This paper reviews some of the ways in which student success can be predicted in conventional and distance education. Predicting such success is particularly important for new students where the pre-course start information available is sometimes slight and withdrawal often occurs very early in a course. It suggests that, in such cases,…

Schulz (2006) provides a different perspective on standard setting than that provided in Reckase (2006). He also suggests a modification to the bookmark procedure and some alternative models for errors in panelists' judgments than those provided by Reckase. This article provides a response to some of the points made by Schulz and reports some…

Background: The literature is mixed as to the relationship between intelligence quotient (IQ) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in adult populations. Even less is known about the relationship in children who have been traumatized. Methods: Fifty-nine children and adolescents (mean age = 10.6) with a history of interpersonal…

Binary outcome data are common in research and evaluation. They are often analyzed using logistic regression, and results of these analyses are often reported in the form of odds ratios (ORs). However, ORs are not directly interpretable in the metric commonly used in policy-relevant discussions, which concerns probabilities. ORs are unfamiliar to…

The influence of neurological and demographic variables on neuropsychological test performance was examined in 100 9- to 16-year-old children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Regression analyses were conducted to determine the relative contributions of coma, neuroimaging findings, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender to variance in…

We contrast 2 theories within whose context problems are conceptualized and data interpreted. By traditional linear theory, a dependent variable is the sum of main-effect and interaction terms. By dimensional theory, independent variables yield values on internal dimensions that in turn determine performance. We frame our arguments within an…

This study examined the extent to which a multiethnic sample of 900 Israeli high school students supported date-rape and victim-blaming attitudes and the predictors of such support. Findings indicate wide support for stereotypes justifying sexual coercion by time and the location of the date, the victim's behavior, and the minimization of the…

To examine the external validity of DSM-IV childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), 10 children (M = 8.2 yrs) with CDD and 152 gender- and age-matched children with autistic disorder (AD) were compared on 24 variables. The CDD children had a significantly higher rate of epilepsy, significantly less uneven intellectual functioning, and a tendency…

Studies conducted in recent years on oral and written language production show that the age at which words are learned is the main variable that influences lexical access in both hearing people and people who have suffered brain lesions. No studies have been done with deaf people and, since they use sign language in addition to oral language,…

Item bias is a major threat to measurement validity. Methods for detecting differential item functioning (DIF) are now commonly used to identify potentially biased items. DIF detection methods for dichotomous items are well developed, but those for ordinal items are less well developed. In this article, the authors compare four methods for…

Classical regression models, ANOVA models and linear mixed models are just three examples (out of many) in which the normal distribution of the response is an essential assumption of the model. In this paper we use a dataset of 2000 euro coins containing information (up to the milligram) about the weight of each coin, to illustrate that the…

The dataset presented here illustrates to students the utility of logistic regression. Its analysis results in a fit that explains much of how senators vote on a particular bill, and allows for quantification of the effects of ideology and money on the vote. A number of interesting quantitative interpretations follow from a good fit. A successful…

This study analyzes whether appropriate service delivery, defined as risk level appropriate treatment and supervision services, reduces recidivism. Utilizing a dataset collected for the purpose of evaluating Intensive Supervision Programs, this project analyzes whether high risk offenders are supervised at higher rates than low risk offenders.…

Objective: To examine the associations of education and employment with breast-feeding initiation and duration in rural mothers, in the context of environmental, social, and intrapersonal factors. Methods: Data from a telephone survey of 414 mothers from rural Minnesota were examined with regression analyses. Results: Education and employment had…

Processing speed subtests are components of widely used intellectual assessment instruments. Many researchers interpret these measures as assessing a unitary construct, but there is a question concerning the constructs assessed by these measures and, ultimately, their interpretative utility. Coding and Symbol Search from the Wechsler Intelligence…