Newton's article (2010) makes three main contributions to the literature. First, it is transatlantic, bringing together literatures that have been dealing with similar problems, using sometimes different methods and certainly with distinctive educational, cultural perspectives. He points out that neither of these literatures has all of the…

All published empirical studies of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII), 1974 thru 1980, are reviewed. While only a few predictive validity studies have been completed, concurrent and construct validity studies are consistently supportive of the validity of the General Occupational Themes, Basic Interest Scales and Occupational Scales.…

The known interval scale, referred to as the 7.8 scale, has been criticized as an invalid measuring instrument in the form of an attitude scale. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate that this scale can produce spuriously inflated correlation coefficients, high reliability, and false significance on statistical tests. The case will be…

Fifteen female varsity softball coaches were administered the Sport Competition Anxiety Test prior to competition. Their heart rates, continuously monitored by tilemetry, did not relate significantly to the anxiety test data. The test does not appear to be a valid measure of trait anxiety for women softball coaches. (Author/PN)

A large amount of professional interest has been focused upon the ambiguities and problems involved in the conduct of professional licensing and certification through examinations. What seems to be a simple problem on the surface, that being the policing of professionals for competence and the practice of conducting this policing so that it offers…

Not only must personnel tests be validated in compliance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's guidelines, but a correlation must exist between test usage and the decision process involved in personnel selection, placement, and transfer. Journal available from: School of Business Administration, Georgia State Univ., Atlanta, Georgia…

Examines issues related to the measurement of potential learning problems of young children. Looks at the rationale for screening, the instability of behavior, the use of inappropriate measures; defines the "at-risk" population, and problems in prediction. Presents a method for calculating the predictive validity of a screening measure. (RJM)

Reviews the evaluation by the National Academy of Science (NAS) of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB), which was developed to predict the job performance of potential employees. Proposes that the NAS recommendation to correct the GATB's racial bias by "race-norming" was a political decision and not scientifically justified. (FMW)

Certain conditions are investigated as to whether they are necessary or sufficient to indicate the fairness of a test, or predictor, in its role in the college admissions procedure. Eight general positions are considered that have claimed to provide sufficient conditions for the unbiasedness of a standardized test or predictor: (1) equal test…

A new variant of the standard method for estimating the accuracy of educational tests is examined. It is found that the estimates produced by the new method are essentially unbiased and that the typical sizes of the errors of the estimates approach their theoretical lower limit as size increases, though they are still noticably above it for small…

This study determined the degree to which the Non-Language Test of Verbal Intelligence, developed to measure verbal ability through a nonlanguage medium, could measure verbal intelligence. Correlation with the Differential Aptitude Test-Verbal suggested the existence of some common, as well as some uncommon, factors between the two tests.…

Problems in validating ability tests for handicapped students and research approaches to predictive validity are discussed. Validity for handicapped persons tested under regular conditions; for applicants to special programs, and for tests taken under special administrative conditions are considered. Item analysis and the construction of new…

The cloze procedure, an established measure of reading achievement, requires language and reading skills not yet available to elementary school English-second-language pupils who are not literate in their vernacular. A modified cloze procedure, designed to overcome this problem, was found to correlate with traditional vocabulary and reading…

FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE TESTING OF MINORITY GROUP CHILDREN ARE PRESENTED. THE CONVENTIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF MENTAL TESTING ARE TOO OFTEN DEVELOPED FOR THE INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIAL WAYS OF MIDDLE-CLASS CHILDREN. AS A RESULT MINORITY GROUP CHILDREN ARE EXCLUDED FROM OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING BECAUSE OF "CULTURAL DEPRIVATION." THE GUIDE…

Discusses predictive and conceptual validity, reports on two experiments on each type of test validity with relation to language tests, and indicates some problems posed by these two forms of evaluation. (AM)