Reviews two articles from "School Psychology Review," volume 15, 1986, which were devoted to preschool assessment, focusing on their relevance to counselors: one article discusses historical and legislative background, offering a conceptual framework on preschool assessment; the other focuses on family assessment using an ecological systems…

The questionnaire responses of 24 markedly accelerated young students at the University of Washington were compared with those of 24 regular-aged university students, 23 National Merit Scholors, and 27 students who had qualified for acceleration but instead elected to participate in high school. Accelerants appeared as well adjusted as all…

Medical school admissions committees are expected to select physicians with specific attributes such as intelligence, altruism, dutifulness, and compassion. Besides basing these attributes on the best professional judgment of the physicians and medical school faculty, there has been little quantitative research to determine the psychological…

Traditional norm-referenced measurement has received criticism concerning cultural unfairness. Responses to such accusations primarily have consisted of new instrumentation aimed at a culture-fair assessment. Little response has addressed a conceptual standpoint concerning issues of purpose and use of test results. Although many have turned to…

Research supported by the U.S. Vocational Rehabilitation Administration Research and Demonstration Grant 957 and the West Virginia Rehabilitation Division.

Jean Piaget's theories about children's cognitive development are applied to the evaluation of childhood psychosis. Problems with the testing of such children are described, and results of a research project that used the Piaget-inspired Uzgiris and Hunt Ordinal Scales of Psychological Development to assess autistic children's cognitive processes…

New research shows that Japanese achieved significantly higher average IQ scores than did their American counterparts. These results provide the focus of a discussion on the nature/nurture controversey, validity of using IQ scores in comparing mental capacity of races and nationality groups, and other factors related to intelligence testing. (JN)

The basic ingredients of test development and practice are validity and reliability, but the tested impact is equally important. The American Psychological Association Committee on Psychological Tests should be restructured to deal with testing problems, and more research should be done on the public impact of testing. (JAC)

Junior high students were tested to supply normative data supporting the Bender Gestalt. Subject's performance was not significantly related to sex or occupation of the family bread winner. These variables do not have to be controlled for in norming visual motor tests at the junior high level. (Author)

A study compared the extent of agreement between parents and professional evaluators regarding the cognitive level of 41 children (ages 2-10) with autism. Significant differences were found. In addition, there was significant correlation between the level of agreement and cognitive functioning; agreement increased as the level of cognitive…

Computerized and paper-and-pencil versions of four standard personality inventories administered to 147 undergraduates were compared for: (1) test-retest reliability; (2) scores; (3) trait anxiety; (4) interaction between method and social desirability; and (5) preferences concerning method of testing. Doubts concerning the efficacy of…

To help evaluators find the right measurement instrument, this annotated bibliography lists 46 compendia listing, reviewing, or presenting instruments devoted to (1) psychological/behavioral assessment; (2) mental health; (3) physical health; (4) sociological scales; (5) attitudinal scales; (6) observational measures; (7) standardized tests; and…

Using the Guide to the Assessment of Test-Session Behavior for the WISC-III and WIAT (GATSB), observations were recorded for 969 children between the ages of 6 and 16 years. Children who exhibited higher levels of avoidance, inattentiveness and uncooperative behaviors while being tested tended to exhibit lower WISC-III scores. (RJM)

A survey of 54 teachers of undergraduate and graduate psychological testing courses illustrates the teaching of testing in Australia. Tests covered in a course vary extensively. Intelligence testing is the most commonly taught (covered in 89 percent of the courses); most time on testing is spent in first-year postgraduate courses. (SLD)

Twelve papers on the emergence and maintenance of severe clinical depression and depressive symptoms during adolescence are presented. Topics include parental influences, epidemiological data, depressive and negative affect, hormonal effects, preadolescent symptoms, sex differences, longitudinal studies with rhesus monkeys, suicidal ideation,…