Goal orientation research has developed two branches. One branch uses a two-factor dispositional model. The other branch uses a three-factor domain-specific model. The present multiwave study examines dispositional goal orientation constructs through both two and three-factor models using repeated-measure confirmatory factor analysis. Results…

The use of standards-based classroom assessments to test English learners' language proficiency is increasingly prevalent in the United States and many other countries. In a large urban school district in California, for example, a classroom assessment is used to make high-stakes decisions about English learners' progress from one level to the…

The multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) design of D. T. Campbell and D. W. Fiske (1959) is the most widely used paradigm for testing construct validity, but it continues to be plagued by problems associated with definition of terms, operationalizations of their guidelines, and analytic procedures used to test them. Using five diverse MTMM data sets,…

Presents results from two studies that investigate the measurement of childhood depression through self-report and reports from others. Results were discussed in terms of the need to consider self-report in the discussion of depression with its covert components and in terms of the need for improved measurement instruments. (BH)

Knowledge mapping is expected to measure deep conceptual understanding and allow students to characterize relationships among concepts in a domain visually. This research examined the validity of knowledge mapping as an assessment tool in science. The approach to investigating this validity was three-pronged. First, a model was outlined for the…

This study reports a multitrait-multimethod analysis of evidence relating to the validity of reporting on subdomains in science from national tests at age 14 in England and Wales in 1993. Data support the policy decision to report only a single test level. A multitrait-multiform analysis is also described. (Author/SLD)

Examined convergent and discriminant validity of various self-efficacy measures across two studies, one involving 358 U.S. high school students and another involving 235 Korean female high school students. Across the studies the first-order confirmatory factor analyses provide support for both convergent validity of different self-efficacy…

Four studies evaluate the new Self Description Questionnaire II short-form (SDQII-S) that measures 11 dimensions of adolescent self-concept based on responses to 51 of the original 102 SDQII items and demonstrate new statistical strategies to operationalize guidelines for short-form evaluation proposed by G. T. Smith, D. M. McCarthy, and K. G.…

Fifty years ago, L. J. Cronbach and P. E. Meehl (1955) advocated for the concept of construct validity, noting that psychologists study hypothetical, inferred entities and that validating measures of such entities involves basic theory testing. Three important developments in clinical assessment following that seminal article are noteworthy.…

This study used trait activation theory as a theoretical framework to conduct a large-scale test of the interactionist explanation of the convergent and discriminant validity findings obtained in assessment centers. Trait activation theory specifies the conditions in which cross-situationally consistent and inconsistent candidate performances are…

Counseling psychologists often work with clients to increase their well-being as well as to decrease their distress. One important aspect of well-being, highlighted particularly in humanistic theories of the counseling process, is perceived meaning in life. However, poor measurement has hampered research on meaning in life. In 3 studies, evidence…

In this study, the consistency of on-task data collected across raters using either a Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC) or systematic direct observation was examined to begin to understand the decision reliability of using DBRCs to monitor student behavior. Results suggested very similar conclusions might be drawn when visually examining data…

This study describes a multi-method approach to evaluating a gerontological social work curriculum enrichment initiative funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation. The project involved all required first year core courses in the BA and MSW curricula. Data were collected from students at three geographically dispersed academic centers of a School…

This research is the first part of a 2-year cognitive-behavioral-ecological (CB-E) social skills training for high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). Current study examined efficacy of an individual CB-E intervention in facilitating children's dyadic interactions (immediately after treatment and 4 months later) and their…

The construct validity of responses to the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS) was evaluated in two sets of analyses. First, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and an analysis of variance model adapted from multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) research, were used to examine the internal structure of the TSCS responses. Second, MTMM analyses…