bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calculating the Statistical Power of the Univariate and the Multivariate Repeated Measures Analyses of Variance for the Single Group Case Under Various Conditions
Authors: Robey Randall R. , Barcikowski Robert S.
Published: March 2007

Repeated measures designs find frequent application in behavioral research. Researchers using such designs must choose between the univariate approach and the multivariate approach for a test statistic. The statistical power of these two approaches has been shown to be varyingly different depending upon the structure of the variance-covariance matrix relative to the pattern of mean differences. However, the guidelines for choosing the most powerful test for a given situation have not been well defined. A FORTRAN program is described which calculates the statistical power of the omnibus tests for the univariate and the multivariate approaches to repeated measures in the single group case. Program input, output, applications, and availability are discussed.
The Factorial Validity of the Teacher Occupational Stress Factor Questionnaire for the Teacher of the Gifted
Authors: Foxworth Marilyn D. , Karnes Frances A. , Leonard Rex L.
Published: March 2007

The study was conducted to determine the construct validity of the Teacher Occupational Stress Factor Questionnaire (TOSFQ). The instrument was administered to a sample of 144 elementary school teachers of the gifted. Four factors emerged from use of image analysis with varimax rotation. Factors of the TOSFQ were renamed as a result of the study, and comparisons to previous studies were made.
Scaling Managerial Respect: A Developmental Perspective
Authors: Drehmer David E. , Grossman Jack H.
Published: March 2007

In an examination of what employees considered to be characteristic of excellent managers, it was found that trust and respect dominated all other categories of managerial behavior. An instrument to assess trust and respect was constructed by using the Rasch model. In an examination of item difficulty estimates, it was found that the item content could be described in terms of a developmental model of supervisor-subordinate relationships. The present paper describes the construction and preliminary validation process for the instrument and offers a probabilistic hierarchical developmental model.
Measures of Agreement for Incompletely Ranked Data
Authors: Iachan Ronaldo
Published: March 2007

Measures of agreement for ordinal scaled data are suggested that make use of the k categories with the highest ranks. The proposed measures are applied to the Self-Directed Search in order to evaluate its agreement with self-assessment (translation ability) or with the work environment (congruence).
SEINE: Standard Errors of Indirect Effects
Authors: Wolfle Lee M. , Ethington Corinna A.
Published: March 2007

In his early exposition of path analysis, Duncan (1966, p. 7) noted that the method "provides a calculus for indirect effects." Despite the interest in indirect causal effects, most users treat them as if they are population parameters and do not test whether they are statistically significant. Sobel (1982) has recently derived the asymptotic distribution of indirect effects. This paper describes a new FORTRAN IV computer program that provides the causal modeler with standard errors of indirect effects for recursive causal models. The only input data required are in the form of a matrix of structural parameter estimates along with their variances and covariances.
The Parent Education Design Scale: Development and Factor Structure
Authors: Bridges K. Robert
Published: March 2007

A lack of consensus exists on several issues related to the design of parent education programs. The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire to: (1) identify the issues and their dimensions and (2) provide an empirical basis for their resolution. A 76-item instrument was administered to 484 freshman and sophomore students; a principal components factor analysis revealed seven interpretable factors accounting for 40% of the variance. Results indicate that the dimensions of parent education could be specified in terms useful for program planners.
The Reliability and Validity of an Instrument for the Assessment of Computer Attitudes
Authors: Loyd Brenda H. , Loyd Douglas E.
Published: March 2007

As computer-related programs are introduced into school curricula, it is helpful to evaluate teacher attitudes toward computer use which may affect the success of such programs. Involving 114 teachers enrolled in microcomputer staff development courses, this study was concerned with the reliability, the factorial validity, and the differential validity of the Computer Attitude Scale and its four subscales (Computer Anxiety, Computer Confidence, Computer Liking, and Computer Usefulness). This instrument was found to be reliable in measuring teachers' attitudes toward computers and effective in differentiating among teachers with different amounts of computer experience.
Statistical Power Lost and Statistical Power Regained: The Bonferroni Procedure in Exploratory Research
Authors: Silverstein A. B.
Published: March 2007

The Bonferroni procedure controls the risk of rejecting one or more true null hypotheses no matter how many significance tests are performed, but permits the risk of failing to reject false null hypotheses to grow with the number of tests. The loss of statistical power associated with the use of this procedure is demonstrated, and two options for alleviating the problem are explored. Setting a less stringent significance level for the set of tests is shown to be less effective than increasing the sample size.
Within-Subject Measures for the Assessment of Individual Differences in Faking
Authors: Lautenschlager Gary J.
Published: March 2007

