We used data simulations to test whether composites consisting of cohesive subtest scores are more accurate than composites consisting of divergent subtest scores. We demonstrate that when multivariate normality holds, divergent and cohesive scores are equally accurate. Furthermore, excluding divergent scores results in biased estimates of…

When subscores on a test are reported to the test taker, the appropriateness of reporting them depends on whether they provide useful information above what is provided by the total score. Subscores that fail to do so lack adequate psychometric quality and should not be reported. There are several methods for examining the quality of subscores,…

Multilevel models are often used to evaluate hypotheses about relations among constructs when data are nested within clusters (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002), although alternative approaches are available when analyzing nested data (Binder & Roberts, 2003; Sterba, 2009). The overarching goal of this article is to suggest when it is appropriate…

The present study examined the effects of attachment style and continuing bonds, defined as the extent to which a bereaved individual feels that the deceased remains a part of his/her life, on post bereavement adjustment among 71 conjugally bereaved individuals. It was shown that bereaved individuals with an anxious attachment style tended to show…

Interaction in the online learning environment has been regarded as one of the most critical elements that affect learning outcomes. This study examined what factors in learner-instructor interaction can predict the learner's outcomes in the online learning environment. Learners in K Online University participated by answering the survey, and data…

The purpose of this study was to use data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) to (a) conceptually identify and empirically establish student, family, and school constructs; (b) explore the degree to which the constructs can be measured equivalently across disability groups; and (c) examine latent differences (means,…

The purpose of this study was to longitudinally examine the relationship between father involvement in school settings and student achievement. The sample, pulled from the first and second waves of the PSID-CDS data set, consisted of 596 families with children aged 5-12 at time 1. Results revealed variations in the relationship between father…

Although Instant Messaging (IM) has established itself as one of the most popular modes of communication, little empirical research has explored how adolescents are affected by its use to satisfy their virtual interpersonal relationships. This research investigates cause and effect in the satisfaction of these relationships among adolescents in…

This report describes a test of the robustness of factor-analytic methods in the face of various types of scale transformations on the data. Because of the complexities that would be involved in an exact analytical investigation, the tests were done with simulated sets of data having different factor structures. After factor analyzing the original…

Provides a conceptual basis for understanding factor analysis as an analytical technique. Illustrates the basic concepts of factor analysis through Edward L. Rainbow's data from a study of variables influencing students' musical aptitude. Suggests that this technique is most appropriate in music applications where the interrelationships between…

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) was examined for instances in which the item performance of examinees with comparable scores differed according to their native languages. A chi-square procedure, sensitive to deviations of less than ten percent from the expected frequencies of correct item responses across several language groups,…

Empirical techniques are developed that may be used in conjunction with data stored in the Institutional Profile System to enhance present capabilities of assessing group structure in medical schools. Relevant literature is reviewed, and the institutionally descriptive data available for analysis and their manipulation into researchable formats…

Agreement between two independent reviews of each of 278 manuscripts was compared on an overall recommendation and on specific rating items. Agreement between reviewers on separate dimensions, the unweighted sum of the dimensions, and various weighted sums was no better than that for the overall recommendation itself. (SLD)

Describes a study involving 1,343 community college students, which examined the relationships between the Cultural Literacy Test (CLT), developed by E.D. Hirsch, and several academic factors: grade point average and first-semester grades in remedial and regular English, history, and government courses. Emphasizes the clinical usefulness of the…

Periodic summaries of research techniques used in important journals help professors of educational research teach each new generation of researchers. Literature published in "American Educational Research Journal" (AERJ), "Educational Researcher" (ER), and "Review of Educational Research (RER) is reviewed for the 10-year…