Compared scores of university students on a new videotaped measure of interpersonal distance (IPD) with their scores on four other IPD measures on which psychometric data have been published. The videotaped measure was superior to other techniques as it overcame methodological problems while remaining reliable, valid, and practical. (Author)

Presents and discusses a variety of psychometric information pertaining to the American Association of Mental Deficiency (AAMD) Adaptive Behavior Scale. Presents reliability and validity data. Delineates the technical characteristics of the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale. (Author/RC)

Tested delinquent adolescents aged 10-16 to determine characteristics of depressive symptomatology. On the three measures the delinquent adolescent sample showed evidence of reduced self-esteem, depressive symptomatology, and characteristically external locus of control orientation. Discusses implications for identification and remediation using…

Developed, on the basis of responses from 608 undergraduate students to the 33-item Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, three short forms of the scale. Comparisons made between the short forms examined in this investigation suggest the 13-item form as a viable substitute for the regular 33-item Marlowe-Crowne scale. (Author)

This paper traces the course of the consequences of viewing test responses as simply providing dichotomous data concerning ordinal relations. It begins by proposing that the score matrix is best considered to be items-plus-persons by items-plus-persons, and recording the wrongs as well as the rights. (Author/CTM)

Described studies directed toward development and validation of a self-report measure of social competence in dating and assertion situations. An 18-item questionnaire was derived which discriminated between client and normal populations and between clients with dating and assertion problems. It measured differential improvement following…

Self-report data were examined to identify personality-attitudinal items that correlated with polydrug use. Analysis showed that 20 items, when treated as a scale, were reliable, diagnostically accurate, and applicable to either sex. This is an initial step in development of scale for indirect measurement of use of psychotropics. (Author/BEF)

Psychometric properties of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale were examined. Evidence supported the theoretical notion of an individual difference variable in arousal-seeking. Other evidence, however, suggested that measurement problems continue to hamper research: the total score was moderately reliable, but the subscales were only marginally…

A suicide potential scale is constructed that fits the Guttman scale criteria. The mean suicide potential scores of various age groups support the cohort model with the exception of individuals 75 and older, where it appears that maturation factors play an important role in explaining suicidal behavior. (Author)

Describes the development of a multidimensional attitude instrument, the aging opinion survey. Attitudes toward the aging of peers or known persons, toward personal aspects of aging, and toward the eldelry as general-other groups are factorially separable, and should be distinguished in attitude surveys. (Author)

For some situations the beta-binomial distribution might be used to describe the marginal distribution of test scores for a particular population of examinees. Several different methods of approximating the maximum likelihood estimate were investigated, and it was found that the Newton-Raphson method should be used when it yields admissable…

An empirical investigation of the psychometric properties of Bieri's grid form of Kelly's Role Construct Repertory Test was designed. Preliminary norm tables for scores were established which would be necessary in building arguments for external validity of research results. (Author/JKS)

A latent trait measurement model in which ordered response categories are both parameterized and scored with successive integers is investigated and applied to a summated rating or Likert questionnaire. This is a practical procedure for measuring attitudes. (Author/MH)

A problem of considerable importance in certain educational settings is determining how many items to include on a mastery test. Applying ranking and selection procedures, a solution is given which includes as a special case all existing single-stage, non-Bayesian solutions based on a strong true-score model. (Author/JKS)

Investigates two evaluative hypotheses related to test item sequence and the performance of the students who take the tests. (SA)