Understanding of the differential washback effects of high-stakes tests on students' learning remains limited. This study attempts to fill this research gap by investigating the differential washback effects of the National Matriculation English Test (NMET) in China on students' English learning process across genders, grades and English…

Proper survey design is essential to obtain reliable, replicable data from research subjects. One threat to inferences drawn from surveys is anchoring-and-adjusting. Tversky and Kahnemann (1974) observed that participants' responses to questions depended systematically on irrelevant information they received prior to answering. It is important for…

Distance Education has globally become one of the important solutions for increasing admission into the universities, decongesting campuses and efficient utilization of time and space. To ensure the sustainability of the programmes' noble objectives calls for periodic re-evaluation of its modus operandi including the assessment of the perception…

Examines the operationalization of marital quality indices used as dependent variables and the functioning and construction of marital quality variables. Presents both semantic and empirical criteria to judge the development of a marital quality index and a Quality Marriage Index (QMI) based on the introduced criteria. (Author/RC)

Four new experimental scales of motivation were constructed by applying a modified iterative factor analytic method to item responses of 346 subjects. The scales-tentatively identified as intrinsic motivation, self-enhancement, person orientation, and goal deficiency-should have special relevance to the educational and counseling objectives of the…

The special case of the Piagetian model is discussed in relation to test theory. Problems connected with the construction and analysis of a test based on Piaget and Inhelder's The Child's Construction of Quantities are presented, and related to a method of representing the item discrimination which is consonant with Piagetian theory. Loevinger and…

Speech specialists have developed a taxonomy of concepts and abilities related to verbal argument as used in ordinary discourse. This study represents one possible step in the validation of that taxonomy: an evaluation of the Wisconsin Tests of Testimony and Reasoning Assessment (WISTTRA) and the underlying abilities or dimensions measured by…

It is argued that the statements and accusations made by Stephen Jay Gould about the use of factor analysis are incorrect and unjustified and that tests properly designed for the purpose can adequately measure a "general" or "g" factor of intelligence, particularly in view of the developments in testing since "The…

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…

A series of behavioral expectation scale applications were analyzed in an attempt to point out an appropriate number of dimensions to be included in such studies. Results reflected the problems of dimension interdependence when the number of dimensions exceeds nine. (Author/JKS)

Occupational education has an impact on students in the form of economic returns to the individual and society through the development of technical skills. The Association of Vocational Education Administrators (AVEA) launched this study to test the hypothesis that vocational programs also have a positive impact on student's social, affective and…

An experimental study examined the possibility that proximity error could bias results from semantic differential questionnaires. Proximity error occurs when, due to the ordering, or polarity, of the differential scales, one answer on the semantic differential results in another answer to a subsequent question being substantially changed from what…

The history of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Factor Kits is summarized. The original ETS Factor Kit was developed in 1954 and contained 51 items, three each for each of 15 factors and six for a 16th factor. The next edition was developed in 1963 and included adaptations (clones) of the defining tests instead of the exact copies. These…

This conference focuses upon various aspects of testing within a society, and upon technical advances in measurement. Philip H. DuBois's paper deals with China, a society dominated by tests, from 1115 BC--1905 AD. Donald W. Fiske discusses the effect of testing on the individual in modern America in his paper, "The Subject Looks at…

Researchers and program evaluators would often like to use a particular instrument, but do not because it is too long or would require too much testing time. Having a validated set of objective procedures for reducing the size of an instrument could improve many research and evaluation efforts. This paper reports the results of test reduction or…