Analysis of variance methods were used to investigate the reliability of scores on open ended items in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The study was designed to determine their stability over seven different scorers and time of scoring during a three-month interval. (Author/CTM) Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in…

The Bem Sex-Role Inventory was more promising of independent measurement of constructs related to masculine-feminine identity but lacked purity. Low scorers on Bem masculinity were penalized because of items related to maturity. (Author/BEF)

The purpose of this study is to check on the internal reliability of the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale with a British population aged 9 to 12 and, by means of a principal components analysis, to contruct a short form of the scale valid for both sexes. (Author)

Content-parallel questionnaire items in which response schemes varied in one of two ways--scale alternatives were all defined or only endpoints were defined, and alternatives were numbered or lettered--were investigated on a large sample of college freshmen. (Author/JKS)

Compares highly educated professional blacks with blacks whose education and occupational skills are more representative of blacks-in-general to see whether the former have distinctive personality characteristics compatible with marginality. (Author/RK)

Based upon the item analysis, reliability, and factorial validity results of this study, there is reason to question the applicability of the Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) Attitude Scale to a college population. In particular, students with self-expressed and measured levels of vocational maturity significantly differ from the norming…

Using various Latin square and incomplete Latin square formats, the Fields test formats provide a novel way of presenting tests to students using machine scoreable answer sheets that can be item analyzed. Items can be constructed to help students acquire knowledge or to measure the attainment of course objectives. (SLD)

Under certain conditions it may be possible to determine the difficulty of previously untested test items. Although no recipe can be provided, reflections on this topic are presented, drawing on concepts of item banking. A functional constructive method is suggested as having the most potential. (SLD)

A method of analyzing test item responses is advocated to examine differential item functioning through distractor choices of those answering an item incorrectly. The analysis uses log-linear models of a three-way contingency table, and is illustrated in an analysis of the verbal portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test. (TJH)

Violations of item unidimensionality on language tests produced distorted estimates of person ability, and violations of person unidimensionality produced distorted estimates of item difficulty. The Bejar Method was sensitive to such distortions. (Author)

Discusses the "sore-finger" form of multiple choice test items. "Sore finger" items employ authentic texts making use of the rules of text grammar, achieve high discrimination levels, and show a high validity for several subtests, especially style tests. The use of sore finger items in German nationwide English and German tests…

Reports two studies of students' perceptions of hypothetical teachers' adaptations to individual needs. Found that the Students' Perception of Teachers (SPT) Scale was appropriate for use with elementary students, but procedures for administration should be altered for elementary students. Also found that high-achieving students preferred teachers…

Two hundred first- and second-grade Chinese children's knowledge of basic relational concepts in following directions was assessed on the "Applications Booklet" of the "Boehm Test of Basic Concepts-Revised" (BTBC-R, 1986). Chinese children's performance was then compared with that of the standardization sample of the BTBC-R.…

Whether hierarchical logistic regression can reduce the sample size requirement for estimating optimal cutoff scores in a course placement service where predictive validity is measured by a threshold utility function is explored. Data from courses with varying class size were randomly partitioned into two halves per course. Nonhierarchical and…

Exact nonparametric procedures have been used to identify the level of differential item functioning (DIF) in binary items. This study explored the use of exact DIF procedures with items scored on a Likert scale. The results from an attitude survey suggest that the large-sample Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) procedure identifies more items as…