The development of a contextual classroom observation system is described. The system consists of an instrument, trained observers, data handling, and analysis. Thus, instrument development was necessarily paralleled by the development of training procedures, data recording and processing systems, programming, and analytic techniques. The…

Eighty undergraduates were administered four self-report locus of control inventories, in order to evaluate the convergent and discriminant validity of four categories common to these inventories: chance, fate, personal control, and powerful others. The four inventories were: (1) Internal, Powerful Others and Chance scales; (2) James Internal…

Ridge regression is presented as an analytic technique to be used when predictor variables in a multiple linear regression situation are highly correlated, a situation which may result in unstable regression coefficients and difficulties in interpretation. Ridge regression avoids the problem of selection of variables that may occur in stepwise…

The utility of multiple discriminant analysis in predicting career interests in six specialities of engineering--aeronautical, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineering--was studied. Freshman engineers at Purdue University were administered the Purdue Interest Questionnaire (PIQ). Multiple discriminant analysis was…

Psychometric evaluations of the assessment center method of personnel selection have consistently shown positive results. However, this approach ignores certain external parameters (e.g., selection ratio, cost of the procedure) which largely determine the overall utility of a selection device. Moreover, the psychometric evaluation approach ignores…

To compile a list of activities and achievements considered as creative by laymen, 239 graduate and undergraduate students named their three most creative accomplishments and activities in each of six areas: mathematics and science; music; fine arts; performing arts; literature; and miscellaneous. This resulted in a 198-item list, which was rated…

The predictive validity of the Slosson Intelligence Test, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test, Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration, and the Metropolitan Readiness Test was evaluated for use with kindergarten children. The criterion measure was the California Achievement Tests administered when the children…

The Parenting Stress Index (PSI) is a clinical and research self-report instrument designed to identify mother-child systems which are under stress and to indicate the sources of stress. It is based on the research literature in child development, parent functioning, and stress. The normative sample for the PSI consisted of 470 mothers with at…

Two different formats for multiple-choice test items were compared in an experimental test given in a college class in introductory psychology. In one format, a question or incomplete statement was followed by four answers or completions, only one of which was correct. In the other format, the double multiple-choice version, the same questions…

The purposes of this paper are to explore and present various opinions concerning the nature of functional literacy and the questions involved in assessing the extent to which one is or is not functionally literate, and to describe one instrument designed to measure functional literacy. The major sections of the paper provide information on the…

Because a critical issue in current assessment efforts is the widespread use of technically inadequate tests, the study examined tests chosen by 159 school professionals during a computer simulation of placement decision making about potentially handicapped students. Chi square analysis showed technically adequate devices were chosen…

The predictive validity of the new Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) was examined; the validity coefficients were compared to those obtained from previous versions of the MCAT and from performance data gathered early in a first-year basic science program. Data were collected from about 400 medical students, including: (1) MCAT…

Six monographs on the Rasch model are summarized. The first gives a historical perspective on the application of the Rasch model in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. The remaining papers summarize research on the Rasch model. The research in Monograph II lead to the conclusion that random samples are not needed to calibrate item levels in…

The impact of an occupational card sort, the Occu-Sort (O-S), on the thoughts and activities of rural, suburban, and urban junior/senior high school students was assessed to determine the sex bias/fairness of that card sort as a career interest inventory, as well as the reliability and validity of the occupational code structure. Participants were…

If research on personality is to be productive and progressive, it is necessary to make objectives explicit and to link abstractions with common experiences. Six levels of classification outline these objectives. Level 1 involves the characterization and classification of persons. Level 2 studies attributes. Level 3 is concerned with inferred…