The construction and validation of the Life Experience Inventory (LEI) for the identification of creative electrical engineers are described. Using the number of patents held or pending as a criterion measure, the LEI was found to have high concurrent validity. (JKS)

Results indicate that, contrary to most literature on the family, assertiveness relates to affection rather than control; that assertiveness training should be subordinated to interpersonal skills training; that Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B) instruments provide more effective assessment of family interaction…

Six-hundred and fifty regular and special education students (grades 1-12) were included in a study to determine the temporal stability and interrater agreement of the Self-Control Behavior Inventory (SCBI). (SBH)

Provides an overview of the development of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), the nature of the instrument and conditions for its proper administration, and issues underlying the use of the NBAS in research (e.g., reliability). The first in a series of articles in a single monograph assessing the NBAS. (BH)

Reviews issues of reliability (especially test-retest reliability) in newborn assessment, discusses predictive models based on newborn assessment, and presents information on modifications of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale which may help in pursuing fruitful questions involving prediction of development. (Author/BH)

Discusses the role and limitations of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale in the continuing effort to construct an adequate account of infant development. (BH)

A 13-item Student Description of Instruction Questionnaire developed at Bronx Community College (New York) was subjected to a series of reliability, stability, and validity studies based on data collected over a period of four semesters. Indices suggested moderate to good reliability and stability, depending on department. (JG)

The School Improvement Model launched by the Iowa State University College of Education in 1964 uses a total-system approach to measure and report teacher performance. SIM focuses on student achievement and emphasizes validity, reliability, discrimination, and 360-degree feedback from principals, other teachers, parents, and students. A Wyoming…

High school students (N=26) with learning disabilities, their parents, and their special education teachers rated the students' skills in 21 specific areas such as general ability, oral language, reading, written language, and social skills. Parents' ratings were consistent with teachers' in 16 areas and lower in 5 areas. Students' ratings were…

This study investigated the interrater reliability of proficiency-level judgments of graduate student trainee raters on oral proficiency interviews (OPIs). Trainees' ratings were compared with the judgments of a certified American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) tester for 150 interviews. (Author/JL)

Assesses techniques used by researchers to collect and analyze data on how people with visual impairments or blindness learn, understand, and think about geographic space. Recommendations are made for increasing the validity of studies, including the use of multiple, mutually supportive tests; larger samples; and real-world environments.…

Final-year Ontario medical students (n=88) took a 4-station objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) using standardized patients and involving decisions to forgo life-sustaining treatment. Performance was scored on a checklist of behaviors unique to each case. Results indicated that because of low reliability, the OSCE is not a feasible…

A study examined the psychometric properties of the Social Anxiety Scale for Children--Revised (SASC-R) in a sample of 159 predominantly Dominican and Puerto Rican fifth- and sixth-grade students from New York City. Findings provided initial support for SASC-R reliability and validity in Hispanic children. Convergent validity was supported by…

Describes a study that developed and field-tested the Classroom Community Scale, which measures the sense of community in a learning environment, and to determine its validity and reliability for use with university students taking distance courses via the Internet. Considers gender and ethnic groups, and a copy of the scale is appended.…

This article describes development of the Profile of Multiple Language Proficiencies (PMLP), a measure of both English and American Sign Language skills in deaf children. The PMLP showed reasonable initial reliability and appears to be an easy-to-use measure. Discussion addresses issues that influence the reliability and validity in evaluating…