Five of the common misuses of tests are reviewed: (1) acceptance of the test title as an accurate and complete description of the variable being measured (failure to examine the manual and the items carefully to know the specific aspects to be tested can result in misuse through selection of an inappropriate test for a particular purpose or…

This overview of the role of error and tolerance for error in measurement asserts that the generic precision associated with a measurement procedure is defined as the root mean square error, or standard error, in some relevant population. This view of precision is explored in several applications of measurement. (SLD)

A person's obtained score on a test provides an estimate of the individual's "true" score on that test. The obtained score is considered to have two parts, the true component and the error component. Classical test theory assumes that obtained scores for an individual over multiple administrations of the same test will lie symmetrically…

This paper compares various methods of smoothed equipercentile equating and linear equating in the random groups equating design. Three presmoothing methods (based on the beta binomial model, four-parameter beta binomial model and a log-linear model) are compared to postsmoothing using cubic splines, linear equating and unsmoothed equipercentile…

The application of generalizability theory to the reliability and error variance estimation for performance assessment scores is discussed. Decision makers concerned with performance assessment need to realize the restrictions that limit generalizability such as limitations that lead to reductions in the number of tasks possible, rater quality,…

A measurement approach called generalizability theory (G-theory) is an important alternative to the more familiar classical measurement theory that yields less useful coefficients such as alpha or the KR-20 coefficient. G-theory is a theory about the dependability of behavioral measurements that allows the simultaneous estimation of multiple…

The use of stepwise regression has been criticized for both interpretive misunderstandings and statistical aberrations. A major statistical problem with stepwise regression and other procedures that involve multiple significance tests is the inflation of the Type I error rate. General approaches to control the family-wise error rate such as the…

This paper discusses standard error of measurement (SEM), the amount of variation or spread in the measurement errors for a test, and gives information needed to interpret test scores using SEMs. SEMs at various score levels should be used in calculating score bands rather than a single SEM value. (SLD)

This study is an attempt at a cohesive characterization of the concept of essay reliability. As such, it takes as a basic premise that previous and current practices in reporting reliability estimates for essay tests have certain shortcomings. The study provides an analysis of these shortcomings--partly to encourage a fuller understanding of the…

Effect sizes have been increasingly emphasized in research as more researchers have recognized that: (1) all parametric analyses (t-tests, analyses of variance, etc.) are correlational; (2) effect sizes have played an important role in meta-analytic work; and (3) statistical significance testing is limited in its capacity to inform scientific…

Three tables are provided to aid in the clinical interpretation of factor scores for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R; 1981). The factor structure of the WAIS-R has proven to be robust across samples, tests, time, statistical analyses, measurement scales, and distortions of the distribution. Information necessary to make…

Procedures for establishing the cutoff scores for the occupational competency exams administered to individuals graduating from Pennsylvania vocational teacher education programs were reviewed. A total of 595 National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) Exams administered in 43 occupations or trades at three colleges between the…