The reliability and construct validity of scores on the Personal Preferences Self-Description Questionnaire (PPSDQ) (B. Thompson) were studied. Classical psychometric analysis of data from 641 participants (item and alpha analyses and both oblique and orthogonal exploratory factor analyses) indicate that the PPSDQ has reasonable properties. (SLD)

The extent to which interest profile level reflects response style is reported for 23 diverse samples (10 interest inventories; N=53,429). Validity data were used to determine whether profile level is relevant to career counseling. Response styles and level of interest results are discussed. Five suggestions for practice are presented. (Author/EMK)

Explores reasons why creativity has only recently gained credibility as a legitimate research field and provides an overview of various disciplinary approaches and methodologies currently in use that are relevant to teaching and learning. Highlights include psychometrics; contextual approaches; experimental approaches; biographical, or…

Reviewed clinical records and test data for 103 children ages 4 to 5 years old who had been tested with the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition. Children were tested for multidisciplinary evaluation of developmental problems. Results suggest need for caution in using area score differences or subtest strengths or weaknesses to…

The Adolescent Risk-Taking Instrument, which measures risk-taking and social adaptation behaviors, was completed by 167 high-risk adolescents. The instrument showed satisfactory internal consistency and could be useful as a screening device. (Contains 34 references.) (SK)

Love is a multidimensional construct that has proven difficult to define and challenging to measure. A variety of available instruments purport to measure aspects of love, nine of which are reviewed and discussed in this article. Researchers and practitioners are advised to study definitions of the love construct as well as psychometric properties…

Reliability and validity of scores from management seminars using a multirater feedback system were tested. Ratings of participants affected interrater reliability negatively, suggesting that formative and summative stages be held separately. (SK)

Studied sources of measurement error variance in the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) (Gibson and Dembo, 1984). Used reliability generalization to characterize the typical score reliability for the TES and potential sources of measurement error variance across 43 studies. Also examined related instruments for measurement integrity. (SLD)

Examines the factor structure of the Academic Motivation Scale with a United States student population. There was some support for a 7-factor structure. Evidence of construct validity examining the relationship with academic self concept and academic achievement is mixed. Discusses ethnic and gender differences in motivation. (Contains 37…

Objective: This article provides the results of the psychometric testing of the Brief Impairment Scale (BIS). The BIS is a 23-item instrument that evaluates three domains of functioning: interpersonal relations, school/work functioning, and self-care/self-fulfilment. It capitalizes on the strengths of existing global measures while addressing some…

The new correlated 8-factor measurement structure of the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 6-18 (CBCL/6-18; T. M. Achenbach & L. A. Rescorla, 2001) derived from an American sample was used as a benchmark to evaluate its generalizability to Turkish general population (N = 5, 195) and clinical (N = 963) samples. Item-level confirmatory factor…

There are two well-known methods for obtaining a guaranteed globally optimal solution to the problem of least-squares unidimensional scaling of a symmetric dissimilarity matrix: (a) dynamic programming, and (b) branch-and-bound. Dynamic programming is generally more efficient than branch-and-bound, but the former is limited to matrices with…

A necessary and sufficient condition is given in this paper for the existence and uniqueness of the maximum likelihood (the so-called joint maximum likelihood) estimate of the parameters of the Partial Credit Model. This condition is stated in terms of a structural property of the pattern of the data matrix that can be easily verified on the basis…

A cognitive item response theory model called the attribute hierarchy method (AHM) is introduced and illustrated. This method represents a variation of Tatsuoka's rule-space approach. The AHM is designed explicitly to link cognitive theory and psychometric practice to facilitate the development and analyses of educational and psychological tests.…

Multiple sense modalities can be stimulated conjointly by a physically complex item, such as a predator, and also by a physically solitary stimulus that acts on multiple receptor classes. As a prime example of this latter group, l-menthol from mint stimulates taste, smell, and several somatosensory submodalities. In 6 experiments that used a…