bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential Item Performance in Mathematics Achievement Test Items: Effect of Item Arrangement
Authors: Plake Barbara S. , Patience Wayne M. , Whitney Douglas R.
Published: March 2007

Past research on gender differences in performance on mathematics achievement test items has focused on characteristics of test items on which males and females perform differentially. In most instances, such studies have employed a post-hoc content analyses of test items identified via statistical analyses to function differentially for males and females. This study, in contrast, used an experimental design approach to investigate the effect of item context on differential item performance on mathematics test items between males and females. The analyses were based on a modified one parameter IRT methodology. Although some significant differences in performance were found between and within item arrangements for males and females, given the number of statistical tests employed, these significances could be due to chance alone.
A Monte Carlo Study of Testing the Significance of Correlation Matrices
Authors: Silver N. Clayton , Dunlap William P.
Published: March 2007

A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to examine the Type I error rates and power of the tests by Bartlett; Brien, Venables, James, and Mayo; Kullback; and Steiger of the null hypothesis that a correlation matrix equals the identity matrix. Such tests are often recommended as preliminary procedures before performing factor analysis or evaluating the hypothesis of equal correlations. The Brien et al. procedure was found to be the most powerful test while maintaining stable empirical alpha values.
Age Bias in Prediction of Graduate Grade Point Average from Graduate Record Examination Scores
Authors: House J. Daniel
Published: March 2007

A critical issue in the use of tests for selection purposes is that test scores predict subsequent performance similarly for all groups of students. This study was intended to investigate the extent of age bias in the prediction of graduate performance from GRE scores. The records of 1,138 graduate students in education were evaluated. GRE scores were found to overpredict the graduate performance of younger students and underpredict the grades earned by older students.
Convergent Validity of Four Computer Anxiety Scales
Authors: Dukes Richard L. , Discenza Richard , Couger J. Daniel
Published: March 2007

Intercorrelations of four scales purporting to measure computer anxiety exhibited convergent validity among college students.
Self-Correction of Wrong Answers as an Alternative to the Arbitrary Setting of Observed-Score Standards in Competency Testing
Authors: Cahan Sorel , Cohen Nora
Published: March 2007

The probabilities of the two types of classification errors in competency testing are not equally manipulable. Whereas testers can successfully minimize the probability of Type II error (misidentification of true "nonmasters" as "masters"), they are much less able to do so relative to Type I error (misidentification of true "masters" as "nonmasters"). Consequently, the proportion of identified nonmasters is likely to be artifactually high. The currently used method for coping with this problem is the arbitrary setting of observed-score standards below 100%. This paper offers an alternative solution which does not involve arbitrary decisions -namely, self-correction of wrong answers. The paper presents the rationale underlying this solution and discusses its application.
Mean and Variance of Viernsteins ψ*
Authors: Schubö Werner
Published: March 2007

This paper considers the mean and variance of the statistic ψ*, which among others is useful in measuring agreement between two raters. Under the assumption of independent random raters, the distribution of ψ* and a test of significance are given. As the G index of Holley and Guilford is a special case of ψ*, the results may be applied for this index as well.
Measurement Characteristics of the Finding Embedded Figures Test: A Comparison Across Three Samples and Two Response Formats
Authors: Thompson Bruce , Melancon Janet G.
Published: March 2007

This study applied classical measurement theory to investigate the measurement characteristics of both parts of the Finding Embedded Figures Test (FEFT), when the test is administered in either a "no guessing" supply format or a multiple-choice selection format, and when the FEFT is administered to either undergraduate college students or to middle-school students. Coefficient alpha for the FEFT ranged between 0.81 and 0.90 across samples and administration formats. Items generally had desirable psychometric characteristics across studies.
Construct Validation of the Gregorc Style Delineator: An Application of Lisrel 7
Authors: O'Brien Terrance P.
Published: March 2007

The major purpose of the study was to assess the construct (dimensional) validity of the Gregorc Style Delineator through confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL 7. The instrument was administered to 263 undergraduate university students in foundations of education classes during a one quarter period. Results indicated that the four scales contained in the instrument were moderately reliable, but exhibited only minimal factor definition. Analysis of selected relationships among scales did not support portions of Gregorc's overall theoretical model, although those findings remain questionable due to inherent psychometric weaknesses of the instrument.
A Validated Translation into Spanish of the Wisc-R Vocabulary Subtest Words
Authors: Tamayo Jose M.
Published: March 2007