The more useful methods for assessing the fakeability of self-report measures given in Gordon and Gross (1978) are presented along with descriptions of two alternative measures of faking. These measures all assume that faking is being examined in a repeated measures design where subjects typically are asked to respond honestly on one administration of a scale, and are asked to fake on another administration. Since faking that is due to constant discrepancy over an entire group is of minor importance in most practical situations, the discussion focuses primarily on individual differences in faking. The most useful measure of individual differences in faking was operationalized by the variance of difference scores across subjects. This measure is shown to be less sensitive to detecting forms of individual differences in faking that are measured by the proposed within-subject measures. The proposed methods are described, and empirical support for their sensitivity to individual differences in faking is presented.
Reliability of the Attitudes toward Women Scale
Authors: Daugherty Colleen G. , Dambrot Faye H.
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the reliability of the 55-item, 25-item, and 15-item, Attitudes Toward Women Scales. A sample of 43 female college students, their mothers, and their grandmothers was used in Study 1. Five hundred eleven male and female college students were tested for Study 2. Cronbach alpha and Spearman-Brown split-half reliabilities were assessed for the 55, 25, and 15 scales in Study 1, and three-week test-retest, alpha and split-half reliabilities for the 15-item scales were determined in Study 2. In Study 1, the obtained alpha and split-half reliabilities for the 55-item scale were .92 and .93, respectively. For the 25-item scale, they were .89 and .86, respectively. For the 15-item scale, they were .85 and .86, respectively. In Study 2, the pretest alpha, pretest split-half, and test-retest reliabilities for the 15-item scale were .81, .83, and .86, respectively. It was concluded that the 15-item scale possesses high test-retest reliability. Sex differences in reliability and mean scores were presented and discussed. Mean scores were shown for three different age groups of women.
Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory: A Factor Analysis
Authors: Gray Mary McPhail , Ispa Jean M. , Thornburg Kathy R.
Published: March 2007

The 72-item Erikson Psychosocial Inventory (EPSI) was factor analyzed for a group of 534 university freshmen and sophomore students. Seven factors including 54 items emerged which the authors labeled Initiative, Industry, Identity, Friendship, Dating, Goal Clarity and Self-Confidence. Items representing Erikson's first two factors, Trust and Autonomy, were dispersed across the new set of factors; this factor pattern was discussed from the perspective of late adolescent development.
Repression-Sensitization, Self-Image Disparity, and Mental Health
Authors: Furnham Adrian , Osborne Ariana
Published: March 2007

This study predicted and demonstrated high positive correlations between repressor-sensitization, self-image disparity and mental health. Sensitization was highly correlated with mental illness (.78), and self-image disparity (.61) in a population of 77 normal adults. Analysis of the individual scales indicated that the high correlations were caused mainly by actual self ratings. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between self-concept and mental health.
Learning Processes and Background Characteristics as Predictors of Tertiary Grades
Authors: Watkins David
Published: March 2007

Data from 181 Australian first-year university students were analysed to show that learning process subscales, as measured by the Approaches to Studying Inventory (Ramsden and Entwistle, 1981) contributed to the prediction of freshman grades beyond the level possible by tertiary entry achievement scores alone.
Markov-Forget: A Package for Parameter Estimation and Hypothesis Testing of 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10-Parameter Two-Stage Forgetting Models
Authors: Kingma Johannes , Van Den Bos Kees P.
Published: March 2007

A complete package for Markov based forgetting experiments contains 15 FORTRAN 77 programs. Five forgetting models are presented, respectively, a five, seven, eight, nine and ten-parameter model. Three programs are available for each of the forgetting models. One program computes the parameter estimates of a two-stage Markov forgetting model, the generic likelihood, the model based likelihood and the goodness-of-fit. The second program can be used to test parameter differences between experimental conditions, whereas with the third program, parameter differences within a particular experimental condition can be tested.
Validation of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children Comparing Anglo and Mexican-American Preschoolers
Authors: Whitworth Randolph H. , Chrisman Sabine M.
Published: March 2007

The concurrent validity of the recently developed Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) was assessed by comparing it with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) using two groups of 30 Anglo and 30 Mexican-American preschoolers as subjects. The correlations between the five K-ABC Scales and the three WPPSI IQs were all positive, most moderately high, with the patterns of high and low relationships very similar for both groups, suggesting that the K-ABC and WPPSI are measuring similar, but not identical, intellectual and achievement factors. No significant differences between the Anglo and Hispanic groups were found for any of the K-ABC scales but the Anglo children scored significantly higher on the WPPSI Verbal IQ than the Hispanics. These results provide evidence that the K-ABC not only has good concurrent validity with the WPPSI but also appears to be a less biased instrument for Mexican-American children.
A Public School Validation Study of the Achievement Sections of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery with Learning Disabled Students
Authors: Beden Ione , Rohr Leslie , Ellsworth Randy
Published: March 2007

