Seventy-five subjects (Naval F-14 and E-2C crew members) were administered computer-based and paper-based tests of threat-parameter knowledge represented as a semantic network in order to determine the relative reliabilities and validities of these two assessment modes. Estimates of internal consistencies, equivalences, and discriminant validities…

The one-parameter psychometric model known as the Rasch model is described and examined. The basic principles underlying the model and the concepts of unidimensionality, local stochastic independence, and additivity are explained in non-mathematical terms. The requirements of measurement procedures, the measurement of latent traits, the control on…

High rates of learner attrition from courses continue to plague distance education institutions. As educational researchers continue to examine the attrition/completion issue, many measurement problems emerge. Focusing on Athabasca University, Alberta, this paper, part of a series produced by Project REDEAL (Research and Evaluation of Distance…

In England, a 40-item test of a child's ability to draw the ground floor layout of his or her home was developed. Findings of initial analyses indicated that subjects' drawings improved between the ages of 6 and 12 years. In order to test the cross-cultural validity of the standardization of the test and to see if the order of concept development…

The Computerized Adaptive Screening Test (CAST) was developed to provide an estimate at recruiting stations of prospects' Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) scores. The CAST was designed to replace the paper-and-pencil Enlistment Screening Test (EST). The initial validation study of CAST indicated that CAST predicts AFQT at least as accurately…

Because touching is an important and often studied construct, and there is need for a valid self-report measure of touching behavior, a measure of touching behaviors was developed. Touching behaviors to be reported were: brief touch on the arm or shoulder, handshake, hug, hand holding, kiss on the cheek, and kiss on the lips. Persons identified as…

An endless debate in social science research focuses on whether or not there is a philosophical basis for justifying the application of scientific methods to social inquiry. A review of the philosophies of various scholars in the field indicates that there is no single procedure for arriving at a valid statement in a scientific inquiry. Natural…

The purpose of this review is to determine the scientific status of the proposition that viewing television in general or viewing "Sesame Street" in particular affects children's attentional skills, abilities, or behaviors. It has been frequently claimed that television viewing negatively affects children's attentional abilities. The…

Teacher certification issues are considered from the perspective of blacks in the profession. It is argued that teacher certification tests mandated by states threaten to reduce significantly the number of new minority teachers and seriously harm the historically black institutions of higher education that train teachers. The development of…

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between scores on the multiple-choice General Educational Development (GED) Writing Skills test and scores on holistically graded essays. Secondary purposes included the following: (1) examining the relationship of essay scores to scores on the multiple-choice GED Reading Skills…

A debate has been carried on in Dutch educational circles about the widespread use of multiple-choice tests, and a number of objections have been raised against the use of such tests. This paper reports on research into the validity of the objections, in particular with respect to the possible effect of multiple-choice tests on the teaching of…

Barbara Jordan served as the hearing officer for three-day adversary evaluation hearings about the pros and cons of minimum competency testing (MCT). This report is the complete transcript of the second day of proceedings. The pro team, lead by James Popham, began by presenting representatives of four states (Florida, California, Texas, and…

A study was designed to test predictability of actual occupation from expressed vocational choice when combined separately with measures of career development. Subjects were 1,994 members of a national study of high school career development who were working more than half-time three years later (1976). Expressed vocational choice and measures of…

Because of reliability and validity problems in teacher- and parent-rated early childhood questionnaires, the Preschool Temperament Inventory (PTI) was developed to help teachers assess and appreciate individual differences of children prior to first grade. The PTI uses teacher ratings on eight temperament categories, including activity level,…

The United States Employment Service (USES) Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) for Semiconductor Occupations is evaluated from three points of view: (1) technical adequacy of the research, (2) fairness to minorities, and (3) usefulness of the battery to United States Employment Service staff and employers in selecting individuals for training…