In an attempt to assess a person's orientation toward death, a self-administered form of the Threat Index (TI) was introduced and compared to the original interview form along dimensions of validity, reliability, internal consistency, and independence from social desirability response sets. Results supported theoretical and psychometric soundness…

Two estimation procedures for the Rasch Model of test analysis are reviewed in detail, particularly with respect to new developments that make the more statistically rigorous conditional maximum likelihood estimation practical for use with longish tests. (Author/JKS)

Two major and two minor principles are shown to serve to generate a large number of multivariate models, including canonical analysis, factor analysis, and latent trait test theory. The statistical underpinnings of the theory are discussed. (Author/JKS)

Presents an analysis of existing norm-referenced measures of social and emotional competence and disability for young children birth-to-5 to determine whether these indices satisfy technical and conceptual requirements. It concludes that informal clinical opinion should be used to supplement norm-referenced measures in this area. (DB)

A study involving 221 individuals with mild intellectual disabilities examined the psychometric properties of the Lifestress Inventory (LI). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that three underlying factors corresponding to General Worry, Negative Interpersonal Relations, and Coping were sufficient to account for the correlations among the…

To analyze smoking behavior among students, used cross-sectional data from a multiethnic cohort of 5th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students (N=368) so as to examine the psychometric properties of two Transtheoretical Model of Change scales. Findings support the concurrent validity of the scales. (RJM)

Eleven leadership measures for children, youth, and adults are reviewed in the context of current leadership theories and psychometric standards for test use. Measures for assessing leadership among children are considered inadequately normed and lacking in reliability and validity data, but leadership measures for adults are seen as more…

An examination of the Experiential Learning Theory of D. Kolb (1974) and a revision of the Learning Style Questionnaire of P. Honey and A. Mumford (1992) using results from 185 middle managers from the United Kingdom and Ireland suggests that no 1 measure can represent all of Kolb's constructs, although Kolb's theoretical structure does emerge.…

This Swedish study sought to evaluate a touch-screen computer-based (CB) test administration system in a hospital setting in comparison with paper-and-pencil administrative routine. Patients were given psychometric tests (involving depression, mood, and intelligence measurement) in both formats. Patient pleasantness, activation, and calmness were…

An assessment instrument to measure the professional behavior of occupational therapy students (n=317) in clinical placements was validated through factor and item analyses that demonstrated internal consistency, interrater reliability, and discriminant validity. (Contains 22 references.) (JOW)

Two studies evaluated the PDD Behavior Inventory, (PDDBI), a rating scale designed to assess adaptive and maladaptive behaviors of children having a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). It was concluded that the PDDBI is both reliable and valid and is useful in providing information not typically available in most instruments used to assess…

A framework for studying individual variation in tactile map reading is offered and a set of research guidelines suggested. It is argued that the reading process may be viewed as a many-leveled set of skills viewed from an information processing rather than a psychometric perspective. Individual variations are studied and classified. (Author/PB)

Social perceptual skill deficit theory was used to explain low peer acceptance of 30 children with learning disabilities (LD) as well as measure the quality of tests measuring social perception. Results showed LD children getting both lower peer acceptance and social perception scores with some variations a function of task. (Author/PB)

Responds to Lustig's (1987) critique of Bales and Cohen's (1979) interpersonal rating forms. Results are reported from a test of the Bales and Cohen rating forms administered to 145 subjects from a variety of organizations, and revisions are proposed based on methodological and theoretical considerations. (TE)

Some examinees' test-taking behavior may be so idiosyncratic that their test scores are not comparable to those of more typical examinees. A new theoretical approach to appropriateness measurement is proposed that specifies a likelihood ratio test and an efficient computer algorithm for computing the test statistic. (TJH)