Eighty at-risk infants were administered the Mental and Motor Scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 6 and 12 months of age. Test-retest reliability scores of .71 on the Mental Scale and .69 on the Motor Scale were obtained. (Author/JDD)

Kinnealey reports on a study comparing tactile functions of 30 learning-disabled and 30 normal eight-year-olds as measured by the Southern California Sensory Integration Tests and the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery. Reliability and validity of the two measures were examined. Results showed a significant difference between the tactile…

Examined whether Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) could discriminate between learning disabled and normal preadolescents. Tested 43 learning disabled (LD) students and 20 students without learning disabilities. Results indicated that the Achievement score relative to the Mental Processing Composite score was the only measure to…

Employed triangulation strategy for assessing family interaction, involving family members, therapist, and coders independently viewing videotapes. Found weak agreement between paired assessments within family triad, and within therapist-coder dyad. Findings suggest that methodological and/or scaling strategies designed to maximize agreement may…

Studies conducted to investigate the psychometric qualities of the Health Support Index suggest that the index is internally consistent, stable and, potentially useful in identifying those individuals who do or do not have adequate support from their social environment to make successful changes in health-related behavior. (CB)

A study with 10 developmentally delayed children between the ages of 52 and 80 months found that test-retest samples resulted in greater variability for lexical and morphological measurements than split-half transcripts. It was also found that 50-utterance sample segments contained 70-80 percent of the lexical information found in 100-utterance…

Uses hierarchical cluster analysis to develop a typology of verbal aggression as experienced by undergraduate students. Reveals three broad domains of attack: group membership, personal failings, and relational failings. Demonstrates reliability, predictive validity, and content validity for the typology. Reveals that aggressive messages can be…

A conceptual model of quality of life, developed at the Centre for Health Promotion at the University of Toronto (Canada), and associated instrumentation for collecting data from persons with developmental disabilities are presented. Results from a preliminary study with 41 participants support the reliability and validity of the model's…

Describes a study at the University of Leiden (Netherlands) that investigated whether students with different learning styles used different study strategies in a hypertext reading environment, the role of strategy regulation in strategy use, the consistency of strategy use over two different reading tasks, and use of the Inventory of Learning…

Empirical studies involving 875 adolescents and adults were conducted to develop and validate the Quick Discrimination Index (QDI), a 30-item, Likert-type self-report inventory that measures attitudes toward racial diversity and women's equality. The test was found to be internally consistent and stable and to have promising validity. (SLD)

Examined reliability and validity of binge eating disorder (BED), proposed for inclusion in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), fourth edition. Interrater reliability of BED diagnosis compared favorably with that of most diagnoses in DSM revised third edition. Study comparing obese individuals with and without BED and…

This paper reviews the psychometric properties, treatment utility, and conceptual basis of instruments used to identify the functions of aberrant behaviors in people with developmental disabilities. Instruments include the Motivational Assessment Scale, Motivation Analysis Rating Scale, Functional Analysis Interview Form, and Functional Analysis…

This study describes the development of the Active Treatment Client Rights checklist (ATCR), which was designed to facilitate the assessment, monitoring, and implementation of readily observable client active treatment services for adults with developmental disabilities. The ATCR was found to be highly reliable, valid, and useful in enhancing…

The reliability of the growth rate parameter estimate of Willet for a linear growth model is derived and examined critically. The effects on the reliability of the growth rate of intervals between longitudinal measurements and the covariances between longitudinal measurements are distinguished. (SLD)

Three types of methodological issues particularly salient in research involving the assessment of substance use or abuse are discussed with strategies for avoiding problems: (1) the reliability and validity of methods; (2) the variability and episodic course of substance use; and (3) the heterogeneity of individuals with substance use disorders.…