Comparison of scores of 27 academically underachieving students and 27 students identified as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on the Freedom from Distractibility (FD) factor of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) suggested that the FD factor should not be used when assessing ADHD in children. (DB)

Reports on the conceptual development and empirical use of the Family Intrusiveness Scale (FIS), an instrument designed to reflect levels of intrusiveness in the family system. Development of the instrument is explained, its use and evidence of its reliability are explored, and its practicality and effectiveness are considered. (MKA)

A study of 233 individuals with severe mental retardation examined the validity of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) through correlation with the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). DASH-II as a whole was found to have a high degree of convergent validity with the ABC total score. (CR)

Describes the requirements that measures of reading literacy must meet to be comparable across nations and the conditions that affect the usefulness of international comparisons. As an illustration, a recent international comparative study by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) is described and its…

Four studies investigated reliability and validity of the Theory of Mind (TOM) test, an instrument for assessing theory-of-mind ability in typical children and children with pervasive developmental disorders. The TOM test was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring various aspects of theory of mind. (Author/CR)

The alternate-forms reliability of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) (A. Fisher, 1997), where alternate forms means different pairs of AMPS tasks, was studied with 91 people who had performed four AMPS tasks. Results support use of the AMPS activities of daily-living motor and process scales. (SLD)

Introduces the "Current Issues" section on validity concerns associated with student ratings. Articles address issues of conceptual structure, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and consequential validity regarding interpretation and use of ratings data. (MMU)

Describes the development and evaluation of the Choice Questionnaire, an instrument designed to measure the availability of choice to people with intellectual disability. The scale can be administered by interviewing the consumer or may be completed by a knowledgeable proxy. Very satisfactory reliability and validity have been determined.…

Sequential, standardized patient-based tests were given to medical students at the University of Maastricht (Netherlands); the first test was a screening test that evaluated the efficiency/validity of cutoff scores. Findings indicated that stringent pass/fail cutoff scores on the screening test produced optimal results. Fewer than 0.2 percent of…

Examined the validity of eight socioeconomic status measures as reported by adolescents and compared to information from their mothers. Found relatively high agreement between adolescents and mothers, supporting criterion validity. Found that most adolescent-reported measures varied systematically and in the expected direction with mothers' income…

Examines the reliability and validity of the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Junior (SIQ-JR) as an instrument for identifying and assessing current suicidal ideation in a sample of 91 children and adolescents. Psychometric results showed that the internal consistency reliability coefficient and the test-retest reliability coefficient of the SIQ-JR…

A study used the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY) to assess social skills in 200 Indian children with visual impairments. The factor structure for the resulting 50-item Hindi MESSY was highly comparable to four of the five original factors of the English version of the MESSY. (Contains references.) (CR)

Describes the development and validation of the Inventory of Attitudes Toward Sexist/Nonsexist Language (IASNL), which was based on a conceptual framework related to beliefs about language, recognition of sexist language, and willingness to use inclusive language. Results from four studies indicated that the IASNL was valid and reliable. Two short…

Tests the learning-loss scale experimentally to examine the relationship between students' reports of their own learning and their performance on a standard exam. Identifies a moderately strong validity coefficient between students' performance on a recall test and reports of how much they believed they learned during a lecture. (SR)

Examined how coaching affects the predictive validity and fairness of scholastic aptitude tests. A coached (n=271) and uncoached (n=95) group were compared. Comparison revealed that although coaching enhanced scores on the Israeli Psychometric Entrance Test by about 25% of a standard deviation, it did not create a prediction bias or affect…