The WISC-R vocabulary words were translated into Spanish utilizing the frequency of use of the words as a measure of their difficulty. The procedure was validated with a sample of 120 English and Spanish-speaking students (Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and a group of other Central and South American nationalities). Both boys and girls were included in the study. Comparable results were obtained with both linguistic samples, suggesting that frequency of use is an adequate measure of word difficulty and that it is possible to validly translate vocabulary tests. The Spanish words were rearranged to make the passing percentage of the words as similar as possible in both lists.
Sex Differences in Math Problem Solving as a Function of Gender-Specific Item Content
Authors: Sappington John , Larsen Chris , Martin James , Murphy Kari
Published: March 2007

Among the hypotheses advanced to explain sex differences in math problem solving is the assertion that males are assisted by male-familiar item content and females by female-familiar item content. A 15-item test with parallel forms was constructed. Each form contained 5 male-familiar items, 5 female-familiar items, and 5 neutrally worded items. Male-familiar items on Form A were rephrased to construct the female-familiar items of Form B. Similarly, the female-familiar items of Form A were reconstructed as the male-familiar items of Form B. Neutral items were identically worded on the two forms. Thus, the items were equal with respect to the operations needed to solve them as well as the complexity of units and numerical relationships within them. Males outperformed females in all item conditions. The differences in observed summation scores were statistically significant between the two groups. Gender-familiar wording was unrelated to the outcome. The hypothesis that biased item wording contributes to gender differences in math problem solving was not supported.
Fiedler's Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) Instrument: An Investigation of its True Bipolarity
Authors: Schriesheim Chester A. , Klich Nancy R.
Published: March 2007

One methodological concern which exists with regard to the use of semantic differential measures is whether or not they meet the assumption of true bipolarity; if they do not, the use of interval-scale statistical analyses may distort data-analytic results and produce artifactual findings. This paper presents two tests examining the psychological midpoints of the 18 bipolar adjective pairs that make up the most current version of Fiedler's Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) instrument. In the weaker test, 131 subjects assessed scale midpoints by bisecting 18 five-inch lines which were anchored at their ends by Fiedler's adjective pairs. The results indicated that there were nonsignificant differences between the true scale midpoints and the midpoints identified by the subjects. In the stronger test, the adjectives were presented in three sets and the same 131 subjects ranked them based on the favorableness of each as an interpersonal descriptor. Using paired comparison treatment of the rank data (under Thurstone's Case III), the investigators found that six of the LPC adjective pairs deviated significantly from true bipolarity. Implications for future LPC use and for future research are considered.
An Augmented Basic Program for Exploring Subtest Combination Short Forms
Authors: Atkinson Leslie , Yoshida Glen
Published: March 2007

Abbreviated scales often involve administering a subset of tests from the full scale, and then using the obtained score to estimate the score which would have been obtained if the entire scale had been administered. Tellegen and Briggs (1967) provided formulae for determining and reliabilities, validities, and standard deviations of this type of short form. Atkinson and Yoshida (1989) described a BASIC program for making the requisite reliability and validity calculations. This article reports an augmented program which includes computation of standard deviations.
The Predicitive Validation of an Instrument Designed to Measure Student Anxiety in Learning a Foreign Language
Authors: Sanchez-Herrero Silvia A. , Sanchez Ma Del Pilar
Published: March 2007

The two-fold purpose of this investigation was (a) to adapt a classroom anxiety scale for use with Spanish students who learn a foreign language, and (b) to examine the predictive ability of students' anxiety upon measures of English achievement. Results of a stepwise multiple regression analysis in which English achievement scores served as the criterion and anxiety scores, cognitive variables (general intelligence and verbal aptitude), and noncognitive variables (self-esteem, attitudes, and motivation) were employed as predictors indicated that the anxiety variable was the first to enter the equation accounting for approximately 38% of the variance. Based upon a series of comparisons among students with high, moderate, or low levels of anxiety in which English achievement scores served as the dependent variables, students with low levels of anxiety performed consistently higher on measures of English achievement.
Concurrent Validation and Regression Line Comparison of the Spanish Edition of the Lollipop Test (La Prueba Lollipop) on a Bilingual Population
Authors: Chew Alex L. , Lang William Steve
Published: March 2007

The need for a Hispanic edition of a culture-fair school readiness test was a major motivation for the development of the Spanish language edition of the Lollipop Test. The purpose of this study was to examine the concurrent validity of the Spanish edition of the Lollipop Test as an appropriate alternative preschool assessment instrument for bilingual Hispanic children using the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Revised (DIAL-R) as the criterion in a concurrent validity assessment. A strong multivariate relationship existed when preschoolers took one test, La Prueba Lollipop, in Spanish and another, the DIAL-R, in English (rcanonical = .793). These results support the concurrent validity of La Prueba Lollipop with bilingual Hispanic children. An additional analysis was made of the regression line comparison of the Spanish and English forms of The Lollipop Test using the DIAL as a criterion. No ethnic group bias was detected.
The Effects of Item Grouping on the Reliability and Scale Scores of an Affective Measure
Authors: Melnick Steven A.
Published: March 2007