This study investigated selected aspects of the concurrent validity of the achievement sections of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery. A random sample of 30 elementary students referred for possible learning disabilities was selected and each student was evaluated by two different staffing committees, one having achievement information from traditionally used school district tests of Key Math, Brigance Inventory of Basic Skills, PIAT, and WRAT while the second evaluation committee had Woodcock-Johnson achievement information in place of the traditionally used tests. Identical LD placement decisions were reached on 23 out of 30 students evaluated (p < .05). In addition, it was found that Woodcock-Johnson cognitive ability scores correlated +.63 with WISC-R scores and were about 12 IQ points lower on the average.
A Comparison of Methods for Treating Incomplete Data in Selection Research
Authors: Raymond Mark R. , Roberts Dennis M.
Published: March 2007

Data were simulated to conform to covariance patterns taken from the personnel selection literature. Two, six, and ten percent of the values were deleted from one of three predictor variables in sample sizes of 50, 100 and 200. Incomplete data matrices were treated by four methods: (a) elimination of cases with incomplete data records; (b) substitution of missing values with the variable mean; (c) replacement of missing values with an estimate obtained from simple regression; and (d) replacement of missing values with an estimate derived from iterated multiple regression. The treated data matrices were subjected to multiple regression analyses, and the resulting regression equations were compared to the equations obtained from the original, complete data. The two regression based estimation procedures provided the most accurate regression equations, followed by the method of inserting means. Discarding cases with incomplete records was the least accurate method. Although the results supported the practice of using covariate information to estimate missing data, the increases in accuracy were minimal under the conditions investigated.
The Development of the Attitudes toward Computer Usage Scale
Authors: Popovich Paula M. , Hyde Karen R. , Zakrajsek Todd , Blumer Catherine
Published: March 2007

An Attitudes-Toward-Computer Usage Scale (ATCUS) was developed in two studies. In the first study, 40 items were administered to 365 undergraduate students to assess attitudes toward the use of computers and computer-related mechanisms. The scale was found to have high internal consistency and was significantly correlated with two other scales measuring attitudes toward computers. Sex differences were also found. Based on factor analysis results, the scale was reduced to 20 items and administered to 351 undergraduates in a second study, where is was also found to have high internal consistency. Factor analysis revealed four factors, with three showing significant sex differences.
The Matching Familiar Figures Test: Computer or Experimenter Controlled Administration?
Authors: Van Merrienboer Jeroen J. G. , Jelsma Otto
Published: March 2007

The reliability of computer controlled and experimenter controlled administration of the Matching Familiar Figures Test was examined with a sample of 80 students ages 17-19 years. In order, internal consistencies for computer and experimenter controlled administration were .87 and .90 for response times and .44 and .59 for errors; test-retest correlations over one year were .78 and .82 for time scores and .74 and .60 for error scores. These data correspond with reliabilities reported by others. Computer controlled administration makes collective MFFT presentation possible and may contribute to research on the cognitive style reflection-impulsivity and instructional conditions.
Effects of Profile Elevation, Scatter, and Shape on Discriminant Analysis Results
Authors: Stemmler Gerhard
Published: March 2007

Under the heading of "profile analysis" most multivariate statistical textbooks describe the "levels" and the "parallelism" hypotheses, which test group profile differences in elevation and combined scatter/shape, respectively. It is argued that although both tests are very useful tools, they should be incorporated into a strategy allowing for more specific analyses. A detailed profile analysis should be capable of separating the effects of elevation, scatter, and shape on single discriminant functions and contrasts. Procedural steps of such a Multistage Discriminant Analysis are outlined. Emphasis is placed on the geometrical representation of group profile configurations. The procedure is illustrated with an artificial data set.
Stability of the Gibb (1964) Experimental Test of Testwiseness
Authors: Miller Paul M. , Fagley N. S. , Lane David S.
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the reliability of the Gibb (1964) Experimental Test of Testwiseness, a performance measure (rather than a self-report measure) of testwiseness. The 70 multiple-choice items can be answered correctly using only secondary cues irrelevant to item content. Seventy undergraduate students participated. The two-week test-retest reliability coefficient was .64. Coefficient alpha was .61 for the first administration and .72 for the second administration. Although these figures are modest, they are minimally adequate for use in further research. Reliability of the seven subscales is also reported. Future research could investigate the effects of students' motivation on the reliability and stability figures.
The Effect of Grouped versus Randomized Questionnaire Format on Scale Reliability and Validity: A Three-Study Investigation
Authors: Schriesheim Chester A. , Kopelman Richard E. , Solomon Esther
Published: March 2007

