This reply to William A. Mehrens argues that test validity is the central issue in discussing the appropriate role of tests. It states that the procedures used to establish the validity of tests are inadequate because they depend primarily on content validity and not on construct and criterion validity. (JAZ)

This article describes the evolution of Raymond B. Cattell's data box (covariation chart), a synoptic conception of psychological data, from its introduction in 1946. Analytical techniques and related methodologies developed from this model by Cattell and other psychological researchers are discussed. (BS)

The many methodological contributions of Raymond B. Cattell to multivariate analysis are discussed in terms of contemporary issues in structural equation modeling. His factor analytic approach is compared with current modeling practices. A critical evaluation finds much of Cattell's work still innovative, technically advanced, and valuable to…

Raymond B. Cattell's research has produced many conceptual, methodological, measurement, and data analysis tools for identifying and studying interindividual differences and similarities in intraindividual change patterns. Additional Cattell contributions to lifespan developmental research include personality and ability concepts and their…

Research on the potential effects of different item arrangement schemes on item statistics is reviewed for three separate periods. Earliest studies investigated the simple main effect of item order on test performance. The late 1960s emphasized interactions between item order and examinees' characteristics. Current concern focuses on item…

Whether "psychometric" and "Piagetian" kinds of intelligence are similar is a question of whether they have similar courses of development with age. When using factor analysis to address this issue, age effects must be eliminated in order to assess relations among measured constructs. Reanalyses of previous results were…

This study examined the influence of processing strategies, and the metacomponents that determine when to apply them, on the construct validity of a verbal reasoning test. A rule-oriented strategy, an association strategy, and a partial rule strategy were examined. All three strategies contributed to individual differences in verbal reasoning.…

Cognitive theories of problem solving and cognitive psychologists' suggestions for teaching problem solving are reviewed. Theories and suggestions from creativity research are also considered. How high proficiency levels in problem solving are acquired and how best to teach problem-solving skills (for both well- and ill-structured problems) are…

Collaborative problem-solving skills are considered necessary skills for success in today's world of work and school. Cooperative learning refers to learning environments in which small groups of people work together to achieve a common goal, and problem solving is defined as "cognitive processing directed at achieving a common goal when no…

Post-secondary classes are usually followed by mandatory summative evaluations, yet changes in teaching and course structure cannot be made with summative evaluations. Formative evaluations in online education can result in candid responses from students if a third-party facilitator is involved in the process. This paper presents a method for…

This report documents the design, construction, and psychometric characteristics of the assessment instruments used in the spring 2004 data collection of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998?99 (ECLS-K). The ECLS-K is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.The ECLS-K…

The Perceptions Of School Culture (POSC) instrument was designed to measure the perceptions of a school staff regarding various dimensions of school culture contained in a hypothesized model of school cultural change. Specifically, this model posits that the development of a high-performance learning culture is influenced by school vision and…

This study attempted to develop psychometric properties of the Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale (SOCCS), an instrument used to assess the awareness, skills, and knowledge of counselors working with the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) population. A sample of 287 undergraduates, master-level and doctoral-level students, and counseling…

This paper describes major concepts related to item analysis for criterion-referenced tests including validity, reliability, item difficulty, and item discrimination, particularly in relation to criterion-referenced tests. The paper discussed how these concepts can be used to revise and improve items and listed suggestions regarding general…

Measures of normal variations in personality, called "psychological type," are frequently used in education (e.g., to identify learning styles) and counseling (e.g., in career counseling). However, the most frequently used measure of types has been criticized on various psychometric grounds. The present study investigated the…