Instrument developers find conflicting advice in the literature about either grouping items together that purport to measure each construct or to randomly intersperse items throughout the instrument. This paper examines the effects of grouping and random item placement on the alpha internal-consistency reliabilities of the scales and scale means on an affective measure. Out of a total of 992 randomly selected principals, 719 responded to the Administrative Attitudes Toward Unsatisfactory Teachers Survey; 350 received a grouped-item version of the instrument and 369, a random-item version. While there were no significant differences in scale means between the two methods of item placement, there was an effect on the scale alpha reliabilities.
Validity Assessment of Compliance, Identification, and Internalization as Dimensions of Organizational Commitment
Authors: Sutton Charlotte D. , Harrison Allison W.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of an organizational commitment survey developed by O'Reilly and Chatman (1986) who conceptualized organizational commitment in terms of three distinct, measurable dimensions: (a) internalization, (b) identification, and (c) compliance. Data from 100 employees were subjected to two-factor and three-factor oblique solutions. Results of factor analyses and tests of reliabilities did not support O'Reilly and Chatman's three-factor theory of organizational commitment. The two-factor solution yielded a better fit of the data.
Inter-Item Correlation Frequency Distribution Analysis: A Method for Evaluating Scale Dimensionality
Authors: Piedmont Ralph L. , Hyland Michael E.
Published: March 2007

Briggs and Cheek (1986) have suggested that the mean of inter-item correlations for a scale provides information about whether that scale is unidimensional or not. More information about the dimensionality of a scale is provided by the frequency distribution function of inter-item correlations. A method of examining the frequency distribution functions as a way of inferring dimensionality is described and illustrated. Using data from the NEO Personality Inventory, the method is employed to distinguish between uni- and multidimensional scales. This method represents a useful first step in data description that can orient a researcher to the kinds of qualities that underlie a scale.
Interpolating 95Th Percentile Eigenvalues from Random Data: An Empirical Example
Authors: Cota Albert A. , Longman R. Stewart , Holden Ronald R. , Fekken G. Cynthia , Xinaris Skevoulla
Published: March 2007

Selecting the "correct" number of components to retain in principal components analysis is crucial. Parallel analysis, which requires a comparison of eigenvalues from observed and random data, is a highly promising strategy for making this decision. This paper focuses on linear interpolation, which has been shown to be an accurate method of implementing parallel analysis. Specifically, this article contains tables of 95th percentile eigenvalues from random data that can be used when the sample size is between 50 and 500 and when the number of variables is between 5 and 50. An empirical example is provided illustrating linear interpolation, direct computation, and regression methods for obtaining 95th percentile eigenvalues from random data. The tables of eigenvalues given in this report will hopefully enable more researchers to use parallel analysis because interpolation is an accurate and simple method of obviating the Monte Carlo requirements of parallel analysis.
Language Attitudes of Teachers Scale (Lats)
Authors: Byrnes Deborah A. , Kiger Gary
Published: March 2007

This article examines the attitudes of 191 regular classroom teachers from three states toward children who are limited in their English proficiency (LEP). The 13-item Language Attitudes of Teachers Scale (LATS) was developed to investigate teachers' attitudes about linguistic diversity among their students. A principal components analysis produced three factors tentatively labeled Language Politics, LEP Intolerance, and Language Support. Internal consistency estimates of reliability (coefficient alpha) yielded .81 for the scale and ranged from .60 to .72 for the three subscales. A single item measuring respondents' attitudes about having an LEP child in the classroom correlated -.62 with the total LATS, providing modest support for construct validity.
Nonrandomly Missing Data in Multiple Regression: An Empirical Comparison of Common Missing-Data Treatments
Authors: Kromrey Jeffrey D. , Hines Constance V.
Published: March 2007

This research is an investigation of the effects of nonrandomly missing data in two-predictor regression analyses and the differences in the effectiveness of five common treatments of missing data on estimates of R2 and of each of the two standardized regression weights. Bootstrap samples of 50, 100, and 200 were drawn from three sets of actual field data. Nonrandomly missing data were created within each sample, and the parameter estimates were compared with those obtained from the same samples with no missing data. The results indicated that three imputation procedures (mean substitution, simple and multiple regression imputation) produced biased estimates of R2 and both regression weights. Two deletion procedures (listwise and pairwise) provided accurate parameter estimates with up to 30% of the data missing.
Development and Application of a New Approach to Testing the Bipolarity of Semantic Differential Items
Authors: Cogliser Claudia C. , Schriesheim Chester A.
Published: March 2007

