College students (n=241) completed Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) under different instructional sets. Found index of differential endorsement of subtle and obvious MCMI items to discriminate more strongly than MCMI Validity Scale between subjects instructed to answer honestly and subjects instructed to fake good, fake bad, or portray…

Examined the ability of CAGE, an established screening test for alcoholism, to identify accurately problem drinkers among college students (N=582). Found that the CAGE did not perform well enough to serve as a screening tool for problem drinking within the college student population. (Author/ABL)

The identification and treatment of anxiety and depression among incoming freshmen from six colleges of the Chinese Culture University, Taiwan, were undertaken by the University Mental Health Center. A total of 2,121 students from 53 departments were assessed using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) (Zung,…

The Nelson Denny Reading Test (NDRT) is probably the most widely used test of reading comprehension at the college level in the nation. However, reviews of the test, as well as recent reports of its failure to adequately measure gain or lack of gain of college students enrolled in reading improvement courses, do not support the popularity it has…

Aspects of the new Employee Polygraph Protection Act are discussed, including exemptions, prohibited devices, limitations, exceptions, injury and access requirements, reasonable suspicion, drug industry investigations, procedural requirements, disclosure, basis for discharge, enforcement and remedies, and preemption and existing state laws. (MSE)

A study investigated observable differences in results, not attributable to student competence, in administrations of the same 16-station clinical skills screening examination (Ontario International Medical Graduates Program) to approximately 200 foreign medical graduates and University of Toronto fourth-year medical students. Results indicated…

An update on legal aspects of drug testing in the workplace looks at pre-employment screening, reasonable suspicion testing, routine testing in periodic physical examinations, random testing, and unionized employers. Practical guidelines are given for minimizing obtrusiveness, confirmatory tests, laboratory selection, notification of policy,…

At the 1977 Educational Testing Service (ETS) Invitational Conference, the ETS Measurement Award was presented to Anne Anastasi. In view of the convergence of measurement and the law, the conference focused on six related issues. Barbara Lerner explored the screening procedures of American professional and graduate schools in "Equal…

Proposes a problem-solving process for finding unique solutions for specific learning problems of medical students, particularly in clinical preceptorships. Suggestions are offered for evaluation of the problem learner, including more emphasis on peer and self-evaluation and insights into teaching and implementing the proposed model, including the…

Describes advantages and disadvantages of computer-assisted foreign language testing, including unique capabilities of the computer, types of tests possible, limitations, problems, and language skill testing. The Spanish Computer Adaptive Placement Examination, developed at Brigham Young University (Utah), is described. (CB)

This report discusses a multiphase project to develop a user-oriented survey of prior accomplishments of graduate student applicants to aid admissions committees and graduate departments in the selection process. The three phases included: (1) development of three prototype instruments based on a checklist approach, a semi-documented approach, and…

A new program at Boston University that identifies students who would have great difficulty fulfilling their foreign language requirement is described. This program offers an alternative sequence of courses designed to help these students achieve foreign language learning success. (LMO)

A study investigated the use of a narrative discourse task to test oral English proficiency in non-native speakers for screening and placement. The subjects were Japanese university freshmen entering a five-level course in spoken English. The subjects were shown an animated cartoon of a Japanese folk tale, with narration in Japanese, and later…