Redundancy in language reduces the possiblity of error and permits communication where there is interference in the communicating channel. The relationship between creativity (the basic distinction between language-like behavior and knowing a language) and redundancy has been clearly established. Knowledge of rules is the key factor in creativity…

The Alpert-Haber Achievement Anxiety Test was developed to measure the extent to which individuals experience test anxiety. In at least two published studies, the authors claim to have used the test when in fact the response format was changed from that used in the original instrument and the "buffer" items were omitted. To investigate…

It was theorized that an answer-until-correct procedure, whereby an examinee marks responses to each multiple-choice question until feedback indicates that the correct answer has been marked, would yield scores of greater reliability and validity than conventional number-right procedure. Two papers and an application exercise for an undergraduate…

The recommended procedure for achievement test selection is presented. Following a review of some fundamental definitions of statistical properties of achievement tests (validity, reliability, and norms), major considerations to be applied in selecting achievement tests are discussed. These considerations are: (1) the characteristics of the school…

An introductory textbook on psychological tests and measurements is presented in paper back booklet form. The style is informal and humorous, and the book is intended to appeal to the contemporary student. Ten chapters constitute the text: (1) On Measurement and Existence; (2) A Brief, Imprecise History of Psychological Testing; (3) The Creation…

Conclusions from an examination of the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicate that it furnishes little help for those involved in the publication of composition textbooks. Four main difficulties in making inferences from the Assessment data on writing are (1) it is not clear why individuals perform as well or as poorly…

A random sample of 225 grade one children were given the Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test (CCAT) on two occasions within seven months. During the second administration the WISC was also administered. KR-20 reliabilities of the CCAT for the two administrations were respectively .83 and .74. The test-retest reliability was .75. The correlation…

Teaching performance tests are measures which assess a teacher's ability to accomplish prespecified instructional objectives. Although possessing much face validity, little psychometric information is available about such assessment devices. Three separate studies were conducted to provide information about the validity, reliability,…

The objective of the study was to develop a test of concept formation which would: (1) not be biased by reading difficulty; (2) be sufficiently stimulating to capture the attention of the students; (3) incorporate both aspects of concept formation of discriminative response and conservation; (4) have a spread of item difficulty appropriate for…

A number of different ways of ascertaining whether or not a test measures the same thing in different cultures are examined. Methods range from some that are obvious and simple to those requiring statistical and psychological sophistication. Simpler methods include such things as having candidates "think aloud" and interviewing them about how they…

The Minnesota Child Development Inventory (MCDI) measures the development of preschool-age children, using an inventory format to obtain mothers' observations. To demonstrate the validity of MCDI results, the authors compared them to the results of psychological evaluations, including data on intellectual functioning, fine motor skills, and…

Article provided a week-by-week readiness program for preschool and early primary children. (Editor/RK)

The steps discussed are (a) stating the purpose of the battery, (b) specifying performance objectives, (c) generating an item pool, (d) item analysis, (e) item selection, (f) determining cut-off scores, and (g) validating the battery. (MP)

Concludes that subjects are misled by errors they make on earlier items in cloze tests. (RL)

False-positive and false-negative decisions are the two possible errors committed with a mastery test; yet the estimation of the likelihood of committing these errors has not been investigated. Two methods of this type of estimation are presented and discussed. (Author/JKS)