment strategies.

All the chapters share the same perspectivethat the information provided is just one piece of the assessment puzzle. The book begins with a basic discussion of test development and validation, followed by a description of the methods used for integrating information from disparate sources and the presentation of a model of report writing. Issues related to the selection of assessment instruments are discussed, as is the use of the clinical interview both for gathering information and for setting the stage for the rest of the assessment experience. Specific chapters focus on assessment procedures that include the clinical interview, the WAIS-R, the Rorschach, the MMPI-2, and the MCMI, and on the ways information can be applied to the task of making treatment recommendations. The final chapter is a workbook that assists the reader in learning the principles both of test interpretation and of integrative report writing. Illustrated with four case examples, it demonstrates how to complete a worksheet designed for integrative assessment. The workbook also includes the results of procedures, blank worksheets for the reader to complete, sample forms completed by the authors, and a model assessment report based on the information provided.

Ideal for graduate courses in personality assessment, Integrative Assessment of Adult Personality is the only text that addresses both interviewing and integration. A useful guide and reference for practicing psychologists and counselors, the volume's broad focus makes it appropriate for use regardless of one's theoretical orientation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This text is an excellent addition to a graduate course in personality assessment. Its unique contribution is Beutler's sophisticated thinking about dimensions of treatment selection, but he also addresses the issues involved in designing appropriate assessments and integrating the findings. Outstanding chapters are included on the major adult assessment instruments in use today." --Tony Cellucci, Ph.D., Francis Marin University, Dept of Psychology, Course: PSY631, Assessment II

"I am using this book for my graduate courses in assessment and diagnosis. The extended case examples give my students a real feel for what clinical practice is actually like. Dr. Beutler stands as the leader in the field. His book is the only text I know of that's oriented to treatment planning and that contains guidelines for integrating different sources of information and assessment tools, such as the Rorschach, MMPI-2, and interview data, into a single assessment report." --Kevin L. Moreland, Ph.D., Dept. of Psychology, Fordham University

"Drs. Beutler and Berren have collated a valuable set of chapters, written by recognized experts in their respective areas, to illustrate the integration of psychological assessment procedures. Their emphases on assessment as a consultative, rather than a technical function, is an important distinction that all too often is overlooked in this field. Their specific suggestions on how to organize and integrate information from a variety of sources is important for all clinicians, and particularly for graduate students who are learning these skills. Finally, their emphasis on the necessity for a consistent conceptual scheme for the integration of psychological assessment procedures is very valuable." --Roger L. Greene, Ph.D., Professor, Chair and Director of Clinical Training, Pacific Graduate School of Psychology

"It is a truism among those concerned with the assessment of persons that one needs to gather data from disparate sources and then integrate that information in order to arrive at an accurate description of the target. It is not commonplace, however, that one has any specific guidelines on how to bring this about. The collection of papers edited by Beutler and Berren provides such a map for those involved with clinical assessment. Direction is provided on the types of data needed, the manner in which these might be brought together, and the ways in which the final formulations can be used to design treatment plans for individual cases. There is even a model for presenting the integrated picture in a clinical report. Anyone involved with clinical evaluations will find the papers and the overall framework for integration useful. Those teaching graduate assessment courses in clinical and counseling programs will find them especially valuable." --John S. Gillis, Ph.D., Oregon State University

"In providing their incisive coverage of the key issues associated with personality assessment, the authors deal with not only the basic psychometric underpinnings of assessment procedures, but also the core clinical and conceptual issues that are at the very heart of any attempt at clinical assessment. Richly illustrated with numerous case examples, this volume depicts how the practicing clinician can select an assessment battery and integrate the findings into a comprehensive formulation having diagnostic and therapeutic implications." --Marvin R. Goldfried, Ph.D., SUNY at Stony Brook

"Provides excellent coverage of an integrative approach to assessment. This book could be one of the major texts for personality assessment." --Barry Ritzler, Ph.D., Long Island University

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Larry E. Beutler, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Counseling/Clinical/School Psychology Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology. In the past, he has served as Editor of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and international President of the Society for Psychotherapy Research. A fellow of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and the International Fellowship of Eclectic Psychotherapists, he is currently President-elect of the Division of Psychotherapy of the American Psychological Association. The author of approximately 200 scientific papers and chapters, he is the author, editor, or coauthor of ten books on psychotherapy and psychopathology.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 414 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press (October 28, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898622816
• ISBN-13: 978-0898622812
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,743,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)