This study explored motivation and engagement among North American (the United States and Canada; n = 1,540), U.K. (n = 1,558), Australian (n = 2,283), and Chinese (n = 3,753) secondary school students. Motivation and engagement were assessed via students' responses to the Motivation and Engagement Scale-High School (MES-HS). Confirmatory factor…

Combining diverse methods in a single study raises a problem: What should be done when the findings of one method of investigation conflict with those of another? The authors illustrate this problem using an example in which three study phases--quantitative, qualitative, and intervention--are applied. The findings from the quantitative phase did…

To avoid reduction in observational data resulting from correlational techniques for analyzing interpersonal interactions, a data-transformation method based on multidimensional scaling techniques was applied to the Family Interaction Coding System. Two resulting dimensions, prosocial-deviance and high-low involvement, were applied to observations…

Among the criticisms of Micko's Halo Model are: 1) it is too restrictive to fit empirical data, 2) it misrepresents unrelated percepts as bipolar structures, 3) it requires all dimensions to be bipolar, and 4) it causes the interpretations of orthogonality of factors and factor loadings to become problematic. (Author/BJG)

Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) is proposed as a viable research methodology for use by organizational scientists. Presents a brief description of the method and discusses past uses of the methodology. Describes possible uses for MDS in the areas of construct development and schema recovery. (Author)

A review of existing techniques for the analysis of three-way data revealed that none were appropriate to the wide variety of data usually encountered in psychological research, and few were capable of both isolating common information and systematically describing individual differences. Such a model is developed and evaluated. (Author/JKS)

Provides a nontechnical explanation of the family of multivariate statistical techniques known as multidimensional scaling (MDS). Explains the purpose of MDS, and the advantages of using these techniques in the study of musical perception. Discusses two approaches to the interpretation of MDS solutions. Lists examples of musical studies using MDS.…

This study examined the impact of rater agreement on decisions concerning the alignment between the "Golden State Examination in High School Mathematics" (California Department of Education, 2001a) and the University of California (UC) "Statement on Competencies in Mathematics Expected of Entering College Students" (Academic…

The paper is a critique of the traditional mode of interpreting factor analyses; it is not a criticism of factor analysis per se. Instead, the author proposes a statistical procedure based upon stepwise regression (SRP). The traditional mode focuses on the largest factor loadings (FL). A factor is both described and named by these heavily weighted…

Six major problems confronting attempts to use nonmetric multidimensional scaling to represent structures underlying similarity data are identified and the author's prospects for over-coming each of these problems are presented. (RC)

This paper discusses a longitudinal, exploratory study of developmental dimensions related to object permanence theory and explains how multidimensional scaling techniques can be used to identify developmental dimensions. Eighty infants, randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups and one of four counterbalanced orders of stimuli, were…

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the role of family functioning in the stress process in a sample of caregivers of dementia patients by using a structural family framework. The stress-process model of caregiver distress included family functioning as an intervening variable in the relationship between objective burden and…