Summarizes state-of-the-art approaches for assessing visual stimulus same/different judgments in individuals with severe intellectual disabilities. Methodological investigations indicate that one can obtain reliable same/different judgments with a variety of stimuli in virtually anyone for whom a basal score on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test…

Intelligence in everyday life requires a broader range of abilities than those measured by conventional tests of academic achievement. Creative and practical skills can be more important than analytic skills. The Sternberg Triarchic Abilities Test, which measures all three abilities, helps teachers obtain more complete picture of child's…

Reports the results of studies examining the test-retest reliability of the Problem Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT). Administered the test to 438 juvenile offenders. Results indicate that females have more potential problems as identified by the POSIT. The test appears effective in identifying potential problems of evaluated…

Reports a qualitative study of the incidence of Holland codes in three generations of one family over a 10-year time span. Results show that the stability of codes was high whether or not the codes were consistent. Compatibility indexes between family members and significant others were wide ranging. (RJM)

Investigated the reliability- and criterion-related validity of 11 curriculum-based measures of early academic skills. Analysis of 30 first-grade students suggest that some measures displayed better reliability and validity than others. Discusses the measures' practical utility in light of their technical characteristics and the need for further…

The factor structure of the Charles F. Kettering Climate Scale, a measure of educational environment, was studied with 351 junior high school students on 2 school campuses. Primary and secondary factor structures are reported, as are the Cronbach alpha reliability measures for scores on the second-order structures. (SLD)

Presents strategies for the culturally competent use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) when working with Chicanos (people of Mexican descent living in the United States). The strategies focus on administration and interpretation. Also presents a case study in which both the English- and Spanish-language MMPI-2 were…

Evidence is presented for the reliability and validity of the Talent Identification Instrument, an observation process in music and dance in which multiple judges rate students throughout a multisession audition. Strong agreement among raters and adequate stability estimates were found. Factor analysis and construct validity procedures provided…

A study of 83 people working in the field of autism evaluated the psychometric properties of the Autism Survey, an instrument to assess respondents' knowledge about autism. The survey was found to measure one factor, to be stable across time, and to have an internally consistent total score. (Author/CR)

The Problem-Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT) screens for multiple problems among adolescents at risk for substance use. A shortened version of the POSIT was developed, using factor analysis, and correlational and reliability analyses. The POSIT-SF shows potential for a reliable and cost-efficient screen for youth with substance…

Examines religious practices of Hindus in the United States and develops measures of their religious pathways. Four religious pathways were identified: devotion, ethical action, knowledge, and physical restraint/yoga. Results indicate that the measures of the religious pathways possessed adequate psychometric properties and were predictive of…

Describes the development and pretest of a content analytic category scheme for objectively measuring the sexiness of women's business attire in media presentations. Finds the television samples significantly more provocative than real world attire. Finds a significant positive correlation between the degree of sexiness as measured by the content…

Used computer simulations to examine effectiveness of different criteria for measuring infant visual habituation. Found that a criterion based on fitting a second-order polynomial regression function to looking-time data produced more accurate estimation of looking times and higher power for detecting novelty effects than did the traditional…

This project piloted a rapid assessment self-report measurement to be used with child and adolescent sexual abuse victims to ascertain the effectiveness of counseling. Results from 103 girls ages 10-17 years who had been victims of intrafamilial abuse suggest high test reliability, but content and discriminant validity of the test remain…