Few studies have examined the psychometric properties of the test-related items from the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ). Using a sample of 955 university students, we examined the factor structure of 12 emotion items measuring test-related anger, boredom, enjoyment, and pride. Results indicated the four emotions were distinct, allowing…

Research investigating methods to influence examinee motivation during low-stakes assessment of student learning outcomes has involved manipulating test session instructions. The impact of instructions is often evaluated using a popular self-report measure of test-taking motivation. However, the impact of these manipulations on the psychometric…

Traditional methods of assessing construct stability are reviewed and longitudinal mean and covariance structures (LMACS) analysis, a modern approach, is didactically illustrated using psychological entitlement data. Measurement invariance and latent variable stability results are interpreted, emphasizing substantive implications for educators and…

The Hong Psychological Reactance Scale (HPRS) purports to measure reactance: a motivational state experienced when a behavioral freedom is threatened with elimination. To date, five studies have examined the psychometric properties of the HPRS, but reached different conclusions regarding its factor structure. The current study further investigated…

The current study examined whether psychological reactance differs across compliant and non-compliant examinees. Given the lack of consensus regarding the factor structure and scoring of the Hong Psychological Reactance Scale (HPRS), its factor structure was evaluated and subsequently tested for measurement invariance (configural, metric, and…

In the United States, government mandates for educational accountability have prompted an increase in testing in K-12 and higher education settings, resulting in a generation of millennial students who have undergone repeated assessment over the course of their educational careers. The cumulative effects of testing may range from increasingly…

Self-Determination Theory specifies the existence of three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The current set of studies (a) provides a narrative review of past research on the Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale, (b) examines its dimensionality which has been assumed but not empirically studied, and (c)…

The purpose of this study was to gather validity evidence for the University Mattering Scale. Theoretically based factor structures were tested, resulting in the four-factor conceptualization of mattering being championed. As predicted, university mattering related positively to academic motivational and relatedness constructs and negatively to…

This study examined the psychometric properties of scores from the University Attachment Scale, a measure that operationalizes group and member attachment as two separate dimensions of attachment to a university. A two-factor model was championed over a one-factor model providing evidence of a distinction between university attachment and member…

This study evaluates the psychometric properties of a measure of mattering to other people. A confirmatory factor analysis supported a four-factor model. In addition, mattering was positively related to measures of well-being and negatively related to measures of worry. The four factors related differently to these variables, providing additional…

The Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBD) scale includes the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (4th ed.) criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder. This study examined only the ADHD items of the DBD scale. This scale is frequently used for assessing parent-…

The effects of gathering test scores under low-stakes conditions has been a prominent domain of research in the assessment and testing literature. One important area within this larger domain concerns the implications of a test being low-stakes on test evaluation and development. The current study examined one variable, the testing context, that…

The current study gathered internal structural validity and external criterion validity evidence for the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire (ECR-R) scores. Specifically, confirmatory factor analysis of the data provided general support for the hypothesized two-factor model, and hypothesized relationships with external…

The current research explored the theory of social goal orientation. More specifically, we conducted three studies utilizing six-independent university student samples to evaluate the construct validity of the Social Achievement Goal Orientation Scale (SAGOS; Ryan & Hopkins, 2003), a measure representing the construct of social goal orientation.…

The psychometric properties of the Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ), when modified for a general academic context, were examined. Previous research has found evidence of a four-factor structure of achievement goal orientation when this measure was used in a course-specific context. This study is an important addition to goal orientation…