Provides a conceptual basis for understanding factor analysis as an analytical technique. Illustrates the basic concepts of factor analysis through Edward L. Rainbow's data from a study of variables influencing students' musical aptitude. Suggests that this technique is most appropriate in music applications where the interrelationships between…

Reports an evaluation of the assessment test developed in communication at the Kansas City campus of the University of Missouri. Notes that the findings of this report suggest several important implications concerning the role of indirect assessments of student learning. (MM)

Some solutions are offered for three large-class testing problems: how to offer students an opportunity to be assessed in an essay format without straining the available grading resources; deal with students who miss a required examination; and generate large numbers of new, relevant examination questions regularly. (MSE)

The impact of item response theory (IRT) on the measurement practitioner is discussed, with a review of potential benefits. The complexity of IRT theory and procedures and the lack of robustness of IRT procedures to violation of assumptions must be recognized for the measurement practitioner to realize its advantages. (SLD)

Reviews current research developments in several areas of personnel selection methodology which represent attempts to develop alternatives to traditional paper-and-pencil methods of test development. Areas examined include computer-interactive tests in employment situation, new uses for life history information, physical tests for physically…

Requirements for adaptive testing are reviewed, and the reasons implementation has taken so long are explored. The adaptive test is illustrated through the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale of L. M. Terman and M. A. Merrill (1960). Current adaptive testing is tied to the development of item response theory. (SLD)

The author studied whether students' preferences for a particular exam format were a function of past performances. He reviews the literature and reports on administration of a questionnaire to 90 accounting students. Results indicate that students prefer problem-solving exams to multiple choice, regardless of past performances. (CH)

Developed perceptual inventory to determine relationship between societal or familial factors and onset of marijuana use among youth and to examine differences by ethnicity, religious persuasion, and parental status. Results from 255 secondary school students revealed five-factor solution, with 26 of 34 items included. Instrument appears…

Explores the problems and procedures of producing test norms for bilingual populations. The difficulty encountered in defining subpopulations for separate test norm production and empirical classification is considered, and four practical solutions are detailed: school classification, person classification, test score classification, and language…

It is suggested that using an unbiased estimate of the weight matrix may eliminate the small or intermediate sample size bias of the asymptotically distribution-free (ADF) test statistic. Results of simulations show that test statistics based on the biased estimator or the unbiased estimate are highly similar. (SLD)

This article describes the development of a self-perception survey intended for use with gifted students. The article summarizes the scale's theoretical base, characteristics, and scoring. Suggestions are offered for developing appropriate interventions based on assessment results. The survey instrument is included. (DB)

Empirical studies involving 875 adolescents and adults were conducted to develop and validate the Quick Discrimination Index (QDI), a 30-item, Likert-type self-report inventory that measures attitudes toward racial diversity and women's equality. The test was found to be internally consistent and stable and to have promising validity. (SLD)

The development of the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics is described, and the results from several validity analyses performed with 1,203 college students are presented. Additional validity evidence was obtained through correlation with the Attitudes Toward Statistics Scale of S. L. Wise for a subsample of 221 students. (SLD)

An instrument to measure cocaine-related expectancies across a continuum of use, the Cocaine Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ), was developed and tested with 765 college students and 87 cocaine abusers. Expectancy factors identified by the CEQ were found to be powerful predictors of cocaine use. (SLD)

Discusses the advantages of using multiple choice questions, highlighting the flexibility of using different variations of questions. Item writing guidelines include information on content, sensitivity, difficulty, irrelevant sources of difficulty, order, misleads, avoidance of clues, and exercises in the application of guidelines. (JKP)