A new method of testing semantic differential scales for bipolarity is developed, using a new conceptualization of bipolarity that does not require unidimensionality. Using 63 subjects and multidimensional scaling (MDS) procedures, the investigation assessed Fiedler's Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) instrument and revealed it to suffer significant departures from bipolarity in 9 of 10 tested bipolar pairs. Future research implications are discussed.
The Similarities Subtest of the British Ability Scales: Construct and Content Bias for a Sample of Zimbabwe School Children
Authors: Mpofu Elias , Watkins David
Published: March 2007

The study investigated the content and construct validity of the British Ability Scales Similarities Test for Black and White Zimbabwe primary school children. Drawn from the two cultural groups, 200 children took part in the study. The test seemed to be free of construct and content bias for both cultural groups. Implications for test applications in a multicultural context are discussed and suggestions for further research given.
Interpreting Moderator Effects: Substitute for the Signed Coefficient Rule
Authors: Nye Lendell G. , Witt L. Alan
Published: March 2007

Users of moderated multiple regression analyses often have used the "Signed Coefficient Rule" to interpret a moderator effect. This approach involves using the sign of the regression coefficient of the cross product term as an indication of the form of the relationship. Dissuading further use of the procedure, others advocated plotting techniques. In contrast, the present authors provide steps to interpret the form of moderator effects that can be achieved using only the regression coefficients of the predictor variable and interaction term.
Fax-In Forms as a Technology for Evaluating Community Projects: An Example of HIV Risk Reduction
Authors: Huba G. J. , Brown Vivian B. , Melchior Lisa A.
Published: March 2007

This article describes a new technology that can be easily adapted to pennit virtually instantaneous tracking and evaluation of community-based projects that are widely dispersed in the field. Current technologies permit special forms to be sent via an ordinary fax machine into a centrally located personal computer equipped with an inexpensive fax modem board. As the faxes are received, hand printed, and "bubble-coded," responses are interpreted and automatically stored in a database, ready for instantaneous statistical analysis. An application is described that uses this technology to track street outreach efforts throughout Los Angeles to injection drug users, prostitutes, and others at high risk to contract and spread the human immunodeficiency virus. Tracking outreach and service efforts provides the capacity for program directors to refocus efforts and to ensure that interventions are conducted in a timely and appropriate manner. The use of up-to-date statistical summaries and management feedback ensures that the outreach and intervention efforts carried on in the poorest inner-city neighborhoods are run efficiently and effectively.
Cooperativeness and Competitiveness: Dimensionality and Gender Specificity of the Classroom Life Instrument
Authors: Kline Theresa J. B.
Published: March 2007

A total of 240 (35 males and 195 females) undergraduate students completed a scale assessing competitiveness and cooperativeness. The results showed that cooperativeness and competitiveness are orthogonal characteristics, contrary to the popular notion that they fall on the ends of a single continuum. Secondly, the results showed that both competitiveness and cooperativeness are basically gender-neutral characteristics.
An Improvement on Horn's Parallel Analysis Methodology for Selecting the Correct Number of Factors to Retain
Authors: Glorfeld Louis W.
Published: March 2007

One of the most important decisions that can be made in the use of factor analysis is the number of factors to retain. Numerous studies have consistently shown that Horn's parallel analysis is the most nearly accurate methodology for determining the number of factors to retain in an exploratory factor analysis. Although Horn's procedure is relatively accurate, it still tends to error in the direction of indicating the retention of one or two more factors than is actually warranted or of retaining poorly defined factors. A modification of Horn's parallel analysis based on Monte Carlo simulation of the null distributions of the eigenvalues generated from a population correlation identity matrix is introduced. This modification allows identification of any desired upper 1 - a percentile, such as the 95th percentile of this set of distributions. The 1 - ax percentile then can be used to determine whether an eigenvalue is larger than what could be expected by chance. Horn based his original procedure on the average eigenvalues derived from this set of distributions. The modified procedure reduces the tendency of the parallel analysis methodology to overextract. An example is provided that demonstrates this capability. A demonstration is also given that indicates that the parallel analysis procedure and its modification are insensitive to the distributional characteristics of the data used to generate the eigenvalue distributions.
A Basic Program to Compute Guttman's Least Square Weights for a Likert Scale
Authors: Flebus Giovanni Batfista
Published: March 2007

Guttman's least squares method to obtain optimal scoring for a set of questions (as, for example, a Likert scale) is described along with a TrueBasic program that performs optimal scaling. The method yields the best scores (i.e., the most consistent with the empirical answers) and can be used to detect multifactorial items within the pool of items being analyzed.
Assessing and Improving the Dimensionality of the Computer Anxiety Rating Scale
Authors: Miller Marc D. , Rainer R. Kelly
Published: March 2007