Three studies were conducted exploring the effects of two questionnaire formats (grouping versus randomized items) on internal consistency and test-retest reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, and accuracy in respondent-provided descriptions. The results of these studies (two correlational, one experimental) were reasonably consistent in showing that neither format is clearly superior to the other on any of the examined psychometric properties, although a weak trend showed that the grouped item format produced slightly superior measurement properties. Over-all, the results did not support the usefulness of grouping question-naire items. Implications and future research directions are briefly discussed.
Cognition and Academic Achievement: The Relationship of the Cognitive Levels Test to the Keymath and Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests
Authors: Eaves Ronald C. , Darch Craig , Mann Lester , Vance Hubert R.
Published: March 2007

This study evaluated the ability of the Cognitive Levels Test to estimate current achievement in mathematics (as measured by the KeyMath Diagnostic Arithmetic Test) and reading (via the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests) among a group of 43 handicapped and at-risk children. The validity coefficients resulting from the analysis indicated that the Cognitive Levels Test provides valid estimates of mathematics and reading achievement. A repeated measures analysis of variance yielded just one score that was significantly different from other scores in the set. That is, the Letter Identification score of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test was found to be significantly greater than all other reading and cognitive scores. Although the Cognitive Levels Test scores met criteria for convergent-discriminant validity with regard to the KeyMath Diagnostic Arithmetic Test scores, the results were less promising regarding the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test.
The Development of an Objective Scale to Measure a Transpersonal Orientation to Learning
Authors: Shapiro Stewart B. , Fitzgerald Louise F.
Published: March 2007

A transpersonal orientation to learning was detected in the writings of 89 well-known representatives of humanistic education. According to the transpersonal approach, schools and other learning environments should be used for the development of spiritual potential as well as academic, vocational, and socio-personal learning. Despite many studies and measures of paranormal/ transpersonal beliefs and practices, there has been none devoted exclusively to objective scales measuring such applications to education. In the current study, a 40-item Likert-scale, The Transpersonal Orientation to Learning (TOTL), was developed and validated to meet the need for such careful measures in today's increasingly controversial climate regarding the place of any and all religious beliefs in the public schools. Satisfactory reliability and promising predictive and construct validity were demonstrated for TOTL. An equamax factor analysis revealed four factors: Fantasy Techniques in Schools, Mysticism Preferred to Science, Paranormal Techniques in Schools, and Transcendent Conscious-ness.
Factor Analysis and Reliability of the Group Therapy Survey
Authors: Broday Steven F. , Gieda Martin J. , Mullison Don D. , Sedlacek William E.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study is to examine the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and factor structure of the Group Therapy Survey (GTS) (Slocum, 1987). One hundred forty-seven students in an educational skills class at a large eastern university completed the GTS. The two-week test-retest reliability was .80, and the internal consistency of the GTS was .59. Also, three factors emerged ("Positive Attitudes," "Misconceptions," and "Self-Disclosure Fears"). It was suggested that the 25-item GTS be revised prior to use by clinicians and researchers.
Eval: A Fortran Program for the Evaluation of Selection Procedures
Authors: Klieme Eckhard , Stumpf Heinrich
Published: March 2007

A FORTRAN 77 program is presented which performs analyses according to the Taylor-Russell paradigm. The program also estimates hoist effects and success rate effects. The concepts of hoist effect and success rate effect are explained.
Factor Structure of the Gibb Experimental Test of Testwiseness
Authors: Miller Paul M. , Fuqua Dale R. , Fagley N. S.
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the factor structure of scores on the seven subscales of the Gibb (1964) Experimental Test of Testwiseness. The Gibb instrument measures a subject's ability to use seven types of secondary cues to correctly answer multiple-choice test questions. The study investigated whether the seven types of cues proposed by Gibb (1964) represented independent dimensions or could be reduced to a smaller set of interpretable factors. A principal components analysis yielded two factors with eigenvalues exceeding 1.00. The factors were rotated to final solution using the varimax method. Scales loading above .40 on factor 1 included Alliterative Associations, More Precise Alternatives, Longer Correct Alternatives, and Grammatical cues. These subscales were interpreted as more overt cues to the correct response. Scales with loadings above .40 on factor 2 included Grossly Unrelated Alternatives, Inclusionary Language, and Give Aways in other items. These subscales were interpreted as more subtle cues to the correct response. Further research is necessary to replicate the factors and to substantiate these tentative interpretations.
Predicting Academic Achievement in Kindergarten and First Grade from Prekindergarten Scores on the Lollipop Test and Dial
Authors: Chew Alex L. , Lang W. Steve
Published: March 2007

The focus of the present study was on the multivariate relationship of two predictors of school readiness administered four months prior to kindergarten to two groups of criteria. A sample of 110 children from rural Georgia were followed longitudinally. The overall results indicate a high degree of commonality between the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning and the Lollipop Test. Both predictors demonstrated equivalent ability to predict students' grades and standardized test scores over two years of investigation. Canonical correlations ranged from .68 to .83 and suggested that the predictor scores accounted for approximately half of the variance in the grades and test scores of kindergarten and first-grade children.
Alphamax: A Program that Maximizes Coefficient Alpha by Selective Item Deletion
Authors: Thompson Bruce
Published: March 2007

