THE WELSH FIGURE PREFERENCE TEST (WFPT) CONSISTS OF 400 BLACK AND WHITE LINE DRAWINGS. THE EXAMINEE INDICATED WHETHER HE LIKES OR DISLIKES EACH DRAWING. THIS NON-LANGUAGE, OBJECTIVE METHOD OF ASSESSING PERSONALITY REVEALS TWO MAJOR FACTORS--(1) THE TENDENCY TO LIKE OR DISLIKE FIGURES, AND (2) THE TENDENCY TO PREFER SIMPLE, SYMMETRICAL FIGURES.…

The experiment described here was designed to find out which of two methods of testing--blank-filling and translation--gave the more accurate guide to linguistic ability. Two tests were devised to elicit identical correct answers using different means (blank-filling and translation). They were administered to two different classes of Guinean lycee…

Contrary to popular belief, and in accordance with research over a long period of time, changed answers to objective test items tend to be correct. (MJB)

Reviews the Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary Students (SAGES) noting that, unlike most instruments currently used to identify children who may qualify for gifted education programs, this test was designed specifically for that purpose. Notes a secondary purpose of the test is to reduce bias in the testing of gifted children. (NH)

A model of examinee behavior was used to generate hypotheses about the operation of true-false scores. Confirmation of hypotheses supported the contention that true-false scores contain an error component that makes these tests less reliable than multiple-choice tests. Examinee response style may invalidate a total true-false score. (Author/DWH)

Measurement is a necessary component for research in psychology and education. Researchers use various tests as tools to measure a given construct, making it necessary to have tests that assess a given construct accurately. There are specific principles necessary to follow when constructing a test. This paper discusses the principles for…

A true-false test was administered to a sample of first grade pupils in order to investigate tendency toward acquiescence or dissent in responding to such items. Results indicate that there is a tendency toward acquiescence in some pupils and towards dissent in others. Implications are discussed. (JKS)

Undergraduate metals technology students (n=52) took a multiple-choice test, 49 a matching test, and 47 no test. All took an unannounced delayed retention test 3 weeks later. Initial testing aided retention, with no differences between matching and multiple-choice groups. The matching group had a small but significant score increase on new…

Investigates meaningful assessment to give teachers information on students' understanding of mathematical ideas and how their understanding changes over time. Presents examples collected from a teacher-made quiz, the Advanced Placement calculus test, and the SAT-I Mathematics test. Illustrates both the inherent subjectivity of these methods and…

Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz in standard true-false format was completed by 180 sociology students, a revised multiple-choice version by 195 students. The multiple-choice test decreased guessing, had greater internal consistency and reliability, tended to have higher discriminatory power, and identified more specifically misconceptions about…

This article describes pedagogic issues in setting objective tests in mechanics using Question Mark Perception, coupled with MathML mathematics mark-up and the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) syntax for producing diagrams. The content of the questions (for a range of question types such as multi-choice, numerical input and variants such as…

While today's curriculum is largely driven by standards, many teachers find the lack of specificity in the standards to be confounding and even intimidating. Now this practical book provides middle and high school teachers with explicit guidance on designing specific objectives and developing appropriate formative and summative assessments to…

In studies of function transformation, participants initially are taught to match stimuli in the presence of a contextual cue, X; the stimuli to be matched bear some formal relation to each other, for example, a relation of opposition or difference. In a second phase, the participants are taught to match arbitrary stimuli (say, A and B) in the…