In this note, we report on an implementation of discovery-oriented problems in courses on Real Analysis and Differential Equations. We explain a type of task design that gives students the opportunity to conjecture, refute and prove. What is new is that the complexity in our problems is limited and thus the tasks can also be used in homework…

The School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R) is a widely used measure of the functional conditions leading to school absenteeism. In the present study, we developed a German version of the SRAS-R and investigated its psychometric properties in a clinical sample (N = 62) of referred school absentees aged 11 to 17 years. Results of an…

Modern attempts to explain why some assessment tools are readily adopted by school-based personnel whereas others are not have focused on the concept of usability. Usability encompasses not only the degree to which consumers find an assessment tool to be acceptable, but also the degree to which it is well-understood, believed to be feasible,…

In this study, we investigated how empirical indicators of test-taking engagement can be defined, empirically validated, and used to describe group differences in the context of the Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC). The approach was to distinguish between disengaged and engaged response behavior by means of…

We report on a long-term study which was executed in a German secondary school with 128 eights graders (ages 14 to 15) in four different classes. Two of these classes served as control groups. The mathematics lessons of the other two classes (treatment groups) were frequently enriched by distinguished phases in which structured argumentation and…

This article reports about our efforts to determine engineering students' competence in mathematics. Our research is embedded in a larger project, KoM@ING--"Modeling and developing competence: Integrated IRT based and qualitative studies with a focus on mathematics and its usage in engineering studies", within the program "Modeling…

Ruscio, Seaman, D'Oriano, Stremlo, and Mahalchik (this issue) evaluate 22 bibliometric indicators, including conventional measures, like the number of publications, the "h" index, and many "h" index variants. To assess the quality of the indicators, their well-justified criteria encompass conceptual, empirical, and practical…

We tested the psychometric properties of the Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) in a sample of nonclinical adolescents, examined the association with current psychopathology, and tested if "hypomanic" adolescents differ from other participants regarding HCL-scores and psychopathology. A total of 294 students completed the HCL-32 and the SDQ, a…

Compared alprazolam, imipramine, and placebo in the treatment of panic disorder patients (n=59) to investigate concerns about the internal validity of the double-blind design. Found that the great majority of patients and physicians were able to rate accurately whether active drug or placebo had been given and physicians could distinguish between…

Criticizes and examines the motives behind Charles Murray's "The Bell Curve." Murray's book claimed that many social problems, including crime and poverty among blacks, could be explained by African Americans' lack of intelligence as evidenced by testing. Reveals the book's skewed methodology as well as its interest-guided financial…

Describes Assessment Center (AC) programs that are used in Germany to prepare university business graduates making job applications to large companies. The simulation of real-life application procedures is explained, problems associated with the validity of the AC are addressed, and the roles and attitudes of students and experts are discussed.…

Recommends confronting the problem of validity in intercultural research by adopting research approaches that focus on the problem (for example, ethnopsychoanalysis, intercultural psychology). Briefly reviews the current debate on intercultural-comparative research. Concludes with examples and a discussion of the recent developments in comparative…

This document contains the second volume of the proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Conference presentations are centered around the theme "Mathematics at the Centre." This volume features 60 research reports by presenters with last names beginning between Abr…