A mastery test is frequently described as follows: an examinee responds to n dichotomously scored test items. Depending upon the examinee's observed (number correct) score, a mastery decision is made and the examinee is advanced to the next level of instruction. Otherwise, a nonmastery decision is made and the examinee is given remedial work. This…

Before empirically based theories of loneliness can be formulated, it may be necessary to probe people's feelings, explanations, and reactions in a relatively unstructured way. Toward this end, three multiple response items relating to these issues were included in an 84-item questionnaire, published in the Spring of 1978 in several northeastern…

Whenever one uses ordinary least squares regression, one is making an implicit assumption that all of the independent variables have been measured without error. Such an assumption is obviously unrealistic for most social data. One approach for estimating such regression models is to measure implied coefficients between latent variables for which…

Factor analysis can be a valuable tool for assessing validity; however, the reliabilities of identified factors must be attended to. This study examined the impacts of item variance on factor stability and structure. The attempt was to determine empirically whether unnumbered graphic scales scored using a larger number of scale steps produce more…

The advantages of the Delphi Technique are that it relies on collective expert judgment, prevents the excessive influence in decision-making of those in positions of status, and encourages consensus. The technique consists of five steps: (1) asking experts to list items relevant to a topic; (2) returning the list to the participants and asking…

The purpose of this paper is to describe the composite caregiver and child behavior variables used in the analysis of the data collected in the National Day Care Home Study: a three-year survey of day care homes in the United States. First, most frequently occurring behaviors are indicated. Then, the factor analyses of patterns of behaviors which…

The ways in which people described their own interpersonal relationships were examined along the universally acknowledged relational dimensions control and affiliation. A total of 216 undergraduate communication students wrote about one of three types of relationships they had: best liked friend of the opposite sex, (60), best liked friend of the…

A FACTOR ANALYSIS OF 28 INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ALL CANADIAN AND AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGES (N-100) WAS UNDERTAKEN TO DEVELOP A DESCRIPTIVE PROFILE OF MEDICAL COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTS. THE 28 VARIABLES INCLUDED TYPE CHARACTERISTICS, ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS, STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS, AND A MISCELLANEOUS CHARACTERISTICS CATEGORY. PRODUCT MOMENT…

THIS EXPERIMENTAL STUDY EXAMINED THE HYPOTHESES THAT FILM MOTION INCREASES AUDIENCE EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENT, INCREASES POSITIVE ATTITUDE RESPONSE TO THE FILM AND DOES NOT AFFECT AUDIENCE INFORMATION RETENTION. OTHER HYPOTHESES WERE THAT THE GALVANIC SKIN RESPONSE (GSR) IS USEFUL FOR EVALUATING FILM AUDIENCE EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENT, THAT AUDIENCE…

The McDaniel Dating Questionnaire purports to measure four variables: reason for dating, orientation, commitment and behavior. A factor analysis of data collected from a sample of 34 single adults raised questions about the validity of this instrument. It was concluded that the questionnaire does not adequately distinguish among the variables.…

A brief discussion of theories of general intelligence precedes a report of relevant empirical data. Results from the factor analysis of more than 20 sets of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) data indicate that the WAIS clearly is not a one-factor scale. It does not measure a single, general intelligence. Roughly 17 percent of the reliable…

While sex-role identification and conflict have been cited as factors in alcoholism, only a few studies have used the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) to measure the feminine, masculine, and androgynous traits of alcoholics. One such study was replicated by having subjects rate both their real and ideal selves. A randomized factorial analysis used…

Fifty-two subjects participated in a study of attitudes toward typographic treatment in print advertising. Twenty variations of a basic ad layout, based on nine typographic variables (five for display type and four for body copy), were developed to reflect current trends in fashionable/conservative advertising typography. The subjects sorted the…

The report covers preparatory work for a further two-year study of student affiliation and drop-out at a four-year urban commuter college, Portland State College. The principal task was the development and testing of a series of scales measuring various aspects of student affiliation. After preliminary testing, scale test items were administered…

Forty-eight first and second graders were taught an algorithm for solving concept-attainment problems. Using a 2 x 2 factorial design, a comparison was made of the effects of (a) reverse versus forward sequencing of instruction and (b) elicited verbalization of the algorithm versus nonverbal practice. Reverse groups outperformed forward groups on…