The presence report describes a computer program, ALPHAMAX, that can be employed to evaluate the internal consistency reliability of test data, and to help the researcher during test development in selecting item subsets that may maximize coefficient alpha. The program also invokes a "bootstrap" type logic to evaluate the generalizability of conclusions regarding optimal item subsets.
The Optimization of Generalizability Studies with Resource Constraints
Authors: Marcoulides George A. , Goldstein Zvi
Published: March 2007

Generalizability theory is a measurement theory that provides a framework for examining the dependability of behavioral measurements. When limited resources are available determining the appropriate number of conditions to use in a measurement design is not a simple task. This paper presents a methodology for determining the optimal number of observations to use in a measurement design when resource constraints are imposed.
An Experimental Approach to Evaluate Methods to Detect Scale Recalibration
Authors: Granier M. Janell , Green Samuel B. , Armenakis Achilles A.
Published: March 2007

Measured change to assess the effectiveness of an organizational intervention program may be a function of behavioral change, scale recalibration, and concept redefinition. A number of techniques including the Ideal Scale Approach have been proposed to detect change due to scale recalibration. A methodology is proposed for the manipulation of scale recalibration so that these detection methods can be experimentally evaluated. An illustration of the use of this methodology to evaluate an adaptation of the Ideal Scale Approach is presented.
A Fortran 77 Program for Testing the Differences among Independent Correlations
Authors: Silver N. Clayton , Burkey Robert T.
Published: March 2007

A FORTRAN 77 program is presented which computes the Rao (1970) global test and the subsequent Levy (1976) multiple range procedure for testing the differences among independent correlations.
Utility Analysis of Five Weighting Methods for Making Consumer Loan Decisions
Authors: Muchinsky Paul M. , Skilling Nancy J. Langham
Published: March 2007

The economic utility of five weighting methods (unit, weighted application blank, chi-square, Bayes, and regression) for evaluating consumer loan applications was determined. A sample of 443 consumer loans which had been classified as either good or bad accounts was analyzed via 11 predictor variables. The predictor variables were weighted by each of the five weighting methods. Cross-validated correlations revealed that consumer credit risk is highly predictable. The five methods differed in the extent to which they produced false positive and false negative selection decisions. Utility assessments revealed that the best methods were the unit and weighted application blank procedures. The findings were discussed in terms of the assessment of credit risk and issues associated with the implementation of decision models by real world decision makers.
The Relationship between Career Choice Attitudes and Career Choice Competencies of Black 9Th-Grade Pupils
Authors: Westbrook Bert W. , Sanford Eleanor E.
Published: March 2007

This paper presents the results of a study designed to determine whether or not Career Choice Attitudes and Career Choice Competencies of black 9th-graders are interrelated as hypothesized in the Crites (1974, 1978) model of career maturity. To test hypotheses derived from the Crites model, the Career Maturity Inventory was administered to 122 9th-grade pupils. The intercorrelations of Career Choice Competencies were found to be lower than predicted. The Career Choice Attitudes and Career Competencies dimensions were found to be more highly correlated with each other than was hypothesized by the Crites model, but consistent with the results of other investigations.
A Turbo Pascal Unit for Approximating the Cumulative Distribution Function of Roy'S Largest Root Criterion
Authors: Lutz J. Gary
Published: March 2007

A unit is described which approximates the cumulative distribution function of Roy's largest root criterion using results given by Pillai (1965). Functions within the unit can be used to find cumulative (and tail) probabilities for a sample value of Roy's criterion or the critical value of Roy's criterion for a given level of significance. As the only approximations to this distribution currently exist in tabular or chart form, the unit has utility for both data analysts and programmers. A demonstration program is included.
Discstra: A Computer Program that Computes Bootstrap Resampling Estimates of Descriptive Discriminant Analysis Function and Structure Coefficients and Group Centroids
Authors: Thompson Bruce
Published: March 2007

Program DISCSTRA computes bootstrap estimates of discriminant function analysis function and structure coefficients, and group centroids. The use of the program is illustrated using Fisher's iris data.
Computerized Adaptive and Fixed-Item Versions of the Ited Vocabulary Subtest
Authors: Vispoel Walter P.
Published: March 2007

