Finds that the two-factor solution of the Argumentativeness Scale and the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale was a reasonable overall fit to samples of both U.S. and Japanese college students; orthogonality of the two constructs (argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness) held for both samples; and the two scales had satisfactory construct validity for…

To investigate the validity of anesthesiologist certification, 146 anesthesiology program directors were asked whether they would permit each of their graduating residents to complete 3 increasingly complex anesthetic regimens to the directors themselves and rate residents on specific skills. Director responses generally correspond to…

Discusses flaws that undermine the validity and generalizability of S. Neuman and P. Koskinen's "Captioned Television as Comprehensible Input: Effects of Incidental Word Learning from Context for Language Minority Students," published in an earlier issue of this journal. (RS)

Responds to criticisms raised in another article in this issue concerning a study of incidental word learning among second-language learners viewing captioned television. Suggests that the criticisms fail to "see the forest for the trees." Responds to specific methodological criticisms. (RS)

Offers information on the sexual abuse of children and its prevention. Describes a study to validate an instrument to assess children's acquisition of knowledge about personal security and the prevention of sexual abuse as presented in the Child Abuse Research and Education (CARE) program in Montreal, Quebec. Confirms the validity of the program…

Four students (ages 9-17) with autism and severe mental retardation were shown cards with fill-in or short-answer questions or blank cards and responded using facilitated communication. Although 95% of the responses were correct when the facilitator knew which item was presented, only 19% were correct when the facilitator was unaware of the…

Conducted national consumer survey of preschool psychologists (n=185) regarding treatment and social validity of early intelligence tests for preschoolers with developmental deficits (n=7,223). Results demonstrated that early intelligence tests failed to be acceptable tools 43% of time and failed to document eligibility of over 3,000 young…

Although Western research has identified principal leadership as a necessary condition for school improvement, little is known about how principals provide instructional leadership in developing countries. This problem was addressed by translating and administering the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) to 10 secondary…

Validity of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) intersubtest scatter as an indicator of cognitive impairment due to brain dysfunction was studied with 316 brain-damaged men. When compared with the WAIS-R standardization sample, intersubtest scatter was not greater for normal persons of similar intelligence quotient. (SLD)

The Survey of Teenage Readiness and Neurodevelopmental Status (STRANDS), which includes a questionnaire and structured interview designed to assist in assessing learning problems in high school students, was administered to 54 older adolescents either normally achieving or with learning disabilities. Results provided preliminary support for the…

Demonstrated adequate reliability (internal consistency, alternate form) and validity (concurrent, convergent, and discriminant) of state version of Set 1 and Set 2 of Depression Adjective Checklists with two adolescent samples (total n=602). Lists were shown to be sufficiently sensitive for use in measuring short-term mood. Grade and sex effects…

This paper examines the evidence on whether facilitated communication (FC) enables people with disabilities to demonstrate unexpected skills, considering the efficacy of FC (including both objective and descriptive evidence), other research questions, theoretical issues, ethics, and acrimony. It concludes that the benefits of the practice have not…

Poor performance of medical students, residents, and faculty on a newly developed Inventory of Cognitive Biases in Medicine, suggests that cognitive biases detract from reliance on logical and statistical strategies in medical decision making. The test shows promise for use in instructional and research efforts to reduce such bias. (Author/MSE)

The Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanic Youth is a modification of an existing acculturation scale for Hispanic adults. Initial normative data as well as internal consistency and split-half reliabilities are provided. Exploratory factor analysis on scores of 141 Hispanic youth, grades 5-8, resulted in factors labeled Extrafamilial Language Use,…

Criteria to guide classroom assessment practice are determine the extent to which assessment practices are based on tasks and activities that are representative of instructional intention and translate into specific information collection, interpretation, evaluation, and reporting procedures; address the accuracy of the assessment; and consider…