The usefulness of joint and conditional maximum-likelihood is considered for the Rasch model under realistic testing conditions in which the number of examinees is very large and the number is items is relatively large. Conditions for consistency and asymptotic normality are explored, effects of model error are investigated, measures of prediction…

Controversy over the proper place of significance testing within scientific methodology has continued for some time. The suggestion that effect sizes are more important than whether results are significant is presented. Effect size can be defined as an estimate of how much of the dependent variable is accounted for by the independent variables.…

Previous efforts to investigate the equivalence of rating sources for job analysis ratings have reported conflicting results. In the present research, correlational and generalizability analyses were conducted to examine the equivalency of rating sources for over 70 state civil service job classifications. Incumbent and supervisor ratings (N=697)…

Discussed are methodological aspects of three symposium papers on process approaches to individual differences in infancy. Fagan's (1987) research is viewed as an important contribution to the growing literature that demonstrates that process measures, that is, information processing behaviors, may provide a useful reflection of early to later…

This study was a preliminary step in gathering reliable data on suicides and suicide attempts in Padua, Italy. Data were collected from the first aid department of the Padua general hospital, 67 general practitioners in the city, staff of a night-time and holiday home-call medical service, the reanimation department of the Padua general hospital,…

At the Educational Research Centre (S.C.O.) in Amsterdam, a study determined the applicability and construct validity of ratings of speaking performances by examining tape-recordings of subjects in four dimensions. Subjects were 200 pupils of 11 and 12 years of age, and performances on four different oral tasks were investigated. The rating…

A central aim in any assessment program is to ensure fair and stable scoring from administration to administration. When administrations are decentralized, not only in location, but in frequency and in logistical configuration, it is imperative to construct training, certifying, and monitoring systems that provide continuity between the original…

To explore the appropriateness of the Rasch model for the vertical equating of a multi-level, multi-form achievement test series, both the Rasch model and the traditional Thurstone procedures were applied to the Listening Comprehension subtest scores of the Stanford Achievement Test. Two adjacent levels of these tests were administered in 1981 to…

Narrative data yield rich detail, insight, and information, but the personal and situational characteristics of coders (called value inertia and cognitive limitation biases) can affect data reduction. The effects of coder exposure to expected project outcomes and the level of coder research methodology sophistication were investigated. Coders,…

The use of healthy individuals acting as simulated patients for the purpose of clinical teaching is discussed. The term "standardized patients" is used to refer to training the individual to present a standard, repeatable stimulus. Some evidence suggests that simulated patients possess high fidelity (i.e., closely approximate real…

Although speech-language pathologists are expected to be able to administer and interpret oral examinations, there are currently no screening tests available that provide careful administration instructions and data for intra-examiner and inter-examiner reliability. The Oral Speech Mechanism Screening Examination (OSMSE) is designed primarily for…

Current methods of obtaining reliability coefficients for mastery tests are laborious from a practitioner's perspective. Some methods require two test administrations; while others require access to computer facilities and/or advanced measurement and statistical procedures. This report provides tables from which practitioners can read such…

Concludes that the Estes Scale is an effective instrument for measuring levels of positive attitude toward books and reading. (RB)