Chalmers recently published a critique of the use of ordinal a[alpha] proposed in Zumbo et al. as a measure of test reliability in certain research settings. In this response, we take up the task of refuting Chalmers' critique. We identify three broad misconceptions that characterize Chalmers' criticisms: (1) confusing assumptions with…

In recent years the use of expert judgement to set and maintain examination standards has been increasingly criticised in favour of approaches based on statistical modelling. This paper reviews existing research on this controversy and attempts to unify the evidence within a framework where expertise is utilised in the form of comparative…

This monograph provides an epistemological rational for the Accumulative Manifold Validation Analysis [also referred by the acronym "AMOVA"] statistical methodology designed to test psychometric instruments. This form of inquiry is a form of mathematical optimization in the discipline of linear stochastic modelling. AMOVA is an in-depth…

Product assessment is widely applied in creative studies, typically as an important dependent measure. Within this context, this study had 2 purposes. First, the focus of this research was on methods for investigating possible rater effects, an issue that has not received a great deal of attention in past creativity studies. Second, the…

The online deployment of Technology Engineered online Student Ratings of Instruction (SRIs) by colleges and universities in the United States has dynamically changed the deployment of course evaluation. This research investigation is the fourth part of a post hoc study that analytically and psychometrically examines the design, reliability, and…

This report gives some simple examples of stability for one factor and 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance, reliability and correlations. The findings are very different: from superstability (no transformation whatsoever can change the result) to almost total instability. This is followed by a discussion of applications to multivariate analysis,…

A large number of seemingly diverse coefficients have been proposed as indices of dependability, or reliability, for domain-referenced and/or mastery tests. In this paper, it is shown that most of these indices are special cases of two generalized indices of agreement: one that is corrected for chance, and one that is not. The special cases of…

The kappamax reliability index of domain-referenced tests is defined as the upper bound of kappa when all possibile cutoff scores are considered. Computational procedures for kappamax are described, as well as its approximation for long tests, based on Kuder-Richardson formula 21. The sampling error of kappamax, and the effects of test length and…

Two alternatives to the problems of conducting planned and post hoc comparisons in tests of concordance and discordance for G groups of judges are examined. The two models are illustrated using existing data. (Author/JKS)

An approach is provided for calculating maximum values of the Kappa statistic of J. Cohen (1960) as a function of observed agreement proportions between evaluators. Separate calculations are required for different matrix sizes and observed agreement levels. (SLD)

Huynh (1976) suggested a method of approximating the reliability coefficient of a mastery test. The present study examines the accuracy of Huynh's approximation and also describes a computationally simpler approximation which appears to be generally more accurate than the former. (Author/RL)

A number of different definitions and indices of reliability for mastery tests have recently been proposed in an attempt to cope with possible lack of score variability that attenuates traditional coefficients. One promising index that has been suggested is the proportion of students in a group that are consistently assigned to the same mastery…

The power of a statistical test is, in part, a function of the reliability of the dependable variable being analyzed. The substitution of sigma square divided by the reliability coefficient for sigma is proposed. This enables the researcher to incorporate dependent variable reliability information when determining the sample size required for a…

The statistical properties of two methods of estimating gain scores for groups in quasi-experiments are compared: (1) gains in scores standardized separately for each group; and (2) analysis of covariance with estimated true pretest scores. The fan spread hypothesis is assumed for groups but not necessarily assumed for members of the groups.…