The purposes of this study were: (a) to compare the reliability, concurrent validity, and efficiency of scores derived from computerized adaptive and fixed-item versions of the vocabulary subtest from the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED), and (b) to evaluate examinees' attitudes toward the tests. One-hundred and sixty-five college students were randomly assigned to take either an adaptive (n = 82) or fixed-item (n = 83) vocabulary test. Self-reported college grade point average, verbal self-concept scores, and vocabulary self-efficacy scores served as criterion variables in the concurrent validity analysis. Results indicated that the adaptive test at 13 items provided higher levels of reliability and concurrent validity than the fixed-item tests at 40 items. Examinees expressed favorable attitudes about the computerized tests' visual displays, directions, and practice items but unfavorable attitudes about the exclusion of review and skip options. They also preferred computerized over paper-and-pencil vocabulary testing formats.
Post Hoc Pair-Wise Comparisons for the Chi-Square Test of Homogeneity of Proportions
Authors: Cox Myron K. , Key Coretta H.
Published: March 2007

This article presents a model for multiple pair-wise comparisons of selected categories (cells) of a contingency table after the chi-square test has rejected the null hypothesis of equality of population proportions. The model will determine which, if any, pair-wise proportions among the multiple cross-classifications have led to the rejection. The model is developed by considering the relationship between the chi-square distribution and a particular standardized normal.
Development and Validation of a Family Environment Checklist for Use in Selecting At-Risk Participants for Innovative Educational Preschool Programs
Authors: Payne David A. , Mcgee-Brown Mary Jo , Taylor Paulette , Dukes Margaret
Published: March 2007

Data were gathered from a checklist sampling social, educational, and economic family factors contributing to pre-school student classifications of being at-risk. The At-Risk Survey was administered to 34 parents of students selected for an innovative joint parent-child educational program aimed at enhancing parenting skills and kindergarten readiness preparation for 4 year olds. The 22-item ARS was found to be correlated (over an 8-month period) with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (-.24), Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (-.45), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (-.56), and the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment (-.58). Data were interpreted as supporting the predictive validity of the family environment checklist, and the presence of a general at-risk performance factor.
Validity Studies the Children'S Depression Inventory: A Comparison of Generalizability and Classical Test Theory Analyses
Authors: Crowley Susan L. , Thompson Bruce , Worchel Frances
Published: March 2007

Issues surrounding accurate assessment of depression in children have received much attention. However, the stability of scores from depression measures has generally been estimated using only classical test score theory, rather than the more powerful generalizability theory. This study investigated the dependability of scores from the Children's Depression Inventory using both generalizability and classical test score analyses. Results suggest that the sources of error variance interact to decrease the dependability of CDI scores. Several sample measurement protocols were also investigated. Results indicate that depression in children might be better assessed using planned, multiple testing sessions.
An Extension of the Leadership Practices Inventory to Individual Contributors
Authors: Posner Barry Z. , Kouzes James M.
Published: March 2007

The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), which had been developed for use with managerial populations, was modified for use with nonmanagers and individual contributors. Subjects were 1,651 individual contributors and 7,073 of their colleagues. Satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability estimates were found. Differences between self and observer scores and between male and female respondents were minimal and consistent with those reported for the LPI. Comparisons between the leadership practices of managers and nonmanagers within the same organization were relatively similar, although some significant differences were observed.
The Influence of Report Cards on the Validity of Grades Reported to Parents
Authors: Friedman Stephen J. , Frisbie David A.
Published: March 2007

Schools rely heavily on report cards when communicating with parents about students' performance in school. But how do the various characteristics of report cards contribute to or detract from the validity of the grading information? Samples of reporting forms gathered from elementary, middle, and high schools throughout Wisconsin were content analyzed to determine their influence on validity. The results are presented for the kindergarten, elementary, middle school, and high school samples, and trends across grade levels are also examined. The relationship of the findings to the meaningfulness of the information typically found on report cards is discussed, and suggestions are offered for improving the validity of the inferences parents make from report cards.
A Study of the Psychometric Properties of the Managerial Skill Scales of the Survey of Management Practices
Authors: Shipper Frank
Published: March 2007

Much interest in managerial skills has been generated recently. However, most of the questionnaires on managerial skills have focused on frequency and not competency. Thus the purpose of this study is to test the psychometric properties of the managerial skill scales of the Survey of Management Practices, which is purported to measure the competency of individuals on 11 managerial skills. Overall, the results suggest that the managerial skill scales of this instrument have the psychometric properties of internal consistency, interrater agreement, construct validity, divergent discriminate validity, and both internal and external criterion validity. Some modifications for improvement are nevertheless suggested.
Examinee Feedback Questionnaire: Reliability and Validity Measures
Authors: Nevo Baruch
Published: March 2007

The systematic consideration of test-takers' reactions to the tests they take can be an important part of psychometric assessment. The Examinee Feedback Questionnaire (EFeQ) evaluates a variety of aspects of the test situation, such as physical conditions, examiner behavior, the testing conditions, and the test itself. The EFeQ was administered to 1,385 Israeli college applicants who took an entrance examination. A second sample involved 208 groups of students tested in 208 examination halls. Results established good response to consistency and external validity for the EFeQ. Examinee reactions to tests appear to be quite consistent and stable. The EFeQ can be made to apply to a great variety of tests, test situations, and examinee populations. Feedback questionnaires can assist designers in improving tests and testing procedures.
Rasch Model Logits: Interpretation, Use, and Transformation
Authors: Ludlow Larry H. , Haley Stephen M.
Published: March 2007