Using data from a sample of 776 university employees, this study uses confirmatory factor analysis to assess and then improve the unidimensionality of the two constructs underlying the Computer Anxiety Rating Scale. The process resulted in more parsimonious constructs that demonstrate acceptable reliabilities while retaining their original meanings.
Applying the Rasch Model to the Selection of Items for a Mental Ability Test
Authors: El-Korashy Abdel-Faitah
Published: March 2007

The Rasch Model was applied to the selection of items for an Arabic version of the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test. A sample of 599 male and female Kuwaiti secondary school and university students participated in the study. Reliability and validity for each item and for the whole test were determined according to the Rasch model. The use of the Mscale program provided the opportunity to achieve the most desirable technical characteristics for the final test. Correspondence of item calibration to person measurement indicated that the test is suitable for the range of mental ability intended to be measured.
Development of a Measure to Assess Teacher Beliefs about Instructional Media
Authors: Lawless Kimberly A.
Published: March 2007

Technology-based instructional designs are rapidly becoming the most prominent designs for classroom learning. This investigation reviews the construction of an instrument developed to measure the beliefs held by preservice teachers with respect to various forms of instructional media. The 72-item survey, examining six types of instructional media, was administered to 85 preservice teachers at a major northeastern university. Factor analysis supported two strong constructs, Technological Beliefs and Traditional Beliefs, explaining 99% of the variance in scores. Whole and subscale reliabilities are also reported.
Prospective Validity Study: CPI Work Orientation and Managerial Potential Scales
Authors: Hoffman Richard G. , Davis Gary L.
Published: March 2007

Work Orientation (Wo) and Managerial Potential (Mp) are two special purpose scales designed for the California Personality Inventory (CPI) to assess personality characteristics believed to be associated with desirable work performance behaviors and characteristics. Little research is currently available to examine the validity of these two scales. The present study is a prospective validity study in which 114 job applicants for non managerial positions in an entertainment facility were administered the CPI prior to hiring. Two-year post employment ratings of employee characteristics were used as the criteria to validate Wo and Mp. The two scales were significantly correlated to these ratings consistently, but were not related to employment status at the 2-year follow-up.
Detecting Unit of Analysis Problems in Nested Designs: Statistical Power and Type I Error Rates of the F Test for Groups-within-Treatments Effects
Authors: Kromrey Jeffrey D. , Dickinson Wendy B.
Published: March 2007

The nested analysis of variance (ANOVA) model is often recommended for analysis of educational data in which students receive treatments within classrooms. The Type I error rate and statistical power of the F test for groups-within-treatments effects associated with such nested ANOVA designs were evaluated in a Monte Carlo study. Data were generated for ANOVA models comprising two and three levels of the treatment variable; two, three, and five groups nested within each treatment; and 3, 10, and 30 observations within each group. The intraclass correlation among scores within groups was controlled at levels ranging from zero (independent observations) to .50, and the F test for groups-within-treatments effects was conducted at nominal alpha levels ranging from .05 to .30. The results indicated that the test for groups within treatments did not indicate sufficient power, even at the most liberal alpha level examined, to detect intraclass correlation in the sample data. The procedure was not effective in supporting decisions to use individual observations rather than group means as the unit of analysis.
Testing with Personal Probabilities: 11-Year-Olds Can Correctly Estimate their Personal Probabilities
Authors: Dirkzwager A.
Published: March 2007

Testing with personal probabilities is an advantageous alternative to multiple choice testing because guessing is eliminated. A crucial condition is that the subjects should be well calibrated. They are well calibrated when they report their true probabilities of being correct. It is shown that, in an ordinary school setting, even 1 l-year-olds can learn to be well calibrated in quite a short time, especially if probability testing is the method they become accustomed to. An interactive computer program to take a test (TestBet), which was used in the experiment, is described. Its use in regular education is feasible, and the educational advantages are discussed.
Perceived Organizational Support: Fuurther Evidence of Construct Validity
Authors: Hutchison Steven
Published: March 2007

Wayne Shore and Lois Tetrick demonstrated in 1991 that the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS), a measure of perceived employer commitment, was unidimensional and distinguishable from measures of affective and continuance commitment. In the present study, confirmatory factor analysis was used to further examine the construct validity of the scores on the SPOS. Participants were 205 members of the staff and faculty of a large western state university. Consistent with Shore and Tetrick's findings, the SPOS was found to be unidimensional. In addition, the SPOS was found to be distinguishable from two similarly conceptualized correlates of affective commitment: perceived supervisory support and organizational dependability. Findings are discussed with respect to their implications for understanding the commitment process.
Differentiation as Fundamental Validity for Criterion-Group Scaled Interest Inventories
Authors: Kuder Frederic , Diamond Esther E. , Zytowski Donald G.
Published: March 2007

