Advances have been made in testing optometrists' clinical skills, particularly with the use of simulation techniques. Further research into these techniques will probably receive the most attention, although a shift in research emphasis from correlational studies of test validity and reliability to test development studies is needed. (MSE)

Many researchers, wishing to generalize to large numbers, have turned away from Piaget's measurement techniques to group paper-and-pencil tests. The psychometric properties of these tests and their statistical links with other constructs are examined, along with the relationship between the observed products of mental effort and their underlying…

Assessed and compared the interpretive accuracy of the standard Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and two MMPI short forms with a sample of geriatric psychiatric inpatients. Psychiatric teams evaluated the accuracy of the interpretation. Standard form interpretations were rated significantly greater than the interpretations…

Examined one instrument devised to classify respondents for research purposes into high and low marital or dyadic adjustment groups. Data indicated that, while the overall scale performs the task reliably, the majority of its 32 items are unnecessary. Factor analysis revealed that there was one underlying "adjustment" dimension. (Author)

Compared the test scores of high and low anxious subjects when the Wechsler Adult Intelligence scale was administered by a trained examiner or mechanically. Findings indicated that performance was influenced by test administration procedures. There was a trend to score higher on the test given by an examiner. (Author/JAC)

The question of how to integrate developmental (Piagetian) and psychometric conceptions and assessments of intelligence is considered. A solution which incorporates the contributions of each position--intelligence as forms and as traits--is offered. Premises and objectives of each tradition are reviewed and compared. Overlaps make synthesis…

The health locus of control scale was used to compare mastectomy patients who received counseling to patients not receiving counseling. Posttreatment group means in the locus of control were accounted for by changes on the fate subscale. Validity of this scale for populations characterized by different health problems is discussed. (Author)

Critiques the Jackson Vocational Interest Survey. Found the randomized technique of matching statements into forced-choice item pairs is a major flaw in the instrument. Explores conceptual issues arising when item clustering is used with forced-choice statement matching. Introduces contingency validity in item construction. (R)

Investigated concurrent validity of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) with Native American primary-grade children. Significantly low General Cognitive Index indicates that the MSCA with Native American children is not recommended for psychodiagnostic purposes. However, perceptual-performance and motor scales may provide useful…

The adaptive behaviors measured by Part I of the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS) showed relatively large associations with IQ. In contrast, Part II domains, which deal primarily with conduct disorders, showed low to negligible associations with IQ. (Author)

Describes the development and validation of a 40-item Sexist Attitudes toward Women Scale (SATWS) which has high internal consistency reliability for both college students and nonstudent adults and the SATW scale scores are independent of social desirability scores. (Author)

Provides a brief synopsis of the utility of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) short forms with psychiatric, medical and normal samples. Strengths and limitations of each MMPI short form are discussed. (Author)

Two independent dimensions emerged as underlying participants' ratings of psychotherapy sessions, a depth/value dimension, and a smoothness/ease dimension. Clients and therapists showed moderately high agreement in how they described sessions on these two dimensions, indicating that both reacted in part to objectively observable features of the…

The Guttman scale is discussed from the viewpoint of errors in response patterns. The errors are assumed to be distributed as a binomial. A double-barreled significance test is suggested having two probabilities: high probability and low probability. (Author)

Fundamental problems within the field of educational psychology include: changes in traditional psychological concepts of intelligence and psychometrics, conflicts in the type of research undertaken, quality of instruction, an overall tendency toward a lack of confidence among educational psychologists, and a narrow perception of their field. (BH)