Provides information regarding the production and properties of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) data to facilitate the assessment of their appropriateness for research. Reports on assessments of validity and reliability, a factor analysis of characteristics, and possible sex bias. Cautions about using the DOT to study changes in…

Examined one instrument devised to classify respondents for research purposes into high and low marital or dyadic adjustment groups. Data indicated that, while the overall scale performs the task reliably, the majority of its 32 items are unnecessary. Factor analysis revealed that there was one underlying "adjustment" dimension. (Author)

The "factor" analyses published by Schultz, Kaye, and Hoyer (1980) confused component and factor analysis and led to unwarranted conclusions. The principal factors method yields two factors which support the a priori expectation of a difference between intelligence tasks and spontaneous flexibility tasks. (Author/RD)

A hierarchical factor solution was obtained from a psychometrized battery of Piagetian-type tasks individually administered to 660 kindergarten children. The first two levels of factors included Piagetian theoretical entities. A third level factor was identified as a g. The association of Piagetian tasks with academic achievement was through the g…

Lists six problems related to descriptive data and to factor analysis performed in a previous research study reported in this journal. Includes the authors' response to the suggested weaknesses of their study. (JN)

Assessed dimensions of adolescent career development using several well-established, objectively scored instruments. Attention was given to the correlations between measures of academic achievement and career development. Correlations among 19 scales administered to (N=237) 11th graders revealed three clusters of converging scale pairs, labeled…

Cliff's Index "c" derived from an item dominance matrix is utilized in a clustering approach, termed extracting Reliable Guttman Orders (ERGO), to isolate Guttman-type item hierarchies. A comparison of factor analysis to the ERGO is made on social distance data involving multiple ethnic groups. (Author/BW)

Determines the number of factors measured by the Peabody Institute Achievement Test (PIAT) subtests and the extent to which subtests measured the factors found. Results indicate only two factors: word recognition, and school-related knowledge. Use of PIAT as a separate test in a battery containing the WISC-R is supported. (Author/BEF)

Investigators are urged to plan factor analytic studies prior to collecting the data, to formulate a hypothesized factor structure, to develop several relatively pure measures of each factor expected, and to select an appropriate sample of at least 200 cases. Continuous variables should be used rather than dichotomous variables. (Author)

In a Monte Carlo simulation, a methodology was developed to investigate the existence of radex properties among objective test items. In an experiment with items covering four categories of Bloom's cognitive domain taxonomy, the items did not have the factorial properties of a radex with four levels of complexity. (Author/BW)

A factor analytic study of the demographic and behavioral characteristics of adult and juvenile male and female incarcerates suggests a number of consistent relationships contributory to incarceration and childhood experiences that predict difficulty in that period of life and in later adjustment. (Author)

Compares the efficacy of three categories of theoretical explanations that have been used to explain delinquent and deviant adolescent behavior. Available from the Northwestern University School of Law, 357 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611; sc $6.50. (Author/IRT)

Two forms of the Guess Who?, a peer assessment instrument, were administered to 1,095 mildly handicapped learners (ages 7 to 14) and 143 teachers. Factor scores for the student and teacher forms were intercorrelated in a multitrait-multimethod matrix, and the results established the convergent and discriminant validity of the instrument.…

The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) was subjected to factor analysis to determine the test's validity. Results suggest that clinical interpretation should be made cautiously until further exploration of the construct validity and sex differences in the MSCA can be conducted. (Author)

Study investigated whether instruments assessing the sociopsychological climate of classrooms were appropriate from the students' perspective. The Classroom Environment Scale was administered to 185 high school students. Results indicated that students' importance ratings of sociopsychological climate structures validated a three- dimensiona1…