Background: Professor-student rapport is associated with various important student success outcomes, highlighting the need for a good measure of this construct. Objective: The current study attempted to replicate the components of the Professor-Student Rapport Scale (PSRS) reported in Wilson and Ryan (2013). Method: 760 undergraduate students…

The current set of three studies further evaluates the validity and application of the Psychological Research Inventory of Concepts (PRIC). In Study 1, we administered the PRIC to a sample of introductory psychology students and online (Mechanical Turk) participants along with measures assessing theoretically related concepts. We found evidence of…

Psychology-specific epistemological beliefs (EBs) are believed to influence students' approach to and performance in psychology courses. However, empirical research on this topic is limited due in part to a lack of well-validated instruments measuring this construct. The primary objective of this research was to develop and validate the…

This study further examined the reliability and validity of the Learning Alliance Inventory (LAI), a self-report measure designed to assess the working alliance between a student and a teacher. The LAI was found to have good internal consistency and test--retest reliability, and it demonstrated the predicted convergence with measures of immediacy…

The scoring instrument described in this article is based on a deconstruction of the seven sections of an American Psychological Association (APA)-style empirical research report into a set of learning outcomes divided into content-, expression-, and format-related categories. A double-weighting scheme used to score the report yields a final grade…

Reports an investigation of the applicability of social validation procedures to student ratings of college teaching. Results indicated a significant correlation between a conventional measure of teaching effectiveness and the socially valid criterion instrument constructed entirely from students' ideas. (Author/JDH)

We describe a simple classroom activity that demonstrated the process of assessing predictive validity. We assessed changes in student understanding of the process, confidence in psychological testing, and enjoyment in participating in the exercise. Students who completed the activity performed better on a test question about validity and reported…

The authors surveyed graduate programs to see how they use the Graduate Record Examination Analytic Writing (GRE-AW) Test. Only 35% of the graduate programs that responded use the GRE-AW test in their admission policy; of the programs not using it, most do not plan to do so. The programs using the GRE-AW rated it as medium or low in importance in…

College students in an introductory psychology course constructed a personality test. They were then asked to administer the test to two students not enrolled in the course and to bring responses to class the following week, at which time they analyzed and discussed the results. (RM)

Presents a class activity, in which students take two tests, that requires minimal preparation and encourages discussion on important aspects of testing, such as testing bias. Describes the procedure. Includes the two tests and the answers. (CMK)

Evaluates the use of discrimination indexes (or item-total correlation) for examining the reliability of examinations. States this technique has drawbacks and may cause examination validity to be lower. Discusses the idea of discrimination power and why poor students may answer an item correctly. (CMK)