In the 4 studies presented (N = 1,939), a converging set of analyses was conducted to evaluate the item adequacy, factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Disgust Scale (DS; J. Haidt, C. McCauley, & P. Rozin, 1994). The results suggest that 7 items (i.e., Items 2, 7, 8, 21, 23, 24, and 25) should be considered for removal from the DS.…

Competence-based approaches are frequently adopted as the key paradigm in both formal or non-formal education and training. To support the provision of competence-based learning services, it is necessary to be able to maintain a record of an individual's competences in a persistent and standard way. In this paper, we investigate potential issues…

The Slosson-Diagnostic Math Screener (S-DMS) was designed to help identify students in Grades 1 to 8 at risk for mathematics failure. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, item analysis, decision efficiency, convergent validity, and factorial validity of all five levels of the S-DMS were studied using 20 independent samples of students…

Course evaluation is integral to medical education. We discuss (1) distinctive features of medical education that impact on course evaluation, (2) a framework for course evaluations, (3) details that shape the evaluation process, (4) key measurement issues important to data gathering and interpretation, and (5) opportunities for expanding the…

Despite the existence of little empirical evidence for their effectiveness, many techniques have been suggested for writing multiple-choice items. The option "none of the above" (NA) has been widely used although a recent review of empirical studies of NA suggests that, while generally decreasing the difficulty index, NA also decreases…

Simulations were performed to verify the accuracy with which the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) and Rasch PROX procedures recover simulated item bias. Several standard error estimators for the MH procedure were evaluated. Item bias is recovered satisfactorily by both techniques under all simulated conditions. The proposed MH standard error estimators have…

This is a user's guide to the Student-Problem Package (SPP), a software package for the IBM-PC that provides three sub-programs for analyzing item response patterns. These analyses are based on student-problem (S-P) curve theory. The SPP User's Guide provides: (1) a brief introduction to response pattern analysis; (2) an overview of the…

The content of each of the Occupational and Nonoccupational scales on the Strong Vocational Interest Blank for Women was described in terms of the categories used for the Basic Interest scales. Several shortcomings of the SVIB-W were noted. (Author)

The results of data analysis based on the multiplicative binomial model (MLTBIN) are compared with dichotomous data analyzed by using the simple logistic model (SLM). Specifically, the paper focuses on the issues of fit to these Rasch Models and estimates of item difficulty. The data indicate that the SLM and MLTBIN are not comparable in the…

Research supported in part by the Research Foundation of Oklahoma State University.

Supported by National Institute of Mental Health, USPHS, Grant M-4186 and by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, USPHS, Grant I POI HD-01762-02

Study supported by Research Grant RT-11 from the Social and Rehabilitation Services, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

OBJECTIVITY IN MENTAL TESTING REQUIRES THAT TEST CALIBRATION BE INDEPENDENT OF WHICH PERSONS ARE USED FOR THE CALIBRATION AND THAT PERSON MEASUREMENT BE INDEPENDENT OF WHICH ITEMS ARE USED FOR THE MEASUREMENT. PRESENT PRACTICE IS NOT OBJECTIVE, BUT COULD BE SO, AS SHOWN BY THE EXAMPLE HERE PRESENTED. DATA COME FROM THE RESPONSES OF 976 LAW…

THIS RESEARCH INVESTIGATED THE EFFECT OF ITEM ORDER ON THE PERFORMANCE OF A MATHEMATICS TEST, ON THE AMOUNT OF STRESS GENERATED DURING A TEST, AND ON THE PERFORMANCE OF HIGH AND LOW TEST ANXIOUS SUBJECTS. SOME 106 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPLETED THE ACHIEVEMENT ANXIETY TEST. THEY WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF TWO TREATMENT GROUPS TWO WEEKS…