A live tailored testing study was conducted to compare the results of using either the one-parameter logistic model or the three-parameter logistic model to measure the performance of college students on multiple choice vocabulary items. The results of the study showed the three-parameter tailored testing procedure to be superior to the…

As alternatives to the objectives-based approach to specifying content domains for test construction purposes, six strategies are proposed: (1) amplified objectives; (2) Instructional Objectives Exchange (IOX) test specifications; (3) item transformations; (4) item forms; (5) algorithms; and (6) mapping sentences. Their effectiveness is assessed…

Generalized expectancies for problem solving referred to by Rotter appear to have significant relevance to the field of psychotherapy, particularly four specific expectancies of interest: (1) looking for alternatives; (2) understanding the motives of others; (3) long-term planning; and (4) discriminating differences in psychological situations. A…

Assuming that the density p of the true ability theta in the binomial test score model is continuous in the closed interval (0, 1), a Bernstein polynomial can be used to uniformly approximate p. Then via quadratic programming techniques, least-square estimates may be obtained for the coefficients defining the polynomial. The approximation, in turn…

Two studies were made of the validity and reliability of a Learning Style Inventory (LSI) for postsecondary deaf individuals. The study's a priori definition of learning style was multidimensional and included aspects of field dependence/independence and perceived locus of Nineteen students were administered the LSI and immediately interviewed on…

To help school districts comply with basic skills legislation, the California State Department of Education developed sample writing exercises and scoring guides. The exercises were modeled after Kinneavy's three categories of discourse: expressive--writer oriented; explanatory--subject oriented; and persuasive--audience oriented. The minimum…

A brief, nontechnical state-of-the-art review of four common instruments and current practices in the field of scholastic aptitude testing is presented. The instruments include: the 1971 Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT), 1973 Henmon-Nelson Tests of Mental Ability (H-NTMA), 1979 Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) and the 1970 Short Form Test of…

Attention is drawn to the ways in which current conceptions of intelligence and its measurement differ from those which were generally accepted in 1928. The following principles underlying intelligence testing were generally agreed upon in 1928: (1) the assumption of intelligence as a recognizable attribute, responsible for differences among…

The Children's Social Relations Interview Scale (CSRIS) was developed to assess the role expectations and role behaviors associated with physical disabilities, namely low status and independence. Three traits are assessed: succorance, the seeking of help and support; restraint, physical and social limitation and circumscription by others; and…

A new scoring procedure for multiple choice tests attempts to assess partial knowledge and to restrict guessing. It is a variant of Coombs' elimination scoring method, adapted for use with the carbon-shield answer sheets commonly used with answer-until-correct scoring. Examinees are directed to erase the carbon shields of choices they are certain…

The implications of standardized testing for minority students are explored. Test terminology is described in terms of objectivity, standardization, reliability, and validity. Primarily, however, the paper reviews the objectivity of standardized testing, that is, of those tests which are either norm-referenced or criterion-referenced. The use of…

Rasch and classical test analysis methods were compared with respect to their similarities and differences in the identification of noninformative items and implausible person records. Using computer simulated data with known parameters, each model was evaluated in terms of its effectiveness in: (1) identifying noninformative or "bad"…

An examination of typical situations concerning the status of a variable is followed by a discussion of the measurement and empirical problems involved in measuring current status. Arguments for more consideration of variability, particularly individual variation, are presented. Among the problems discussed are (1) describing large samples through…

A Conference Role Semantic Differential was developed and field-tested as a brief, diagnostic measure of conference role performance of administrators. Principal components analysis of 52 staff member's evaluations of three institutional researchers yielded one task and three interpersonal skill factors which demonstrated the construct validity of…

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Form M was constructed as a replacement for AFOQT Form L in Fiscal Year 1974. The new form serves the same purposes as its predecessor and possesses basically the same characteristics. It yields Pilot, Navigator-Technical, Officer Quality, Verbal, and Quantitative composite scores. Three sets of conversion…