Conducted an empirical study of communications in a mother-child context, studied cognitive, emotional, and metacommunicational responses to "subtle inconsistencies" and consistencies in communication in this context. Found subtle inconsistency to be more stressful, complex, and evocative of responses showing lack of metacommunication, than…

Three methods of transforming unordered categorical response variables are described: (1) analysis using dummy variables; (2) eigenanalysis of frequency patterns scaled relative to within-groups variance; (3) categorical variables analyzed separately with scale values generated so that the grouping variable and the categorical variable are…

Factor analysis of the Bell Object Relations Inventory items produced four subscales interpreted to be underlying dimensions of object relations. The implications of the subscales, and the potential of the instrument for empirical examination of theoretical assumptions about the object relations ego function and its components, are discussed.…

The authors explain how they measured reliability of the Florida Vocational Assessment Performance Tests. They used the Index of Dependability, developed by Brennan and Kane, and selected a variety of cut-off scores to ascertain reliability of the measures at different levels. (CH)

Discusses the conditions for validating customary phylogenetic procedures. Concludes that the requisites of homogeneity and completeness for proved short lineages seem satisfied by the Hennigian but not the Haeckelian procedure. The epistemological antinomy of the two procedures is emphasized for the first time. (Author/RH)

The use of U-statistics based on rank correlation coefficients in estimating the strength of concordance among a group of rankers is examined for cases where the null hypothesis of random rankings is not tenable. (Author/BW)

A study was conducted to continue the assessment of the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), to assess the value of the Hidden Figures Test (HFT), and to assess the usefulness of the two instruments used in combination as tools for predicting student success and early identification of students who may need special assistance in engineering…

Describes the applicability of the Facts on Aging Quiz in the Canadian context, and provides documentation for quiz items. Potential problems of misinterpretation of items relating to the rate of institutionalization and income levels are noted. The usefulness of the quiz in identifying differences in knowledge levels is confirmed. (Author/CT)

Using a sample of 98 alcoholics, studied intercorrelations between control-over-drinking ratings made in 10 follow-ups covering the first 18 months after treatment. Control among treated alcoholics was generally inconsistent and only marginally predictable. Recidivism increased up to 9th-month follow-up, then it stablized and seemed to decline…

Because it is possible to distort the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP) scores, the ATDP should not be used as a screening device unless it is used in conjunction with other attitude measures. It might be used as a measure of a person's knowledge of what constitutes "positive" attitudes toward disabled persons in our…

The results of a content analysis of the mail survey methodologies used in three studies of diverse higher education topics are reported. Each study used Dillman's Total Design Method procedures and obtained a high rate of return. (MLW)

Concludes that the Bieger Test is thorough in the diagnosis of visual discrimination deficits. (FL)

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Educational and Industrial Testing Service Concept Assessment Kit-Conservation (EITS Kit). Presented are an overview of the concept of conservation, a description of the EITS Kit, and results of the study. (MT)

Presents an integrative definition of the therapeutic alliance that conceptualizes individual, couple and family therapy as occurring within the same systemic framework. The implications of this concept for therapy reserach are examined. Three new systematically oriented scales to measure the alliance are presented along with some preliminary data…

Participants (N=12) met individually with a counselor for 20 minutes each. The interviews were videotaped. Participants rated two types of recalled affect at the times of occurrence of each of six counselor nonverbal gestures. Results support moderate reliability for videotape-assisted recall ratings of recalled affect. (BH)