Predictive validity is generally taken to be the prime validity that occupationally normed interest inventories should demonstrate. Such validity is necessarily dependent on the capacity of an instrument to differentiate between occupations. A comparison of two methods of differentiating is made, with one revealing superior results.
A Comparison of Four Imputation Procedures in a Two-Variable Prediction System
Authors: Hegamin-Younger Cecilia , Forsyth Robert
Published: March 2007

This study compared the effectiveness of four imputation procedures (mean, conditional mean, hot deck, and regression) in a two-variable prediction system. A total of 18,869 participants were included in the sample. Two data matrices containing missing values were created: one with randomly missing data and the other with nonrandomly missing data. Values were missing for only one of the two independent variables. The results of the study provide some support for the following conclusions: (a) the grand mean procedure is not an appropriate procedure for handling missing data; (b) when estimating the regression coefficient of the variable with missing data, the conditional mean procedure should be used; and (c) when the prediction of the dependent variable is of interest, the regression procedure should be used.
Nonfunctioning Options: A Closer Look
Authors: Cizek Gregory J. , Robinson K. Lynne , O'Day Denis M.
Published: March 2007

In a previous study, Cizek and O'Day reported the effects of eliminating nonfunctioning options from five-option, multiple-choice test items. That study, however, only investigated the effect of option removal on item performance when items were studied as a set and not the effects of option removal for individual items. The authors also did not examine potential changes in dimensionality resulting from altering the items. The present study provides a closer look at the effect of removing nonfunctioning options by examining changes in difficulty, discrimination, and dimensionality. Results of these analyses supported the conclusions of the earlier research and provide additional support for benefits that may accrue from eliminating nonfunctioning options: enhanced score reliability, reduced testing time, potential for broader domain sampling, and consequent increased validity of score interpretation.
Statistical Power Computations for Detecting Dichotomous Moderator Variables with Moderated Multiple Regression
Authors: Aguinis Herman , Pierce Charles A.
Published: March 2007

A revised and improved version of Aguinis, Pierce, and Stone-Romero's (1994) program for estimating the statistical power of moderated multiple regression to detect dichotomous moderator variables is described. The Quick BASIC program runs on IBM and IBM-compatible personal computers and estimates power based on user-provided values for (a) total sample size, (b) sample sizes across the two moderator-based subgroups, (c) correlation coefficients between the predictor and criterion for each of the two moderator-based subgroups, (d) correlation coefficient between the predictor and hypothesized moderator, and (e) sample and population standard deviations for the predictor. Program-generated power estimates for typical research situations in education, psychology, and management indicate that hypothesis tests of moderating effects are typically conducted at insufficient levels of statistical power.
Analysis and Comparison of WISC-III Weighted Sum Score Factor Models Using Two Independent Samples
Authors: Cramer Kenneth M.
Published: March 2007

Researchers have yet to assess child intelligence models based on weighted sum scores (WSSs) or linear combinations on ten principal subtests to derive specific ability scores (e.g., full, verbal, and performance IQ). The present study assessed whether the one- or two-factor Wechsler or WSS structural models adequately fit the WISC-III covariance matrices. Using several indices, results showed the WSS model offered equivalent fit to Wechsler's model when using one factor but offered superior fit when using two. A forward-stepping analysis showed the addition of particular supplementary subtests (Mazes and Digit Span for one factor, Mazes for two) offered the best fit, but these supplemented models were inferior to Wechsler's four-factor model. For each age group, both the WSS and supplemented models provided better fit than Wechsler's models but still required modification, especially for the one-factor solution. Cross-validation using a recent independent sample confirmed these results.
Weather, Disorderly Conduct, and Assaults
Authors: Rotton James , Cohn Ellen G.
Published: March 2007

It is proposed that the seemingly contradictory predictions of routine activity theory and the negative affect escape (NAE) model of aggression can be reconciled by viewing inclement weather (particularly extreme heat and cold) as a factor that reduces social contact by leading individuals to avoid outdoor settings. This proposal was evaluated by combining previously published data on assaults with unpublished data on complaints about disorderly conduct, which reflect the less savory aspects of social contact. Moderator-variable time-series analyses of data from Minneapolis, Minnesota, covering a 2-year period, indicated that the inverted U-shaped relationship between temperature and assault was reduced, and temperature’s interaction with seasons vanished, following statistical control for complaints about disorderly conduct.
The Social and Political Matrix of Environmental Attitudes
Authors: Wohlwill Joachim F.
Published: March 2007

