Reviews concepts of aptitude and aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) and summarizes lessons learned in ATI research on educational treatments to help ATI research on psychotherapeutic treatments. Research design and data analysis recommendations address aptitude distributions, multivariate aptitude complexes, detective work with scatterplots,…

Discusses epistemological and methodological issues regarding aptitude-treatment interactions (ATI) in psychotherapy. Noting that track record of interactional research is not very encouraging, argues that ATI research should focus on heuristic goal of illuminating mechanisms and processes that make therapies differentially effective. Suggests…

Notes that smaller than expected main effects in psychotherapy research are often attributed to mismatches between clients and treatment. Examines issues in aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) research in psychotherapy, including Type II and Type III errors, manipulation checks from both patient and practitioner perspectives, considerations of…

Item response theory (IRT) methodology is introduced as a tool for improving assessment instruments used with people who have disabilities. Need for this approach in rehabilitation is emphasized; differences between IRT and classical test theory are clarified. Concepts essential to understanding IRT are defined, necessary data assumptions are…

Describes the development and application of a kinesthetic sensitivity test to determine whether it is a valid and reliable measure of straight-copy typing speed and accuracy. The author states that this kinesthetic sensitivity instrument may be used as a prognostic aptitude test and recommends administration methods. (MF)

Describes the development of a work sample battery designed for assessment of vocational aptitudes, interests, and temperament in a disadvantaged client population. VITAS provides information about factors most related to success on the job: interest in the job, temperament for the job, and aptitudes for physical and cognitive components of the…

Conducted workshop for high school seniors, 50 of whom had taken Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) and 50 of whom had taken Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). After completion of six-hour program on application of game-playing strategies to SAT, both retakers and first-time takers of SAT (who had previously taken PSAT) raised their scores…

An overview of the development of a computerized version of the Differential Aptitude Tests (DAT) is presented. It describes the previously existing printed version of the DAT, design of the computerized adaptive edition, calibration of the test items for use in the computerized version, and two field studies that compared the Adaptive and…

The Occupational Report (OR) is a computer-generated report that provides occupational information for planning vocational rehabilitation services. Input data includes raw scores from the USES (United States Employment Service) Interest Inventory and raw scores from either the General Aptitude Test Battery or the Non-Reading Aptitude Test Battery.…

How children acquire language is a riddle for developmental linguists and the subject of debate among them. Some linguists argue that children acquire language through a universal process regardless of their native tongues. Evidence of the innateness of language capacity has also appeared in studies of deaf children. (Author/JN)

This paper is an overview of some points made at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association in April of 1987. Gender effects were computed on 82 nationally standardized tests designed to determine precocity among youth. The effect sizes ranged from a magnitude of 0.50 (favoring females) for spelling in grade 12 on the…

Examines major issues in the debate over Crouse's research and recommendations concerning the (SAT) Scholastic Aptitude Test's incremental value in admissions; the nature of the admissions process; other benefits to colleges of the SAT; its possible benefits for college applicants; and the use of college admissions tests as interventions for…

Vocational assessment services increasingly are being provided to disabled secondary school students as a result of recent federal legislation. Describes the need for such services, presenting a vocationally oriented psychological evaluation of a disabled adolescent. Discusses traditionally derived school psychological assessment data in…

A proposal to institute "a common test in the academic competencies" of English and mathematics as an admission requirement for all Nova Scotian universities was announced by the Royal Commission on Post-Secondary Education in 1985. The commission viewed writing proficiency as an innate ability, independent of learning, environment,…

Focuses on the interpretation of the Sociocultural Scales and Estimated Learning Potential scales of the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment by counselors making placement decisions. Presents case examples illustrating assumptions counselors must make and controversial aspects of the system. (JAC)