This article describes the Gifted Education Knowledge Scale, a rating scale for assessing educators' knowledge about gifted education. Information about item selection, content validity, reliability, and internal consistence is provided. (DB)

Used structural equation modeling to examine factor structure and predictive validity of the Disinhibition subscale of the Sensation Seeking Scales (DIS) with drinking in 1,217 undergraduates. A three-factor model provided the best fit; prediction of drinking varied with intrinsic levels of alcohol relatedness. The relationship between…

A professional self-concept instrument was completed by 127 nursing students, including masters' candidates and three groups of undergraduates. Professional self-concept appeared to strengthen as students proceeded through the academic hierarchy. (SK)

Outlines principles for assessments that are supportive of teaching and learning, and discusses qualities that such assessments must have in order to be useful for reporting information to the public. Introduces a language-arts assessment (the Elementary Literacy Profiles) designed to embody these principles and qualities so that it will be…

The comparative validity of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) scores for 123 African American and 561 Caucasian clients from a community mental health center was studied by contrasting mean MMPI-2 scores and correlations between these scores and therapists' ratings. Correlations were not significantly different for racial…

A structured clinical interview, the Acute Stress Disorder Inventory, was developed to diagnose acute stress disorder. It was validated against clinician-based diagnoses of 65 trauma patients, and its test-retest reliability was assessed with 60 trauma survivors. Results suggest that the interview is a useful diagnostic tool. (SLD)

The conceptual basis and development of The Suinn Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA) are reviewed. This study of psychometric strengths and limitations includes 16 published empirical studies concerning reliability and validity of SL-ASIA. Measures of reliability and methods of establishing construct validity are discussed, and…

The effect of removing nonfunctioning items from multiple-choice tests was studied by examining change in difficulty, discrimination, and dimensionality. Results provide additional support for the benefits of eliminating nonfunctioning options, such as enhanced score reliability, reduced testing time, potential for broader domain sampling, and…

Describes the development of the Georgia Autonomy Scales, an instrument used by student affairs professionals to assess the level of autonomy development of students. Estimates of the instrument's reliability and validity were judged sufficiently high to permit use with groups of students. (MKA)

Describes an instrument that identifies the risk of late-onset (reactive) alcoholism and the presence of unresolved loss-grief issues. Instrument was tested on 96 adults aged 60 and over. Found an interrelationship between unresolved loss-grief issues and depression. Rates the likelihood that these conditions may lead to alcoholism. (EMK)

Study is a validation of the two proposed subscales for the Salubrious Lifestyle (SL) Scale of the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Assessment (SDTLA). The two subscales, Drug/Alcohol and Exercise/Nutrition, were determined from factor analysis of the original SL scale of the SDTLA. Findings support validation of both subscales. (Contains…

Examines construct validity and psychometric properties of the Multi-Attitude Suicide Tendency Scale in adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Confirmatory factor analysis provides support for the fit of the 28-item, four-factor model. Results of regression analyses reveal that high scores on the repulsion by life and the attraction to death subscales…

Hypothesized that students' perception of the lecturer would significantly predict teaching effectiveness ratings. A factor model of teaching effectiveness which included lecturer ability, module attributes, and lecturer's charisma was found to be an acceptable description of the student rating data. Concluded that student ratings don't wholly…

This study compared differences in preschool children (n=201) clinically diagnosed with specific language impairments (SLI) who were and were not identified through standard psychometric discrepancy criteria. A combination of mean length of utterance, percent structural errors, and chronological age was found to be more useful for predicting a…

Discusses issues in conceptualizing and measuring counselors' theoretical orientations to practice. Evaluates 15 instruments previously proposed as measures of counselors' and therapists' theoretical orientations, and examines psychometric properties and the utility of each instrument. Few instruments show evidence of reliability and even fewer…