This article presents (a) a nontechnical explanation of Rasch model "logit" estimates of pediatric functional ability, (b) an illustration of two alternative transformations of logit estimates of functional ability, and (c) a pragmatic solution to the problem of obtaining a functional ability estimate for a zero or perfect performance score. An explanation of logits is offered because their presentation to practitioners in the clinic is often complicated and confusing. The transformations are performed because they remove negative and decimal valued estimates of functioning. The issue of zero and perfect scores is addressed because these are often the scores obtained by the youngest and oldest children in a clinical setting.
Validity of Scores on the Attitudes toward Diversity Scale (ATDS)
Authors: Montei Maythew S. , Adams Gary A. , Eggers Leigh M.
Published: March 2007

The Attitudes Toward Diversity scale (ATDS) was developed to measure the construct of attitudes toward diversity. It consists of 10 items representing each of three domains: attitudes toward diversity with regard to (a) coworkers, (b) supervisors, and (c) hiring and promotion decisions. To determine psychometric characteristics of scale scores, 349 full-time workers completed the instrument. Subjects included firefighters, police officers, first-line supervisors, technologists, clerical/secretarial workers, and managers. Confirmatory factor analysis indicates that the ATDS is three-dimensional, as hypothesized. Further analyses suggest that the scale has high internal consistency (a = .90) and is unaffected by a social desirability response style (r = -.09, n.s.).
Reliability, Ethnic Comparability, and Validity Evidence for a Condensed Measure of Proactive Coping: The BAPC-C
Authors: Cecilia Zea Maria , Reisen Carol A. , Tyler Forrest B.
Published: March 2007

An abbreviated, 13-item version of the Behavioral Attributes of Psychosocial Competence Scale (BAPC) was derived. Two studies were designed to examine internal consistency, test-retest reliability, criterion and concurrent validity, and ethnic comparability. Participants in Study 1 were 346 college students of diverse ethnic backgrounds: Asian American, African American, and non-Latino white. Study 1 data indicated good internal consistency (alpha = .76), comparability across ethnic groups, high correlation with the original BAPC measure, and criterion validity evidence parallel to that of the BAPC. Study 2 replicated an internal consistency of .76 with a sample of 95 college students. Test-retest reliability over a 6-week period was .86. Concurrent validity was supported by evidence that the BAPC-Condensed Form and the COPE Inventory have variance in common.
Ability Test Equity in Predicting Job Performance Work Samples
Authors: Harville Donald L.
Published: March 2007

There has been a lack of work sample job performance criteria to support the usage of ability tests for personnel selection. Work samples of performance were collected for three air force jobs. Differences in slopes and intercepts on the basis of race and sex were tested for the regressions of work sample scores on Armed Forces Qualification Test scores. This ability test was found to be fair to Blacks, Whites, males, and females for all three jobs using Cleary's definition of test bias.
Pairwise Comparisons for Proportions: A Note on Cox and Key
Authors: Seaman Michael A. , Hill Cher Chester
Published: March 2007

This article focuses on a large-sample post hoc procedure for pairwise comparisons of proportions that was recently proposed by Cox and Key in 1993. Problems with the procedure are discussed, and a correct procedure is described. The method is then extended to planned comparisons of proportions.
On Chance and Factor Congruence Following Orthogonal Procrustes Rotation
Authors: Paunonen Sampo V.
Published: March 2007

Procrustes methods of factor rotation have been criticized for producing excessively high coefficients of congruence when attempting to fit one factor pattern matrix into the space of a targeted pattern. A Monte Carlo study was designed to evaluate some of the conditions contributing to this problem when using Schonemann's orthogonal Procrustes transformation. It was found that the expected size of the factor congruence coefficient varied with (a) the number of variables in the analysis, (b) the number of salient variables defining a factor, and (c) the size of the salient variables' factor pattern coefficients. The number of factors extracted also had some influence on congruence but only in interaction with the size of the salient pattern values. The results of this simulation study, which include a prediction equation, can be used by researchers to appraise levels of factor congruence they find with real data.
Factorial Validity of Scores on the Aiken Attitude to Mathematics Scales for Adult Pretertiary Students
Authors: Taylor Janet A.
Published: March 2007

