This article aims to adapt and validate the Risk-Taking and Self-Harm Inventory for Adolescents (RTSHIA) in Portuguese. Results confirm the 2-factor structure originally proposed (risk-taking and self-harm). Both dimensions presented an adequate internal reliability and temporal stability. Convergent validity and sociodemographic differences are…

In this study, it was aimed to develop Scale for the Attitudes towards Risky Play at Early Childhood (SATRPEC) for the parents whose children currently attend a preschool institution. The sample was comprised of 742 parents whose children were attending a nursery class or a kindergarten located in Afyonkarahisar -- Turkey and affiliated to Turkish…

Relationships with teachers are a central component of a student's school environment, and have been shown to be related to school engagement and persistence in secondary school. Working alliance is a conceptualization of professional relationships that emphasizes not only the emotional bond between a professional and their client, but also their…

With the rapid increase in the number of universities in Turkey, the number of graduates in the field of foreign languages has increased considerably as in every field. Following this, it has become difficult to find employment opportunities at civil service, and individuals have started to search for jobs in different fields. Therefore, there is…

The 1999 "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" defines validity as the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of test scores entailed by proposed uses of tests. Although quite explicit, there are ways in which this definition lacks precision, consistency, and clarity. The history of validity has taught us…

Formula scoring (FS) is the use of a don't know option (DKO) with subtraction of points for wrong answers. Its effect on construct validity and reliability of progress test scores, is subject of discussion. Choosing a DKO may not only be affected by knowledge level, but also by risk taking tendency, and may thus introduce construct-irrelevant…

This article introduces a new construct coined as Computer User Learning Aptitude (CULA). To establish construct validity, CULA is embedded in a nomological network that extends the technology acceptance model (TAM). Specifically, CULA is posited to affect perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, the two underlying TAM constructs.…

Identity is a critical developmental task during the transition to adulthood in Western societies. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate an empirically based, cluster-analytic identity status model, to examine whether all four of Marcia's identity statuses (diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement) would emerge empirically,…

The development of the Survey of Knowledge of Internet Risk and Internet Behavior is described. A total of 1,366 Grades 7 and 8 male and female students from an urban, suburban, and rural school offered agree-disagree responses to 26 statements defining one Knowledge Scale and five behavior dimensions. Literature-based support is presented for…

Student perceptions of school climate represent the ways students feel about the school environment. These include perceptions regarding safety, teaching and learning, and relationships within the school. It has been found that student perceptions of school climate are positively correlated with academic achievement (Brookover et al., 1978), and…

Background: Cigarette smoking is a health-risk behavior of global proportions. Self-efficacy plays an important role in both smoking acquisition and smoking resistance. Reliability and validity of an instrument is fundamental to research results, particularly in its simplified form on a different population. The purpose of this study was to…

The validity of the Italian version of the 28-items Resilience Scale for Adolescents (READ) was examined. A sample of 472 senior high school students between 18 and 20 years of age were used for this purpose. Reliability and validity were investigated by means of Cronbach's alpha, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. The…

This study assessed the construct validity of two different measurement models of male partners' perpetration of physical violence, sexual violence, psychological abuse, and stalking against intimate partners. Data were obtained from a sample of 340 men arrested for physical assault of a female spouse or partner and court ordered into batterer…

This study continues previous work documenting the structure of violence perpetrated by males against their female intimate partners. It assesses the construct validity of a measurement model depicting associations among eight subtypes of perpetration: moderate physical violence, severe physical violence, forced or coerced sexual violence, sexual…

In order to ascertain which school characteristics can explain the differences in effectiveness between schools, important methodological choices have to be made in school effectiveness research. One of these choices relates to the criterion or criteria the researcher wishes to use to compare schools. Should, for example, a school be deemed…