Given some consensus that statistical significance tests are broken, misused, or at least have somewhat limited utility, the focus of discussion within the field ought to move beyond additional bashing of statistical significance tests, and toward more constructive suggestions for improved practice. Five suggestions for improved practice are…

Multivariate normality is required for some statistical tests. This paper explores the implications of violating the assumption of multivariate normality and illustrates a graphical procedure for evaluating multivariate normality. The logic for using the multivariate bootstrap is presented. The multivariate bootstrap can be used when distribution…

Reviews practices regarding tests of statistical significance and policies of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Decades of misuse of statistical significance testing are described, and revised editorial policies to improve practice are highlighted. Correct interpretation of statistical tests, interpretation of effect sizes, and…

Editorial practices revolving around tests of statistical significance are explored. The logic of statistical significance testing is presented in an accessible manner--many people who use statistical tests might not place such a premium on them if they knew what the tests really do, and what they do not do. The etiology of decades of misuse of…

Argues that describing results as "significant" rather than "statistically significant" is confusing to the very people most apt to misinterpret this telegraphic wording. The importance of reporting the effect size and the value of both internal and external replicability analyses are stressed. (SLD)

This study was conducted to investigate the construct validity of scores on the Personal Preferences Self-Description Questionnaire (PPSDQ), a measure of Jungian types. Confirmatory factor analysis methods were used to investigate the structures underlying PPSDQ responses of 641 university students. The model fit statistics were generally…

This study was conducted to evaluate whether the adjectival self-description checklist may provide a viable method of quickly obtaining initial personality type information. The Personal Preferences Self-Description Questionnaire (PPDSQ) was administered to more than 420 college students, and data were analyzed using classical reliability analysis…

Comments on discussions of statistical significance testing in this special issue, placing the articles in the context of contemporary research literature. Empirical evidence is cited that suggests that the American Psychological Association's policy of encouraging effect size reporting has had no appreciable effect on the research literature.…

This study evaluated the reliability and construct validity of scores from the "Children's Role Inventory" (A. Potter and D. Williams, 1991). The measure specifies four roles fulfilled by children: Hero, Lost Child, Mascot, and Scapegoat. Theory and some research also suggest that adults continue to interact based on role assignments…

The mission of the "Journal of Counseling and Development" (JCD) includes the attempt to serve as a "scholarly record of the counseling profession" and as part of the "conscience of the profession." This responsibility requires the willingness to engage in self-study. This study investigated two aspects of research…

The Personal Preferences Self-Description Questionnaire (PPSDQ) (B. Thompson) was developed to measure personal preferences with regard to Jungian psychological types. Instruments in this area are among the most popular measures used in education and psychology; the measures are used in matching teaching and learning styles, in individual…

Attachment styles have been shown to be enduring and influential, and studies of attachment phenomena require scores that are reliable and valid. The present study investigated the psychometric integrity of scores on the Adult Attachment Scale using data from 283 college students. This instrument is an 18-item Likert scale that is an expansion of…

Making a career choice can be one of the most important decisions in a person's life. Instruments recently developed for use in career counseling have placed an increased emphasis on evaluating career-related beliefs. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of "Career Beliefs Inventory" scores in…

The research literature provides important guidance to counselors working to keep abreast of the latest thinking regarding best practices and recently developed counseling tools. The purpose of this digest is to highlight a few errors that seem to recur within the literature, and to provide some helpful references that further explore these…

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the most frequently used measures of personality. MBTI Form G and a self-descriptive adjectival checklist, the "Personal Preferences Self-Description Questionnaire" (PPSDQ), were administered to 191 college students. The four dimensions of personality measured by the MBTI are:…