The Aiken Attitude to Mathematics Scale was administered to 430 adult students enrolled in a tertiary preparation program. The factorial validity of the scale was investigated by exploratory factor analysis using principal axis technique with varimax rotation. Two factors (Enjoyment and Value) were extracted with high reliabilites, contrary to Aiken's four factors (Enjoyment, Motivation, Importance, and Freedom from Fear). The two-dimensional structure for Aiken's 1979 scale is similar to the structure of Aiken's 1974 scale.
A Useful Function for Assessing the Effect of Guessing on True-False and Multiple-Choice Tests
Authors: Wang Jianjun , Calhoun George
Published: March 2007

A table of critical passing scores was assembled for assessing the effects of blind guessing on the results of true-false and multiple-choice tests. This useful tabulation also represents an intermediate step toward development of a more comprehensive model for nonblind guessing in Bayesian statistics. By checking this table for various forms of tests, one can make a decision with 95% confidence as to whether the correction for guessing is necessary for grading a true-false or multiple-choice test. A function in the Microsoft Excel software is described to extend the table.
A SAS Program for Testing the Statistical Significance of a Mediating Variable
Authors: Lin Ting Hsiang
Published: March 2007

This article describes a SAS/IML program that performs the significance test of the mediating variable in a three-variable relationship. In testing the mediating variable, the equality of two regression coefficients is tested.
The Accuracy of Different Methods for Estimating the Standard Error of Correlations Corrected for Range Restriction
Authors: Duan Bin , Dunlap William P.
Published: March 2007

A Monte Carlo study was conducted to compare the accuracy of different estimates of the standard error of correlations corrected for restriction in range. It was found that the procedure suggested by P. Bobko and A. Rieck, also derived by N. S. Raju and colleagues, generated the most accurate estimates of the standard error compared to other existing procedures. The study also repeated previous findings that Pearson correlations corrected for restriction in range resulted in more accurate estimates of the population rho than did the restricted correlations, but the accuracy of the approximation of population rho decreased as the selection criterion became higher. Another finding of the study was that the standard error of correlations under range restriction tended to increase as the selection ratios decreased.
The Psychometric Characteristics of the Henderson Environmental Learning Process Scale
Authors: Curtis W. John , Singh Nirbhay N.
Published: March 2007

The Henderson Environmental Learning Process Scale (HELPS) was designed to assess environmental process variables in the home that are relevant to intellectual development and academic achievement of young children. Previous factor-analytic studies of the HLPS have identified both five- and six-factor solutions but have not reported on the reliability of their results. The present authors investigated the psychometric characteristics of the HELPS in a sample of 385 parents of school-aged children. The results of a factor analysis provided a conceptually meaningful six-factor solution. However, the internal consistency reliabilities of scores on three of the six factors were unacceptably low. Obtained internal consistency reliabilities for scores on the six subscales ranged from 0.35 to 0.80. Although scores on there of the factors have low internal consistency reliabilities, the HELPS may prove to be a useful instrument with some modification and further testing.
WISC-III Factor Invariance Across Samples of Children Exhibiting Appropriate and Inappropriate Test-Session Behaviors
Authors: Maller Susan J. , Konold Timothy R. , Glutiting Joseph J.
Published: March 2007

Test-taking behaviors, such as a lack of attention, poor cooperation, and avoidance, can have an adverse impact on intelligence test scores. The Guide to the Assessment of Test Session Behavior for the WISC-III and WIAT(GATSB) provides a standardized measure of test-taking behavior. Whether the measurement of intelligence when using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-I1) actually differs for children who exhibit inappropriate test-session behavior was evaluated empirically. To test the invariance of factor structures, a multi sample confirmatory factor analysis, using LISREL 8, was conducted on samples of children displaying appropriate versus inappropriate behaviors, as measured by their total GATSB scores. Factor coefficients and error variances were generally invariant. However, some factor variances and covariances were not invariant, suggesting that factor index and Full Scale IQs may have different meanings across groups of children who display appropriate versus inappropriate test-session behavior.
A Comparison of Maximum Likelihood Estimation and Expected a Posteriori Estimation in CAT Using the Partial Credit Model
Authors: Chen Ssu-Kuang , Hou Liling , Dodd Barbara G.
Published: March 2007

A simulation study was conducted to investigate the application of expected a posteriori (EAP) trait estimation in computerized adaptive tests (CAT) based on the partial credit model and compare it with maximum likelihood trait estimation (MLE). The performance of EAP was evaluated under different conditions: the number of quadrature points (10, 20,40, and 80) and the type of prior distribution (normal and uniform). The relative performance of MLE and the EAP estimation methods was assessed under two distributional forms of the latent trait (normal and negatively skewed). Results showed that, regardless of the latent trait distribution, MLE and EAP with a normal prior or a uniform prior using either 20, 40, or 80 quadrature points provided relatively accurate estimation in CAT based on the partial credit model. Also, increasing the number of quadrature points from 20 to 80 did not increase the accuracy of EAP estimation.