Describes four measures of test unreliability that quantify effects of question selection and guessing, both separately and together--three chosen for immediacy and one for greater mathematical elegance. Quantifies their dependence on test length and number of answer options per question. Concludes that many multiple choice tests are unreliable…

It is argued that interrater agreement is a psychometric property which is theoretically different from classic reliability. Formulas are presented to illustrate a set of algebraically equivalent rater agreement indices that are intended to provide educational and psychological researchers with a practical way to establish a measure of rater…

Discusses issues in conceptualizing and measuring counselors' theoretical orientations to practice. Evaluates 15 instruments previously proposed as measures of counselors' and therapists' theoretical orientations, and examines psychometric properties and the utility of each instrument. Few instruments show evidence of reliability and even fewer…

Provides a thorough psychometric evaluation of the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale. Provides a summary of the initial construction and development of the scale, followed by a comprehensive review of the results from various investigations on its reliability and validity. Concludes with ideas for additional research. (JPS)

Data on 11 samples of 1,012 toddlers used to construct and validate the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (TBAQ) revealed that the component of negative affectivity (anger proneness and fearfulness) were independent, and item analysis suggested that shyness and other fears were independent as well. (MDM)

Comparison of 2 interviews, with either a male or female interviewer, of 56 women who reported a history of sexual abuse found approximately one-third of the incidents were reported in only 1 interview, with gender of interviewer making little apparent difference. Contrary to expectation, subjects appeared to be more forthcoming at the first…

The calculations of D. Schretlen, R. H. B. Benedict, and J. H. Bobholz for the reliabilities of a short form of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Revised (WAIS-R) (1994) consistently overestimated the values. More accurate values are provided for the WAIS--R and a seven-subtest short form. (SLD)

The importance of discipline consistency in elementary school students (n=18) is examined by varying the probability of punishment and the nature of the discipline agent's response to manipulated transgressions. Discusses the importance of conceptualizing discipline consistency as a multivariate construct, and variables and parameters that…

Reviews the rationale for and implications of case study research in therapeutic recreation, examining: what can be learned from studying a single case; issues of validity and reliability; ethical conduct of research; and the practice of case study research (case protocol, case selection, collecting data, analyzing and interpreting data, and…

Surveys 105 adolescent mothers at approximately two months postpartum, using the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAP), to assess the reliability and the value of using this measure. The results determined that reliabilities were low for the CAP abuse scale. It concludes that further research is needed to understand the psychometric properties of…

Reviews the results of four studies included in this issue of "School Psychology Quarterly" which found all four cognitive profile reports lacking reliability, validity, or diagnostic utility. Argues that ipsative methods are inferior to normative methods in cognitive assessment. Recommends that psychologists eschew the application of…

Discusses the development of the Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs-Preliminary 2 (MCSA-P2) Scale, an assessment tool to measure multicultural competence in a higher education context. Reports the results of two studies that investigated the validity and reliability of the MCSA-P2. Explores future research needs as well as applications…

States that the Internet is one of the most commonly used methods of obtaining information for today's students. Provides guidelines for using the Internet as a reliable source of credible and accurate information. Lists nine general guidelines for reliability of e-mail sources, and 11 for web sources. (CW)

Studied the interrater reliability of a portfolio assessment used in a small-scale program evaluation. Investigated analytic, combined analytic, and holistic family literacy portfolios from an Even Start program. Results show that at least three raters are needed to obtain acceptable levels of reliability for holistic and individual analytic…

Although assessment of nursing students' clinical performance is difficult, objections to grading may be based on erroneous assumptions. A combination of criterion- and norm-referenced assessment can clarify minimum competency requirements and reward meritorious performance. (SK)