The authors center their presentation of material around a conceptual understanding of psychometric issues, such as validity and reliability, and on purpose rather than procedure, the "why" rather than the "how to." Their goal is to introduce psychometric principles at a level that is deeper and more focused than found in introductory…

The perfunctory use of factor scores in conjunction with regression analysis is inappropriate for many purposes. It is suggested that factoring methods are most suitable for independent variable sets when some consideration has been given to the nature of the domain, which is implied by the predictors. (Author/BW)

A "doubly-centered" raw data matrix is one for which both columns and rows have both unit variance and means equal to zero. The factor scores from one analysis are the same as factor pattern coefficients from the other analysis except for a variance adjustment. This study explored an extension of the reciprocity principle which may have…

Mathematical and statistical relationships between factor analysis and smallest space analysis are discussed. As spatial analysis of correlation matrices, factor analysis is a special case of smallest space analysis. The two differ in six ways: Shepard diagram, dimensionality, correction for communality, similarity coefficients, regions versus…

Presents an approach (designed for beginners) to using PROC CALIS, a Statistical Analysis System (SAS) procedure, to perform path analyses using observed variables. The approach begins with the development of a figure to illustrate the researcher's theoretical model, and then converts the figure into a PROC CALIS program. (SLD)

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…

Whenever one uses ordinary least squares regression, one is making an implicit assumption that all of the independent variables have been measured without error. Such an assumption is obviously unrealistic for most social data. One approach for estimating such regression models is to measure implied coefficients between latent variables for which…

Cliff's Index "c" derived from an item dominance matrix is utilized in a clustering approach, termed extracting Reliable Guttman Orders (ERGO), to isolate Guttman-type item hierarchies. A comparison of factor analysis to the ERGO is made on social distance data involving multiple ethnic groups. (Author/BW)

This tutorial is intended to introduce factor and cluster analysis at a level that will afford the senior student or the practicing chemist some insights into the workings of the computer packages employing these methods, without being overwhelming with mathematical detail or process. Included are basic terms and working examples. (CW)

The purpose of this paper is to help higher education institutions determine how well their institutional effectiveness models match the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Institutions of Higher Education Criterion Four requirements. The paper describes each of the major requirements as a domain in a matrix with…

Basic principles that should be followed by anyone developing a scale are reviewed, with emphasis on verbally mediated measures. The essential first step is a clear conceptualization of the target construct. Item development and ensuring unidimensionality follow. Factor analysis can be crucial in establishing unidimensionality and discriminant…

In 1976, the Shasta County Schools management staff devised a system to identify the factors of responsibility in management positions and to assign position titles and salaries on this basis. Factors were identified in the areas of program management, budget, and personnel supervision and weighted to rank staff positions. (SJL)

Several methods of assessing test item bias are described, and the concept of fair use of tests is examined. A test item is biased if individuals of equal ability have different probabilities of attaining the item correct. The following seven general procedures used to examine test items for bias are summarized and discussed: (1) analysis of…

This article suggests the use of structural equation modeling in special education research, to analyze multivariate data from both nonexperimental and experimental research. It combines a structural model linking latent variables and a measurement model linking observed variables with latent variables. (Author/DB)

This paper comments on the impact of computers on statistical analysis and presents a concise, nontechnical overview of five statistical methods now being applied in educational research. Appropriate uses of these techniques are pointed out, along with dangers concerning misapplications. (PP)