Assessed validity of the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) as criterion instruments. The cognitive triad of the PIC was minimally correlated with all intelligence quotient measures and significantly correlated only for reading and…

Eighty unimpaired adults took the iconic-symbolic (I-S) subtest of the Muma Assessment Program under traditional protocols and revised instructions like those used in classic studies of classification ability. Only 18 functioned at the symbolic level as defined by the protocols; revised instructions more frequently evoked the expected symbolic…

Notes the problem that comprehension questions that claim to assess students' skills in finding main ideas may in fact be measuring their knowledge of identifying the topic of a passage. (JC)

Reanalysis of data derived from a meta-analysis of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, using a learning disability index derived from a principal-components analysis, found that the test discriminated reliably between 9,372 learning-disabled children and their non-disabled peers. (Author/CB)

Reports on entry-level social workers and the effect of social work education and work experiences as factors on licensing examinations performance. Found that education and work experience had little impact on test scores. Raises some serious questions about the effectiveness of the examination and of its significance. (Author/ABB)

A new creativity test is described that is based on the percept-genetic theory, which presumes that percepts are built by ultra-short, mostly preconscious processes. The test uses a still-life with two main structures, which is shown in two series of presentations differing in length. Results of experiments using the test are described. (Author/KM)

Contends that the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) has some very serious defects. First, it does not test either the ability to speak or to write English. Second, it has strong cultural biases. Third, a relatively large number of right answers can be obtained by guesswork. (SED)

Studies of the reliability, normative data, construct validity, and concurrent validity of the Social Perception Behavior Rating Scale used with mildly learning-disabled, behavior-disordered, and nondisabled children indicated adequate reliability, marked differences in scores of handicapped and nonhandicapped children, and a logical pattern of…

Reports an investigation of the applicability of social validation procedures to student ratings of college teaching. Results indicated a significant correlation between a conventional measure of teaching effectiveness and the socially valid criterion instrument constructed entirely from students' ideas. (Author/JDH)

This article suggests that mechanical application of Golden Rule-like procedures is inappropriate. The fundamental idea embodied in them, namely, that of taking issues of equity into account in test construction, may reasonably be done without doing violence to test validity. (JAZ)

The prevalent use of closed instructional systems has led both teachers and students to an increasingly narrow view of language learning. Given the infinite nature of language and the finite nature of curriculum and tests, only open instructional systems allow an assessment of whether original instructional objectives were met. (MSE)

The reliability and validity of using the drawings of the House-Tree-Person technique to assess the personality of prelingually deaf persons was evaluated with 33 deaf young adults. Interrater reliability was established for four scales and validity established for five personality traits (aggression, impulsivity, immaturity, egocentricity, and…

Studied Personality Inventory for Children (a measure completed by parents of child and adolescent behavior, affect, and cognitive ability) profiles of normal and impaired preschoolers (N=153). Results suggest the effectiveness of using parents as informants in screening children to assess the need for special education services. (Author/ABL)

Discusses the need for a method to measure computer user abilities, and presents an instrument that identifies individuals' technical, modeling, and applications skills. An evaluation of the instrument in terms of validity and reliability is reported, and applications in user education research are suggested. (12 references) (CLB)

Examined the validity of the Irrational Beliefs Inventory by administering various psychological instruments to 129 undergraduate students. Regarding construct validity, the Irrational Beliefs Inventory measured several variables measured by the Irrational Beliefs Test. With regard to concurrent validity, test anxiety was most strongly associated…