Objective: The authors report a validation study of the Index of Attitudes toward Homosexuals (IAH) to examine its ongoing usefulness. Method: Students (n = 331) completed surveys anonymously. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted and group differences analyzed. Results: Content validity was established conceptually, and preliminary…

This study examined the content validity of a juvenile psychopathy measure, the Childhood Psychopathy Scale (CPS; D. R. Lynam, 1997), based on a downward translation of an adult instrument, the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; R. D. Hare, 1991). The CPS was compared with two other indices of juvenile psychopathy: (a) an index derived…

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE, 2002) requires teacher education units to develop assessment systems and evaluate both the success of candidates and unit operations. Because of a stated, but misguided, fear of statistics, NCATE fails to use accepted terminology to assure the quality of institutional evaluative…

In this technical report, we describe the development of cognitive diagnostic test items that form the basis of the diagnostic system for Project DIVIDE (Dynamic Instruction Via Individually Designed Environments). The construct underlying the diagnostic test is division of fractions. We include a description of the process we used to identify the…

An empirically based 78 question self-rating scale based on DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10 criteria was developed to assist clinicians' diagnosis of adults with autism and Asperger's Disorder-the Ritvo Autism and Asperger's Diagnostic Scale (RAADS). It was standardized on 17 autistic and 20 Asperger's Disorder and 57 comparison subjects. Both autistic and…

This study aimed to develop a set of evaluation criteria for English learning websites. These criteria can assist English teachers/web designers in designing effective websites for their English courses and can also guide English learners in screening for appropriate and reliable websites to use in increasing their English ability. To fulfill our…

Multidimensional scaling (MDS) is a versatile technique for understanding the structure of multivariate data. Recent studies have applied MDS to the problem of evaluating content validity. This paper describes the importance of evaluating test content and the logic of using MDS to analyze data gathered from subject matter experts employed in…

Item-objective congruence as developed by R. Rovinelli and R. Hambleton is used in test development for evaluating content validity at the item development stage. Provides a mathematical extension to the Rovinelli and Hambleton index that is applicable for the multidimensional case. (SLD)

From a six-state sample of 286 bank tellers and supervisors, 118 returned an assessment of a DACUM-generated task listing for the teller occupation. Results indicated that the task listing was highly reliable and possessed substantial construct validity, although tasks added by respondents may indicate that DACUM is not yet a stand-alone…

A study to examine the content validity of the Test of Orientation for Rehabilitation Patients provided moderate to strong support for the retention of 46 of 49 test items and for grouping the items by domain of orientation. It exemplified a quantitative approach to the examination of content validity using content experts. (JOW)

Objective: This study describes the development of an engagement scale for use with youth in residential treatment centers. Engagement includes attitude about treatment, bond with providers, and participation in treatment activities. Method: Interview data were collected at the midpoint in residence of 130 youth in two centers. Items were selected…

This study was designed to determine whether teacher portfolios can be validly and reliably assessed, to investigate the effect of an instructional tool on increasing the level of reflective thinking in elementary preservice teachers' portfolios, and to find whether electronic portfolios designed and assessed in optimal conditions represent…

Children with autism are able to show secure attachment behaviours to their parents/caregivers. Most studies on attachment in children with autism used a (modified) Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to examine attachment security. An advantage of the Attachment Q-Sort (AQS) over the SSP is that it can be attuned to the secure-base behaviour of…

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how to conduct a content validity study. Instructions on how to calculate a content validity index, factorial validity index, and an interrater reliability index and guide for interpreting these indices are included. Implications regarding the value of conducting a content validity study for…

College students completed the Decisional Process Inventory, or DPI (n=248), Career Decision Scale (n=242), Occupational Alternatives Question (n=244), and Gestalt Contact Styles Questionnaire Revised (n=243). Results supported the DPI's content and criterion-related validity as a tool for assessing career decidedness. (SK)