The structure of this report is as follows: First, specific aptitude theory and general ability theory, the two theories of the relation between ability and job performance, are presented and differentiated. Second, there is a discussion of problems in the current use of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) and of problems in the use of…

Since the numbers of foreign students aspiring to college and graduate degrees in the United States is increasing, there is a need for a reliable and valid English proficiency test which, ideally, would be neither costly nor time consuming. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the extent to which three tests, the Michigan Test of English…

This paper describes the Measure of Epistemological Reflection (MER), an instrument to assess cognitive developmental level according to the Perry scheme of intellectual and ethical development. It contains sets of questions for each of the six cognitive domains: decision making, learner role, instructor role in the learning process, peer role in…

A model and method for developing a valid and reliable paper-and-pencil test for evaluating the technical knowledge of baseball coaches in the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) in Canada are discussed. Development of a general theoretical and operational model for the evaluation of NCCP coaches in all sports are also studied. The…

This study was designed to identify differences in the neurological functioning of three groups of children with developmental dyslexia and to assess whether any of the groups were characterized by a particular pattern of neurological soft signs. Subjects were 88 children, aged 11-14, who were identified as developmentally dyslexic. The children…

Meta-analytic techniques were used to analyze the effects of age, education, and work experience on General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) validities and test scores. The sample consisted of 30,568 subjects from 143 Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) validation or revalidation studies analyzed since 1972. The effect of these three variables on…

Knowledge about client expectations of counseling is important in its contribution to theory and practice, particularly for those ethnic and cultural populations presently underserved. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among acculturation and expectations about counseling in a majority (non-Hispanic) and minority…

The relationship between the Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS) was investigated, with 53 children as subjects. Specifically, the study sought to examine the convergent and discriminant validities of the long forms of the SIB and the VABS and to ascertain the accuracy of classification of…

Findings from three studies that used a laboratory procedure to assess individual differences in various dimensions of infant temperament in relation to later Brazelton scores are presented. Participants included 59 healthy, full-term and sick, preterm infants. The sick, preterm infants included infants who developed respiratory or neurological…

A pilot project determined whether a proposed essay addition to the new General Educational Development (GED) test batteries, scheduled for release in 1988, could be successfully administered and scored in local test centers with an acceptable degree of test reliability and validity. Conducted in cooperation with the GED Testing Service, the…

This report is intended to assist those agencies considering using California's Corrections Officer Examination as a tool for selecting personnel. It is intended to provide agencies with guidance in setting test cutoff scores rather than an exhaustive discussion of all of the factors that must be considered before setting cutoff scores for actual…

Two measures of the "world hypotheses" of Stephen Pepper were mailed to 100 sociobiologists, 87 behaviorists, 79 personality psychologists, and 45 human developmentalists. The World Hypothesis Scale (WHS) was designed to measure Pepper's four world views: (1) formism; (2) mechanism; (3) organicism; and (4) contextualism. The…

Freedom is subject to a variety of conceptions in life because people think of it from where they are in life. Psychological literature contains a great deal about freedom but it is almost always found under the rubric of freedom versus determinism. This study examined the concepts of freedom in subjects (N=450) who ranged in age from 7 to 21…

This Digest overviews legal challenges in five areas of test use for decision-making in schools: ability tracking, placement in special education classes, test scores as college admissions criteria, test disclosure, and teacher competency testing. Cases illustrating these challenges are described and include: Hobson v. Hansen (1967), Moses v.…

An overview of listening tests and a description of the Watson-Barker Listening Test are presented in this paper. Topics covered include the readability and validity of listening tests; listening test administration; listening test criteria; creation of the Watson-Barker Listening Test; development, validation, and proper administration of this…