Applied linguistics and psychometrics have influenced language testing, providing additional tools for investigating factors affecting language test performance and assuring measurement reliability. An examination is presented of language testing, including the theoretical issues involved, the methodological advances, language test development,…

The Achievement Anxiety Test's dimensionality was assessed using data from 378 university students. Analyses suggest the viability of a unidimensional construct, whose ability to provide extreme subject groups showing differences on other characteristics of academic achievement was assessed. Such a scale has potential for separating…

Investigated long-term stability of vocational interests in 409 college freshmen tested with Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory as freshmen in 1974, four years later (N=204), and in 1986. Results revealed remarkable degree of interest stability over all three time intervals and individual differences in stability over time. (Author/NB)

Recent establishment of degree programs in quality and reliability at several leading American academic institutions provides evidence that quality is making ivory tower in-roads. One critical difference in the orientations of U.S. and Japanese firms is in the shouldering of responsibility for product/service quality and reliability. (MLW)

The study assessed the efficacy of a method of quantifying observations of blind clients made by orientation and mobility instructors. Client problems were observed for street crossings, bumps, stumbles, orientation, and drop-offs. (DB)

Test-retest reliability of the Q-Sort Inventory of Parenting Behaviors was obtained with a sample of 30 mothers of 3-year-olds. The within-subject correlation, with 2 weeks between test administrations, for sorting the test statements was 0.72. Reliable differences among the respondents were responsible for 35% of the variance. (SLD)

General/special education secondary teachers (N=183) and nonhandicapped and handicapped students (N=437) were surveyed on perceptions of the importance of social skills in relating to others, relating to adults, and relating to oneself. Discussed are the survey instrument's reliability, importance ratings for skills, and levels of agreement…

A taxonomy of 43 rules for writing multiple-choice test items is presented, based on a consensus of 46 textbooks. These guidelines are presented as complete and authoritative, with solid consensus apparent for 33 of the rules. Four rules lack consensus, and 5 rules were cited fewer than 10 times. (SLD)

Responding to Field's criticism of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS), Guglielmino cites evidence supporting the scale's validity and reliability, Long notes gaps in Field's literature review, and McCune critiques Field's approach to factor analysis in testing the scale. (SK)

Investigated measurement characteristics of both forms of Finding Embedded Figures Test (FEFT). College students (N=302) completed both forms of FEFT or one form of FEFT and Group Embedded Figures Test. Results suggest that FEFT forms provide reasonable reliable and valid data. (Author/NB)

A study of the reliability of teacher's interpretations of graphed performance data on students with moderate to profound mental retardation revealed that teacher judgments are consistent and accurate for continuous improvement in performance, but less consistent for variable performance. (MSE)

Used 112 adult patients from three psychiatric facilities to examine psychometric properties of Basic Personality Inventory scales. Found no differences across facilities; sex differences on some scales. Scales appeared to be internally consistent. Using clinical staff ratings as criteria, scales were found to possess both convergent and…

Outlined method for studying rater bias in counseling and psychotherapy. Used method to study three potential sources of rater bias concerning characteristics of rater, client, and therapist. Examined ratings on Collaborative Study Psychotherapy Rating Scale for 826 sessions of psychotherapy in Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research…

Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and validity of the Vocational Assessment and Curriculum Guide with mentally retarded and nonretarded subjects having different employment characteristics was investigated. Empirical validation results suggested that domain scores differentiated between retarded subjects with only sheltered work…

An asymptotic expression for the reliability of a linearly equated test is developed using normal theory. Reliability is expressed as the product of test reliability before equating and an adjustment term that is a function of the sample sizes used to estimate the linear equating transformation. The approach is illustrated. (SLD)