A series of six papers and an introduction which present the results and tentative analyses of studies investigating such constructs as self-esteem, perceptions of control, and competence are included in this document. These papers are: (1) "Multiple Dimensions of Locus of Control and Their Relationship To Standardized Achievement Scores in Fifth…

A Q-sort technique was used to determine whether there were appreciable differences between views of appropriate kindergarten programming held by professional organizations, kindergarten teachers, and elementary school administrators. A set of 52 cards with statements regarding kindergarten program components was developed from position statements…

A study involving teachers and administrators from 16 elementary, middle, and high schools in Tennessee investigated the factorial structure of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS). The SDLRS includes 58 Likert-like items designed to measure the readiness of adult learners to assume self-direction in the learning process. Study…

Factor analyses of student evaluations of teaching effectiveness were conducted for 24,158 courses at the University of Southern California and for each of 21 different subgroups derived from the total group. All classes evaluated by six or more students were included in the study. The subgroups were designed to differ in terms of instructor level…

Research has revealed relationships among a wide range of substance use behaviors, including smoking, alcohol use, and drug use. To investigate whether a substance use factor emerges when different indicators of substance use, different samples, and three health related issues, (i.e., meal regularity, exercise and hours of sleep) are examined, the…

Previous factor studies of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) have not analyzed the item data as a function of sex, or reported more than one factor solution. To further study the factor structure of the BDI, items were factor analyzed and multiple solutions were examined for simple structure, parsimony, and psychological meaningfulness. A sample…

Development of the College Descriptive Index (CDI; Form C) is reported. The CDI is an adjective check list that measures eight dimensions of students' satisfaction with college. The instrument was completed by 601 students at four colleges providing information on satisfaction in each of the eight areas. Scoring procedures and a copy of the…

As part of a longitudinal study of the predictors of preschool-aged children's peer relationships, data were collected on the social behavior of 1-year-olds. Participating in the study were 48 mother-child dyads. Individual and comparison data were gathered through observation and videotape recordings in laboratory dyadic play sessions involving…

Through the use of a model combining constructs proposed by Zigler and Trickett (1978) and Schaefer (1978), the structure of social competence in preschool children was investigated. Measures chosen for inclusion in the assessment battery and specific variables related to each measure were the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Revised…

Cognitive style research is hindered by a variety of poorly described measures and style classifications and the use of small samples. This study described and compared three group measures of impulsivity/reflectivity, internal/external locus of control; and field dependence/independence to determine the distribution characteristics, psychometric…

This study was undertaken to determine the factor analytic structure of patient management problems (PMPs) and to determine whether such factors are stable for different groups taking the same examination and for the same group over time. PMPs attempt to simulate, in written form, the process that a physician goes through in managing a patient.…

The purposes of this study were (1) to determine the factor structure of the Teacher Temperament Questionnaire (TTQ); and (2) to use this questionnaire as an instrument to determine if the factor structure of the TTQ corresponded to the New York Longitudinal Study (NYLS) temperament qualities. The TTQ, consisting of 64 behavioral items, measures…

The current stage in an on-going research program of student learning is summarized. With two more years to run, provisional research provides the beginnings of a model of student learning which is neither static nor mechanistic. Recent research has placed emphasis on describing how students learn and how learning is affected by the academic…

The question of whether test factor structure is indicative of the test item hierarchy was examined. Data from 1,000 subjects on two sets of five bivalued Law School Admission Test items, which were analyzed with latent trait methods of Bock and Lieberman and of Christoffersson in Psychometrika, were analyzed with an ordering-theoretic method to…

Most responses to educational and psychological test items may be represented in binary form. However, such dichotomously scored items present special problems when an analysis of correlational interrelationships among the items is attempted. Two general methods of analyzing binary data are proposed by Horst to partial out the effects of…