In this paper, I discuss how Walls employs color-blind ideology, a critical race theory (CRT) tenet to analyze the role of race in the draw-a-scientist (DAST) literature. Walls' article, "A critical race theory analysis of the draw-a-scientist test: Are they really that white?" exposes how omitting race in DAST research leads to…

Research into executive functioning (EF) has indeed grown exponentially across the past few decades, but as the Willoughby et al. critique makes clear, there remain fundamental questions to be resolved. The crux of their argument is built upon an examination of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach to understanding executive processes.…

Salthouse (2011) argued that (a) variance between individuals on cognitive test scores remains constant between 20 and 90 years of age and (b) widely recognized problems of deducing functional relationships from patterns of correlations between measurements become especially severe for neuropsychological indices, especially for gross indices of…

"Language Assessment Quarterly," Volume 6, Issue 3, 2009, is a special issue titled "Cognitive Diagnosis and Q-Matrices in Language Assessment." This special issue is a textbook for cognitive diagnosis, one that language testers can study for many years to come. This article presents the author's reaction on why cognitive diagnosis is necessary.…

Sacked, Borne man, and Connelly recently discussed several criticisms that are often raised against the use of cognitive tests in selection. One criticism concerns the issue of measurement bias in cognitive ability tests with respect to specific groups in society. Sacked et AL. (2008) stated that "absent additional information, one cannot…

The current paper discusses ambiguities in critical thinking assessment. The paper first reviews the components of critical thinking. It then discusses the features and issues of commonly used critical thinking tests and to what extend they are made compatible to the conceptualization of critical thinking. The paper argues that critical thinking…

Tests of mental ability provide the most precise and efficient means of assessing a person's structure of knowledge. Tests help in cultivating cognitive competence, in developing and identifying excellence. The harmful consequences of not testing are outlined. (Author/AL)

In response to Webb and Shavelson (EJ 241 567), Nussbaum questions the relevance of the universe score variance as a meaning reliability index and whether it is useful to determine the weights which enter into a composite by means of maximum generalizability. (CM)

Answering Nussbaum's (TM 507 069) criticism, the generalizability coefficient for absolute decisions, the use of the error variance formula, composites of maximum generalizability, and covariance components are discussed as yardsticks of measurement precision with arguments for the use of each procedure to interpret data. (CM)

In this article, I respond to comments made by K. Salzinger and A. Aleman and A. S. David on my original article. The constructive, reconstructive, and interpretive nature of human cognition is well illustrated by these two responses to my recent article on schizophrenia. In the original article, I used meta-analytic summaries of the published…

In this interview, Al Canfield relates his professional experiences; defines "characteristic treatment intervention"; summarizes research about learning styles and their assessment and its implications for instruction; answers criticisms about learning styles research; considers the desirability of changing a student's learning style;…

The authors' reply to Thompson and Brassards's comments (TM 508 778) about their review of the Woodcock Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (WJPEB) is presented. Issues addressed include different standardization procedures for the WJPEB and WISC-R; the ability versus achievement nature of the WJTCA; and the mean score discrepancy between the…

The reliability of Oltman's Portable Rod and Frame Test (PRFT) was assessed using 60 first-, third-, and fifth-grade children. Various reliability estimates ranged from .90 to .97. Age and sex differences were also examined. (Author/BH)

This reply responds to a paper by Frisby and Braden (EC 604 792), which criticized dynamic assessment, especially Reuven Feuerstein's theory and methods. Six critical points are raised and supported with examples from recent research. Criticisms center on theoretical and philosophical misunderstandings as well as failure to consider supporting…

The specificity doctrine, holds that psychometric tests measure nothing other than the specific bits of knowledge and learned skills reflected in the item content of the tests. This prevailing doctrine has influenced the interpretation of test scores and the conceptualization of test validity, as well as the practical use of tests in educational…