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…

The Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale (MMCS) is a goal-specific scale developed to assess locus of control in the areas of achievement and affiliation. The relationship between the MMCS and feelings of depression, hopelessness, and perceived stress was examined to validate the MMCS and determine if specific expectancies take…

The McDaniel Dating Questionnaire purports to measure four variables: reason for dating, orientation, commitment and behavior. A factor analysis of data collected from a sample of 34 single adults raised questions about the validity of this instrument. It was concluded that the questionnaire does not adequately distinguish among the variables.…

A faculty member in a predominately black institution in the University System of Georgia critiqued the basic skills examination used as a placement and exit examination for the remedial program. He found that the local committee that developed the test had not defined what "basic skills" are, set priorities, nor specified degrees of…

The factor structure, and thereby the underlying construct of the What I Think and Feel Test (WITF) was determined. The delineation of subscales of anxiety within this revision of the Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale was significant, since anxiety is a multidimensional characteristic. Responses of 329 children (grades 1-12) to the 28 anxiety…

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 pretest-posttest control group design was used to test the value of employing four psychotherapeutic interaction scales for self-evaluation. Self-evaluation of the counselor-offered conditions empathy, positive regard, genuineness and intensity of interpersonal contact during the live counseling sessions of 44 counselors were compared with the…

Until data is obtained concerning the regression of job-performance on test-performance, the setting of passing scores on professional licensing and certification examinations will contain some degree of arbitrariness. Data from performance domains suggests that some tests have differential validity and an adverse impact on minority groups,…

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…

The objective of this program was to develop candidate pilot performance measures for five undergraduate pilot training (UPT) contact training maneuvers flown in the T-37B aircraft. The work included development and application of a method of analyzing operator performance tasks for purposes of identifying candidate measures. This resulted in…

To realize its full research potential, a need exists for the development of an automated objective pilot performance evaluation system for use in the Advanced Simulation in Undergraduate Pilot Training (ASUPT) facility. The present report documents the approach taken for the development of performance measures and also presents data collected…

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…

Four common uses for criterion-referenced tests (CRT) are outlined: describing student achievement, improving curriculum development, being sensitive indicators of the effects of instruction, and facilitating classroom management decisions. These uses parallel various forms of empirically establishing the content, concurrent, and predictive…

The WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) and ITPA (Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities) test scores of a group of 54 educable mentally retarded (EMR) students (mean age l2 years) were factor analyzed to determine the extent to which the WISC and ITPA measured common factors. Of the four factors obtained, nine of the ten ITPA…

The educational implications of criterion-referenced tests are demonstrated. It is the hypothesis of the author that criterion-referenced tests have little educational impact unless carefully constructed around rigorous domain specifications. The paper details the process and problems of construction of a series of history tests presently being…