Examines a scale that assesses prisoners' (N=1,655) emotional states and suicidal tendency. Results indicate that the scale has both high test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Subscales showed significant discriminant power in differentiating the high- and low-risk groups which were classified according to various measures of suicidal…

Professional literature extols the potential benefits of portfolios for teaching, learning, and assessment--particularly compared with traditional multiple-choice tests. Although initial findings favor portfolio assessments, the challenges lie in ensuring technical quality, equity, and feasibility for large-scale assessment purposes. Two major…

Children (n=132), ages 1-16, were diagnosed for autism using the criteria in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Autistic Behavior Checklist, and third and fourth editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Agreement of the DSM-IV and ICD-10 with the other…

Investigates the Drug Use Screening Inventory's (DUSI) utility for identifying youth who will develop a disorder of abuse/dependence. Findings indicate that the DUSI, taking only 15-20 minutes to complete, is a useful practical instrument to identify youth who could benefit most from prevention interventions. (Contains 12 references and 4 tables.)…

Assessed the reliability and criterion validity of the Physical Activity Monitor, a telephone-interview adaptation of the Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (MLTPAQ), for assessing trends in the Canadian population. Interviews with Canadian adults and comparisons of the Monitor against the Campbell's Survey of Well-Being…

Evaluates the stability of the Relational Dimensions Instrument (RDI) as a measure of people's general beliefs about the characteristics of the ideal marriage. Shows little stability for these judgments in college students who took the test twice, one year apart. Casts doubt on whether college students' implicit theories of marriage are tapped by…

Presents an 11-item alternative to the longer 25-item measure of teacher affinity seeking. Indicates that the measure is both reliable and valid for use with appropriate research questions. Presents broad guidelines for use. (SR)

Research evaluated psychometric properties of College Alcohol Problem Scale (CAPS) using a sample of African American college students. CAPS was evaluated for reliability and accuracy in identifying potential abusive drinkers. Results indicate that CAPS is a reliable and effective device for identification of abusive drinking among African…

The Individualism-Collectivism Vocational Attitudes Questionnaire (ICVAQ) was developed to assess cultural attitudes and behaviors that may be important in the provision of vocational rehabilitation services to people with disabilities from diverse cultural backgrounds. Results of study were mixed but provided some support for the reliability and…

Discusses steps taken to attain cultural relevance and appropriateness in the reading literacy construct, and in the stimulus materials and items that operationalize it. Explains the influence of multilingual considerations on the development of the reading literacy assessment instrument and notes psychometric procedures used to maximize the…

In a sample of 45 kindergarten children, significant, but relatively weak correlations were found between the Nebraska Starry Night Observation Protocol (NSNO) and the originality and elaboration scores of the concurrent measure, the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Implications of using the NSNO to identify young creative children are…

Examines whether prisoners seek help from mental health professionals, and assesses the validity and utility of a short form of the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (ATSPPHS) for assessing prison inmates' help-seeking attitudes. Results were consistent with previous research, and indicated that male inmates (N = 173)…

Describes the development and validation of the Standards Performance Continuum (SPC) for assessing teacher performance of the Standards for Effective Pedagogy. Three studies involving Florida, California, and New Mexico public school teachers provided evidence of inter-rater reliability, concurrent validity, and criterion-related validity…

Examined the discriminant, convergent, and criterion- related validity of the AIDS Health Belief Scale (AHBS). College students assigned to either interview or self-administration conditions completed the AHBS, a sexual behavior questionnaire, the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding, and the Condom Attitude Scale-Adolescent Version. There…

This paper reviews the literature on consumer involvement in dental quality assessment, argues for inclusion of this information in quality assessment measures, outlines a conceptual model for measuring dental consumer quality assessment, and presents data relating to the development and validation of an instrument based on the conceptual model.…