A two-part analysis of the vote in Proposition 20 from the 1972 California election was undertaken. The first part focused on relationships between sentiment in favor of this measure and of that pro or con various other propositions and contests on the same ballot that were of interest as a reflection of social, political, and environmental attitude. Analysis of these votes, based on a state-wide sample of 2,379 precincts, showed the vote on Proposition 20 to be moderately related to several other measures of a social-philosophy significance, but only to a lesser extent to the presidential vote and to another proposition involving a different environmental issue. The second part examined demographic correlates of the vote on Proposition 20, finding only a modest relationship to education and even lower correlations with income and home ownership. The findings indicate a relatively low degree of association between sentiment on an environmental conservation issue such as this one and political preference as well as socioeconomic variables, but somewhat higher correlations with other social issues and values. The results suggest that environmental concern may be more broadly distributed across different socio-economic and political strata of our society than previous investigators have asserted.
Rate of Travel Along an Interpretive Trail
Authors: Gustke L. D. , Hodgson R. W.
Published: March 2007

Aesthetic response to an interpretive trail is important to both its recreational and educational functions. It was predicted from the empirically established relationship between information rate and pleasure that user pleasure would peak in a segment of trail just past a major change in the trail environment (discontinuity). The hypothesis is supported by the results of an experiment in which the rate of travel, an approach behavior, was used to measure pleasurable resonse. Rate of travel through the trail segment immediately following the discontinuity was significantly slower than the rate of travel through the subsequent segment and through the segment preceding the discontinuity.
The University Faculty Office as an Environment
Authors: Farrenkopf Toni , Roth Vicki
Published: March 2007

A post-occupancy evaluation of faculty offices was conducted at two universities. A stratified sample of faculty were surveyed via interview/questionnaire batteries, including an eight-item rank-order list of user priorities in built environments. One-third of faculty members' office activities were found to entail face-to-face social interaction. Consequently, faculty emphasized their need to be located close to classes, labs, colleagues, and resources, and their needs for privacy and space. These variables, with the addition of windows, affected user satisfaction. Three-quarters of the faculty were found to have had no choice regarding office assignment. Choice correlated with better environmental conditions and with satisfaction.
Environmental Concern
Authors: Van Liere Kent D. , Dunlap Riley E.
Published: March 2007

Past studies of environmental concern have measured the concept in many ways, often assuming that different types of measures are equivalent. In this study the degree to which different types of measures of environmental concern produce consistent results is examined. The measures are differentiated in terms of the substantive issues reflected in their items, and the theoretical conceptualization used in developing the items. A model is developed which hypothesizes two types of consistency: consistency in the intercorrelations among environmental measures, and consistency in the correlations between the environmental measures and various sociodemographic variables. The review of existing literature and the results of a study of Washington State residents (N = 806) show little support for the assumption that all environmental concern measures are equivalent.
Court-Ordered Busing and Housing Searches
Authors: Conway Dennis , Graham Mary M.
Published: March 2007

Although conceptualized as an important component in a household's relocation behavior, stress/strain relations have been difficult to operationalize. This study uses a quasi-experimental research design to investigate the impact of a stressful event, court-ordered busing, on housing search procedures. Specifically, the context is the occasion in which school-aged children come under a court-ordered busing plan in Jefferson County (Louisville), Kentucky. A survey of a 10% sample of households with school-aged children who were recent movers into an adjacent county, Oldham County, reveals that the impact of the stressful event did induce temporal and spatial constrictions on the housing search procedure. An argument is developed calling for a better understanding of relocation decision making under all kinds of stressful situations.
Office Design in a Community College
Authors: Becker Franklin D. , Gield Beverly , Gaylin Kenneth , Sayer Susan
Published: March 2007

Few studies have assessed how characteristics of the physical setting affect specific organizationally-valued behaviors. The present study compares the effects of open-private, closed-shared, and closed-private offices on faculty work patterns and faculty-student interaction. One hundred faculty and 356 students completed questionnaires. In addition, systematic observations of faculty offices over a several day period were conducted to assess occupancy rates as a measure of adaptation to unsupportive physical surroundings. Faculty in open-private offices reported significantly more difficulty working efficiently and concentrating. Both faculty and students reported that faculty were less available in open-private as compared to closed-private offices, and both groups reported that the quality of performance feedback either given or received suffered in the open plan compared to traditional shared or single-occupancy offices. The implications of the design and use of the physical setting for individual and organizational effectiveness in college and other client-centered settings are discussed.
Trade-Off Analysis of Preferences for Public Services
Authors: Smit Barry , Joseph Alun
Published: March 2007

This article develops an approach to identifying preferences of residents for alternative strategies of service provision, given a limited budget for the supply of services. Using a game format, the approach requires residents to indicate the services they would improve and the services they would trade off given the available financial resources. The method is demonstrated for a rural municipality in sourthern Ontario, Canada. The results provide an indication of the way in which the residents would like to see their taxes apportioned for service provision and are analyzed for differences in constrained preferences within the community.
Knowledge, Ethics, and Environment
Authors: Tzamir Yigal , Churchman Arza
Published: March 2007

