Discusses the intellectual history supporting the use of educational testing and describes four current tensions in testing: (1) learning and change versus measurement models; (2) quality of information and policy use; (3) precision versus utility; and (4) individual attainment versus standardized attainment. (SLD)

Examines the reliability and validity of three measures of multicultural competency, the Multicultural Counseling Awareness Scale: Form B (MCAS), the Multicultural Awareness-Knowledge-and Skills Survey (MAKSS), and the Survey of Graduate Students' Experiences with Diversity (GSEDS). The findings generally support the psychometric soundness of…

This study used a psychometric approach to examine the relationships among religiosity, religious motivation, and creative thought about religious issues for two different religious groups--Mormons and non-Mormons from Christian denominations. Overall, the Mormon student group scored higher in religiosity and religious motivation, but lower in…

Studies evaluating temporal auditory processing among individuals with reading and other language deficits have yielded inconsistent findings due to methodological problems (Studdert-Kennedy & Mody, 1995) and sample differences. In the current study, seven auditory masking thresholds were measured in fifty-two 7- to 10-year-old children (26…

Purpose: Psychological well-being, an important indicator of successful aging, may be conceptualized quite differently across cultures. Using a mixed-methods approach, we developed a measure of psychological well-being based on the indigenous expertise of Thai elders. Design and Methods: Data were collected from older people in Thailand in four…

Lazraq and Cleroux (Psychometrika, 2002, 411-419) proposed a test for identifying the number of significant components in redundancy analysis. This test, however, is ill-conceived. A major problem is that it regards each redundancy component as if it were a single observed predictor variable, which cannot be justified except for the rare…

Both the speed and accuracy of responding are important measures of performance. A well-known interpretive difficulty is that participants may differ in their strategy, trading speed for accuracy, with no change in underlying competence. Another difficulty arises when participants respond slowly and inaccurately (rather than quickly but…

The transtheoretical model has been applied to many addictive disorders. In this study, psychometrics properties of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) scale were evaluated in 234 pathological gamblers initiating treatment. Four components were identified--reflective of precontemplation, contemplation, action, and maintenance…

Four equating methods (3PL true score equating, 3PL observed score equating, beta 4 true score equating, and beta 4 observed score equating) were compared using four equating criteria: first-order equity (FOE), second-order equity (SOE), conditional-mean-squared-error (CMSE) difference, and the equi-percentile equating property. True score…

In this article, we emphasize that the Rasch model is not only very useful for psychological test calibration but is also necessary if the number of solved items is to be used as an examinee's score. Simplified proof that the Rasch model implies specific objective parameter comparisons is given. Consequently, a model check per se is possible. For…

In psychometrics, it is often the case that one encounters data that may not be considered random but selected in a systematic way according to some explanatory variable. In this article, maximum likelihood estimation is considered when data are supposed to arise from a bivariate normal distribution that is truncated in an extreme way. Two methods…

We introduce a family of goodness-of-fit statistics for testing composite null hypotheses in multidimensional contingency tables. These statistics are quadratic forms in marginal residuals up to order "r." They are asymptotically chi-square under the null hypothesis when parameters are estimated using any asymptotically normal consistent…

Work teams sometimes include individuals with low levels of reading proficiency. Traditional team assessment instruments may not be suitable for use with such teams. A well-known teamwork instrument, the Team Excellence survey (LaFasto & Larson, 1987), was simplified to enhance readability. Fifty-two participants completed both the original and…

This is a reaction to Borsboom's (2006) discussion paper on the issue that psychology takes so little notice of the modern developments in psychometrics, in particular, latent variable methods. Contrary to Borsboom, it is argued that latent variables are summaries of interesting data properties, that construct validation should involve studying…

The accurate measurement of examinee test performance is critical to educational decision-making, and inaccurate measurement can lead to negative consequences for examinees. Person-fit statistics are important in a psychometric analysis for detecting examinees with aberrant response patterns that lead to inaccurate measurement. Unfortunately,…