To efficiently assess multiple psychological constructs and to minimize the burden on respondents, psychologists increasingly use shortened versions of existing tests. However, compared to the longer test, a shorter test version may have a substantial impact on the reliability and the validity of the test scores in psychological research and…

Although problem-based learning (PBL) has been widely used in medical schools, few studies have attended to the assessment of PBL processes using validated instruments. This study examined reliability and validity for an instrument assessing PBL performance in four domains: Problem Solving, Use of Information, Group Process, and Professionalism.…

Objective: We assessed the validity of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) as a screen for depression in Rwandan children and adolescents. Although the CES-DC is widely used for depression screening in high-income countries, its validity in low-income and culturally diverse settings, including sub-Saharan…

We examined the measurement properties of fall-related psychological instruments with a sample of 133 older adults (M age = 74.4 years, SD = 9.4). Measures included the Comprehensive Falls Risk Screening Instrument, Falls-efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC), modified Survey of Activities and Fear of…

Accurate identification of young children at risk for mental health problems is a key step in establishing early childhood preventive intervention programs. Without psychometrically valid identification procedures, children in need of early intervention may not be identified and may not receive appropriate care. This article provides a review of…

MMPI values were used to find the relationship of field dependency to personality traits and styles of pathological adjustment in psychiatric outpatients. The investigation had separate analyses for the patient's sex and found it an important variable in predicting the relationship between test score and dependency and adjustment. (ED)

Two Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (MIQ) scales, Creativity and Independence were validated by experiment. Subjects (N=68) were exposed to four task conditions representing joint combinations of high or low levels of Creativity and Independence. The behavioral results were consistent with the subjects' MIQ score levels on the two scales,…

More precise conception of the functions and limitations of prediction, validation, construct validity, and criterion referenced tests will not solve the problems which must be faced in using tests. It will not repel many of the current attacks on testing. But it should enable test specialists to think more clearly about some of those problems.…

Fifteen female varsity softball coaches were administered the Sport Competition Anxiety Test prior to competition. Their heart rates, continuously monitored by tilemetry, did not relate significantly to the anxiety test data. The test does not appear to be a valid measure of trait anxiety for women softball coaches. (Author/PN)

Assessed validity of the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) as criterion instruments. The cognitive triad of the PIC was minimally correlated with all intelligence quotient measures and significantly correlated only for reading and…

We describe a simple classroom activity that demonstrated the process of assessing predictive validity. We assessed changes in student understanding of the process, confidence in psychological testing, and enjoyment in participating in the exercise. Students who completed the activity performed better on a test question about validity and reported…

Based on three independent samples of high school adolescents in central Canada, aged 12 to 18 years, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to identify, test, and cross-validate first-order and second-order factorial structures underlying the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Specifically, the study…

Investigated the validity of the Vocabulary-Block Design short form as an estimate of Full Scale IQ in White male delinquents. The difference between the means of the short form and the Full Scale IQ was small and nonsignificant. Concluded the short form was useful as a screening device. (Author)

A new variant of the standard method for estimating the accuracy of educational tests is examined. It is found that the estimates produced by the new method are essentially unbiased and that the typical sizes of the errors of the estimates approach their theoretical lower limit as size increases, though they are still noticably above it for small…