Knowing relevant information about students entering the higher education (HE) system is becoming increasingly important, thus enabling higher education institutions (HEIs) to design effective studentcentred support programmes. Therefore, HEIs should ascertain all relevant information about their students before the commencement of the academic…

The range of response options has been shown to influence the answers given in self-report instruments that measure behaviors ranging from television viewing to sexual partners. The current research extends this line of inquiry to 36 quantitative items extracted from a biographical inventory used in personnel selection. A total of 92…

A United States Employment Service (USES) General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) plan was formulated to evaluate and develop additional job-related assessment methods. Eighteen alternative predictors were reviewed, from which biodata was selected for development. The literature indicates that biodata provides increased validity with little or no…

In April 1987, a pilot study was undertaken to develop an instrument designed to assess the effects of life events on undergraduate students' academic performance. Focus was on the design and construction of the instrument--the Life Events and Academic Performance Questionnaire (LEAPQ). Subjects were 75 male and 75 female undergraduates at a large…

The article traces the construction, validation, and revision of 24 biographical inventories resulting in the Form U Biographical Inventory, which yields four scores (academic performance, creativity, leadership, and artistic potential) to identify gifted and talented elementary and secondary students as defined by the U. S. Department of…

The Minnesota-Briggs History Record (M-B) is a self-administered history inventory. This monograph summarizes studies of the M-B and describes the development of seven scales based upon M-B items. (Authors)

The construction and validation of the Life Experience Inventory (LEI) for the identification of creative electrical engineers are described. Using the number of patents held or pending as a criterion measure, the LEI was found to have high concurrent validity. (JKS)

This study examined relationships among conformity to biographical item writing rules, rated stability, and obtained response stability. First and second administration data were collected and a stability index was obtained on 88 items using a college freshmen sample (N=106). One group of judges then educed rules to discriminate between the more…

The aim of this study was to construct and validate a biographical inventory to measure personality traits that are predictive of leadership. The experimental inventory, consisting of tentative scales for Dominance, Emotional Stability, Need for Achievement, Self-Confidence, and Sociability, was administered to 642 incoming midshipmen at the Naval…

Biographical inventory is a selection device used as an alternative or supplement to cognitive testing because this measurement method predicts aspects of job performance that are not predicted by cognitive measures. Some of the issues and concerns about using biographical inventories are discussed. The use of biographical inventories (biodata) is…

A five-year study was undertaken to develop criterion rating scales for predicting successful performance in graduate business study, as well as in later career progress. The scales embodied dimensions, other than grades, which were judged by a nationwide panel of faculty to be relevant to performance. The scales were defined and anchored by…

This report presents the current status of a series of studies oriented toward the assessment of perceived life quality. A conceptual model developed here proposes that a person's overall sense of quality of life is understandable in terms of a combination of affective responses (i.e. evaluations) of life "domains." Life domains are of two types:…

The National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS) critical data base contains 151 items (plus background information) from the base year and followup questionnaires; about thirty-seven percent of all items. This set of critical items consists of: (1) basic demographic variables; (2) items necessary for defining activity states…

One way for agencies to reduce fiscal stress is to minimize employee turnover. A project undertaken by San Bernardino County (California) to reduce employee turnover through the development, validation, and use of a non-traditional worker selection instrument (biographical inventory) is described. This project was aimed at the specific…

Two concerns led to the development of the screening test which is described: (1) the present 28% rate of attrition of Navy female first enlistees is too high; and (2) attrition is expected to increase when a high school diploma is no longer required for women to enter the Navy. Thus, a screening instrument was needed which could be used…