Generalizability theory is described as a way to provide a unified framework for examining the dependability of measurements in the health sciences. Generalizability theory is appropriate whether the measurement is norm- or criterion-referenced, an individual or aggregate-level variable, and it is useful when there are single or multiple sources…

Reviews relevant aspects of generalizability theory related to performance assessments and discusses the role of various facets in assessing the generalizability of performance assessments. Also considers some popular estimates of reliability for performance assessments from the perspective of generalizability theory. (SLD)

Tested the reliability and validity of a structured admission interview to a public medical school residency program. Found that interrater agreement was good; moderate-to-low correlations between interview scores and other admission criteria suggested that the interview provided additional useful information and accounted for a substantial…

A literature review on the Career Development Inventory since 1979 found support for its sensitivity and specificity as a measure of readiness to make educational and vocational choices. Research is needed on its predictive validity. Revision should address increasing the reliability of the two cognitive scales. (63 references) (SK)

Characterizes the circumstances under which validity changes may occur as a result of the deletion of a predictor test segment. Equations show that, for a positive outcome, one should seek a relatively large correlation between the scores from the deleted segment and the remaining items, with a relatively low correlation between scores from the…

Using the responses of 115 adults attending an asthma educator training course, the Asthma General Knowledge Questionnaire for Adults (AGKQA) was found to be an acceptably valid and reliable measure for assessing knowledge related to the management of asthma by adults. (Author/MKA)

Reanalyzed data from the Self-Description Questionnaire II (SDQII) from an earlier study of 376 gifted students, and a new study of 837 gifted students to explore alternative approaches to missing data and data normalization. Results strongly support the construct validity of responses to the SDQII by gifted adolescents. (SLD)

Studied the reliability of a translation of the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire (OSIQ) (D. Offer and others, 1984) with 268 Finnish 13-year-olds, 83 of whom were tested a second time. Results support the reliability of the OSIQ for only four subscales. (SLD)

Compares and contrasts standards and techniques of qualitative and quantitative usability testing methodologies. Focuses on ways technical communicators can ensure rigorous tests in terms of the validity and reliability of findings, defining criteria of validity and reliability for both quantitative and qualitative methods. Presents a list of…

Studied the reliability of the Addiction Severity Index (1980) by using eight trained professional actors as client surrogates to examine the reliability of the instrument when administered in the field. With careful surrogate selection and training, the method proves to be an effective means of assessment. (SLD)

Reviewed the "Journal of Counseling Psychology,""Psychology & Aging," and "Professional Psychology: Research and Practice" for their practices regarding the reporting of reliability coefficients from 1990 to 1997. In two of the three journals, there was little change in reporting reliability coefficients during…

Measured vagal tone and heart period at 2 months and 5 years in children and their mothers to evaluate the development of vagal regulation at rest and during an environmental task. Found that children reached adult levels of baseline vagal tone by 5 years and did not differ from mothers in baseline-to-task change in vagal tone or heart period.…

A scale containing items rated by a Delphi panel of 11 nurse educators was administered to 201 nursing students. The questionnaire appears to be a valid and reliable measure of nursing students' self-directed learning readiness, overcoming some problems in the instrument developed by Guglielmino. (Contains 26 references.) (SK)

Structural invariance of self-rated satisfaction with life data was assessed using four data sets collected in earlier studies by using the Satisfaction With Life Scale. Three measurement models were compared to account for structural variability of the data. Strict structural invariance was rejected. Departure from the one-factor model was only…

The asymptotic standard deviation (SD) of the alpha coefficient with standardized variables is derived under normality. The research shows that the SD of the standardized alpha coefficient becomes smaller as the number of examinees and/or items increase. Furthermore, this research shows that the degree of the dependence of the SD on the number of…