Design thinking draws upon two realms-the realm of knowledge and the realm of ethics. The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between these two realms within the context of environmental design practice and education. The essence of our argument is the necessity for applying the teleological approach in ethics to the justification of design decisions. This requires the use of the best available source in the realm of knowledge to justify the attitudes or decisions taken in the design process. This position has major implications for the nature of the cooperative process between environmentbehavior studies researchers and architects in both the design practice and the architectural education process.
Exorcising the Ghost of Physical Determinism
Authors: Franck Karen A.
Published: March 2007

The objective of this article is to clarify the major weaknesses of the physical determinist perspective, to understand how the term "determinism" has been used in the field of environment-behavior research and to allay some of the fears that the idea of determinism seems to arouse in researchers. Four major weaknesses of the determinist perspective are discussed: (1) exaggerating the influence of the physical environment by ignoring or underestimating the influence of other factors; (2) assuming that the physical environment has only direct effects on behavior; (3) portraying people as passive in the environmentbehavior relationship by ignoring the role of human choice and goals; and (4) always assuming that the environment is a given and immutable entity and neglecting the processes of creating and modifying environments. Diagrams are used to illustrate different types of environment-behavior relationships and to distinguish between indirect and interaction effects of environment on behavior.
Responsive Public Housing
Authors: Oxman Robert , Carmon Naomi
Published: March 2007

A series of studies in public housing neighborhoods in Israel explored a widespread phenomenon of user-initiated expansion of small units. The residents of these neighborhoods were working-class families of below average income, who usually function as passive users in the services of the welfare state, including housing services. However, when these people gain control over their housing, when physical conditions enable it, when the social environment encourages self-improvement, and when the administrative institutions do not inhibit it, a considerable portion of them turn into active, participating users, contributing to their own welfare as well as to that of the public in general. The results are significant amelioration in both objective dimension (maintenance) and subjective dimension (satisfaction), which leads to alleviation instead of deterioration of housing conditions and elevation of neighborhood status.
Housing Policy and Culture in Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Tipple A. Graham
Published: March 2007

A survey of housing in Kumasi, the second city of Ghana, has revealed a severe shortage of accommodation. The traditional religion of Asante was found to be a major determinant of attitudes toward land and housing. Policies for the rapid increase in housing stock, based on Turner's concepts of self-help, are found to be incongruent with the religious and economic realities of housing supply, but other resources are present that can form the basis of a workable strategy.
The Urban Land Problem and Popular Sector Housing Development in Mexico City
Authors: Pezzoli Keith
Published: March 2007

Mexico City's housing crisis has little chance of being abated without changes in mechanisms of land allocation and in institutions that control the priority setting of national and municipal development goals. Yet, the existing constellation of economic interests and political power in the Mexican system raises serious obstacles to the realization of such changes. Thus, access to land for a majority of the poor in Mexico City depends upon the effective organization of popular sectors in a way aimed at transforming dominant social and political relationships of power.
Not All Slums are Alike
Authors: Sandhu Ranvinder Singh
Published: March 2007

A comparison of slums in Dehli and Amritsar, India, shows the slum dwellers to be quite similar in terms of social class, but indicates significant differences in various aspects of their housing environment. Slum residents in Amritsar tended to live in better quality dwellings with more rooms, more floor space, and a greater number of basic amenities. The results are seen as providing support for housing policies that are responsive to the differential requirements of large cities, small towns, and rural areas.
Identifying the Correlates of Dwelling Satisfaction
Authors: Galster George
Published: March 2007

This article represents a critique of empirical studies that have beenbased on the actual-aspirational gap approach to residential satisfaction. The reexamination of this theory suggests that empirical specifications should be disaggregated by household type and allow for nonlinear relationships between residential context and their associated levels of satisfaction. A multivariate regression analysis of dwelling satisfaction that employs such an appropriate specification is estimated for various strata of a 1980 sample of Minneapolis homeowners. Results provide strong support for the disaggregated, nonlinear modeling approach and, by implication, opens questions with much prior empirical work in the field.
Social Determinants of Environmental Concern
Authors: Samdahl Diane M. , Robertson Robert
Published: March 2007

Differential support for environmental issues has long provoked the curiosity of researchers. Sociodemographics and political ideology have been the primary focus of much research on the determinants of environmental concern. In light of recent work on environmental paradigms and advanced statistical methodologies, it may be advantageous to reexamine the tenets of this body of work. This study restates the findings of previous studies within a broader causal model, and tests that model using data from a general population survey. Analysis indicated that sociodemographic variables were ineffective in explaining any of three types of environmental concern measured here, but pro-regulatory liberal ideology was a strong predictor of support for environmental regulation. Further research might benefit most by exploring underlying belief structures ratherthan demographic characteristics of the population. These results emphasize the importance of careful specification of measures in studies of environmental concern.