Regression analyses indicated that the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory has convergent validity with regard to the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale and the Coopersmith Behavioral Academic Assessment Scale, has discriminant validity with regard to the Children's Social Desirability Scale, is sensitive to differences in achievement level,…

Study of accuracy in estimating scores on the Kuder, Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, and the Strong Vocational Interest Blank when scales were, and were not, categorized by levels of vocational relevance, indicates that relationships between scores increase as a function of vocational relevance. Discusses implications in terms of outcome…

Stuttering self-judgments from 15 adults who stutter, judgments of each others' stuttering, and the judgments of a panel of 10 stuttering researchers were compared. Results found substantial differences in stuttering judgments across speakers, judges, and judgment conditions, but across-task comparisons were complicated by low self-agreement among…

The Interrater/Test Reliability System (ITRS) is described. The ITRS is a comprehensive computer tool used to address questions of interrater reliability that computes several different indices of interrater reliability and the generalizability coefficient over raters and topics. The system is available in IBM compatible or Macintosh format. (SLD)

Four experienced stuttering researchers viewed videodisks of spontaneous speech from chronic stutterers and attempted to locate the precise onset and offset of individual stuttering events. Results showed interjudge disagreements that challenge the reliability and validity of onset and offset judgments. Highly agreed stuttering events were…

The Correct Information Unity analysis for measuring the communicative information and efficiency of connected speech was applied to the naturally occurring conversation of a person with moderate aphasia. Results indicated low intrarater and interrater reliability although reliability of word counts was good. Most rater disagreements resulted from…

This study describes the four-phase process used in developing the "Employer Openness Survey" (EOS). The EOS is an 18-item instrument designed to measure the openness of employers to hiring, accommodating, and promoting workers with disabilities. During the first phase, the authors generated potential questions and pilot-tested them with…

When raters assign different scores to a performance task, a method for resolving rating differences is required to report a single score to the examinee. Recent studies indicate that decisions about examinees, such as pass/fail decisions, differ across resolution methods. Previous studies also investigated the interrater reliability of…

Many studies have indicated that at least 2 raters should score writing assessments to improve interrater reliability. However, even for assessments that characteristically demonstrate high levels of rater agreement, 2 raters of the same essay can occasionally report different, or discrepant, scores. If a single score, typically referred to as an…

The Spearman-Brown (S-B) formula for correction of the split-half coefficient of reliability is discussed as a conceptual precursor of modern formulations of internal-consistency reliability. Derived from the principal components of the product moment coefficient, an alternative S-B formulation facilitates an understanding of internal…

Reviews research on juror, witness, and courtroom factors that influence a child's credibility on the witness stand. Presents results of studies of juror reactions to child witnesses. Observes that the influence of children's testimony may be great, but also that corroborating evidence may significantly determine the influence of children's…

Discusses the issue of test reliability, i.e., how accurately and precisely the test score assesses the domain from which the test does in fact draw a sample. (BH)

A principal components analysis of matrices of Spearman's rho statistic for inter-rater reliability is proposed as an alternative to Kendall's coefficient of concordance. Advantages and possible uses of the proposed method are presented. (JKS)

Reliability is one of the chief characteristics researchers consider when judging the quality of data used in their studies. Within the positivist paradigm, data are typically quantified, and thus it is relatively easy to derive estimates of reliability. Within the interpretivist paradigm, however, the idea of data reliability is a looser science.…

Much of the current research concerning reliability emphatically suggests that researchers should gather their own reliability estimates when administering an instrument. It has also been recommended that data with low reliability be discarded. While some data obtained from instruments that originally yielded reliable results may be unreliable, it…