A study investigated the effects that writing skills, sex, preparation, and knowledge of the composing process have on writing apprehension. Subjects were 42 male and 42 female high school seniors from rural or small city schools who were considered by their English teachers to be average or above average students. In addition to indicating sex…

To help with the curriculum development of college broadcasting programs, a survey was administered to 375 radio station managers in major, medium, and small midwest markets. Designed to establish the vocational needs of radio stations, determine and prioritize entry level broadcasting skills, and identify characteristics of success for long-term…

An experimental test battery consisting of several tests that measure aspects of artistic judgment was administered to over 1,600 clients of the Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation. The battery consisted of the Visual Aesthetic Sensitivity Test (VAST) of K. O. Gotz (1981); the Design Judgment Test (DJT) of M. Graves (1948); and two tests…

This digest highlights one tool that teachers use--standardized tests--from the parent's viewpoint. The discussion covers basic features of testing and suggests questions that a parent might ask his or her child's teacher concerning such tests. Standardized tests are usually objective tests sold by commercial publishers and designed to provide a…

A study was conducted to validate the Army's Computerized Adaptive Screening Test (CAST), using data from 2,240 applicants from 60 army recruiting stations across the nation. CAST is a computer-assisted adaptive test used to predict performance on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT). AFQT scores are computed by adding four subtest scores of…

Aptitude tests are defined in contrast to intelligence and achievement tests. Although aptitude tests, like intelligence tests, measure a student's overall performance across a broad range of mental capabilities, the former also often include items that measure more specialized abilities (such as verbal and numerical skills) that predict…

The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify traits describing gifted American Indian elementary school students. A large sample of characteristics was acquired from past or existing programs for gifted American Indian students, an investigative Q study, and relevant literature. The items were narrowed down to create a validation…

A new method for estimating the parameters of the normal ogive three-parameter model for multiple-choice test items--the normalized direct (NDIR) procedure--is examined. The procedure is compared to a more commonly used estimation procedure, Lord's LOGIST, using computer simulations. The NDIR procedure uses the normalized (mid-percentile)…

A study investigated the alternate forms reliability of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Forms 8, 9, 10, and 11. Usable data were obtained from 62,938 armed services applicants who took the ASVAB in January and February 1983. Results showed that the parallel forms reliability coefficients between ASVAB Form 8a and the…

Latent trait models are presented that can be used for test design in the context of a theory about the variables that underlie task performance. Examples of methods for decomposing and testing hypotheses about the theoretical variables in task performance are given. The methods can be used to determine the processing components that are involved…

Concern about the possible bias of using only verbal assessments for the identification of intellectually gifted students led to an examination of the effect of incorporating nonverbal assessments of intelligence into the identification process. Two nonverbal instruments (Progressive Matrices and Test of Nonverbal Intelligence) were used in…

This study examined the effects of two cognitive styles--field dependents-independents and reflectivity-impulsivity--on learning from microcomputer-based instruction. In the first of three experimental designs, a programmed instruction text on the human heart was used which contained both visual and verbal information in an instructional display,…

The bibliography contains 64 annotated references to journal articles and other sources of information about individual difference correlates of second language achievement. The journal articles appeared between 1984 and 1987. Where available, abstracts contained in the original articles are used; these are marked with asterisks. Entries are coded…

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if transfer students reduced the quality of 547 prospective teachers who were beginning their teacher training at Bowling Green State University (Ohio) during either the spring semester of the 1984-85 or during the fall semester of the 1985-86 academic years. Aptitude, basic academic skills, and…

A New Jersey study identified aptitude and personality traits of secondary male students who elected nontraditional career-related programs in vocational education. The sample of 182 eleventh- and twelfth-grade students included males enrolled in nontraditional subject areas, females from these same program areas, and males enrolled in traditional…