A network-flow model is formulated for constructing parallel tests based on classical test theory while using test reliability as the criterion. Practitioners can specify a test-difficulty distribution for values of item difficulties as well as test-composition requirements. An empirical study illustrates the reliability of generated tests. (SLD)

Some of the methods originally used to find relationships between reliability and power associated with a single measurement are extended to difference scores. Results, based on explicit power calculations, show that augmenting the reliability of measurement by reducing error score variance can make significance tests of difference more powerful.…

Two articles discuss the controversy about the relationship between reliability and the power of significance tests in response to the discussion of Donald W. Zimmerman, Richard H. Williams, and Bruno D. Zumbo. Lloyd G. Humphreys emphasizes the differences between what statisticians can do and constraints on researchers. Zimmerman, Williams, and…

Measurement and psychometric quality of the Sternberg task (S. Sternberg, 1966, 1969), a memory search task, was investigated with 78 undergraduates. Individual performance was fairly homogeneous across responses, fairly unstable over time, and fairly stable across stimulus content. Implications for individual differences research are discussed.…

A study tested the validity of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) for determining the presence of mania (bipolar disorder) in 22 individuals with severe mental retardation. Results found the mania subscale to be internally consistent and able to be used to classify manic and control subjects accurately. (Author/CR)

Provides psychometric information on the second edition of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) (A. Beck, R. Steer, and G. Brown, 1996) for internal consistency, factorial validity, and gender differences. Results indicate that the BDI-II is a stronger instrument than its predecessor in terms of factor structure. (SLD)

Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) list equivalency was examined using 24 listeners (ages 60 to 70) with sensorineural hearing impairments. Four speech conditions were tested, including a quiet condition and three noise conditions. Results found that for the three noise conditions, all lists were within 2dB of the means, indicating list equivalency.…

A study involving 200 adults with mental retardation investigated the interrater reliability and internal consistency of the Matson Evaluation of Drug Side Effects (MEDS), a scale designed to evaluate commonly identified side effects with a psychometrically sound checklist. The MEDS had excellent consistency across raters and good internal…

Considers four key decision points in the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards' assessment-development process: development of content standards; development of tasks guiding candidates in providing evidence about their teaching; development of scoring rubrics and benchmarks; and determination of the performance standard that…

A study involving 120 school-aged children that investigated the concurrent validity of measures of written language found that the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test Written Expression subtest correlates moderately with the Written Expression subtest of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test-Revised and the Spontaneous Writing Quotient of the…

This study examined the validity and reliability of the Pre-school Behaviour Checklist (PBCL) for Turkish nursery school children. Data were obtained from 902 children, 24 to 82 months old, attending state or private nursery schools. Findings suggested that the PBCL has psychometric properties comparable to the British sample and could be used…

Examines the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of experimental measures developed to assess three areas of early literacy: phonological awareness, vocabulary development, and fluency in letter naming. Results indicate which measures display adequate psychometric properties for kindergartners not yet reading. Experimental measures were less…

A study investigated the validity and reliability of a new instrument for assessing the wellness lifestyles of Upward Bound students. Subjects were 42 students from five high schools using the program. The study examined 14 variables, including total scores, 10 subscales, and three demographic variables (age, race, gender), and concluded that the…

A study investigated the effectiveness of a phenotypic checklist for identifying 110 males with fragile X syndrome and 79 controls, matched for age, level of cognitive development, and social adaptation. Results indicated that those boys who are likely to be diagnosed as having fragile X syndrome can be identified. (Contains references.)…

Assessed long-term predictive validity of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories: Words and Sentences (CDI:WS) for children's expressive and receptive vocabulary development. Sixty-one New Zealand children were assessed with a New Zealand version of the CDI, and with the Expressive Vocabulary Test and Peabody Picture Vocabulary…