A measure of specialty indecision was administered to 567 medical students along with measures of vocational development and exploratory behavior. Initial evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Specialty Indecision Scale indicate that it is internally consistent, relates more to specialty choice than to career choice, and inversely…

Examines the interclass and intraclass reliability of three published informal reading inventories and their alternate forms and concludes that though acceptable, the reliabilities of the inventories suggest the need for cautious interpretation. (HOD)

Disguising scale purpose by using an innocuous skill title and filler items had no effect on the reliability and validity of Rotter's Interpersonal Trust Scale. (Author)

Offers a case study of how one teacher used readability formulas to select the most appropriate materials for her students. Presents 10 suggestions that the teacher followed to avoid being tyrannized by the formulas. (FL)

Offers personal reflections on the testing of writing, concluding that teachers make wide and effective use of a variety of test types. (FL)

The Mathematics Attribution Scale-Algebra (MAS) was designed to assess attributions to ability, effort, task, and environment for success or failure in algebra. The study examined the reliability and validity of the MAS with high ability high school students. Results present a complicated picture of the psychometric properties of the MAS. (Author)

Three numerical coefficients for analyzing the validity and reliability of ratings are described. Each coefficient is computed as the ratio of an obtained to a maximum sum of differences in ratings. The coefficients are also applicable to the item analysis, agreement analysis, and cluster or factor analysis of rating-scale data. (Author/BW)

Presents data from studies designed to determine the psychometric properties of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). Subjects included 294 school children and 269 children who were psychiatric inpatients. Results showed the CDI can distinguish children with emotional distress from normal school children. (BH)

Discusses the uses and limitations of a test designed to identify that reading disabled subgroup whose principal deficit is in the ability to deal with visual stimuli holistically. (AEA)

This article disputes psychological test results from the 1920s that indicated low performance by Blacks. Inaccurate experimental research procedures and conclusions of tests are observed. Cultural determinants, heredity, and influence of test instruments on data are examined. (DF)

The relationship between seriation tasks and number line comprehension tasks is reported. Types of tasks administered were six seriation tasks derived from Piaget, six seriation tasks provided with irrelevant cues, and number line comprehension tasks. Stochastic Mokken scale analysis indicated selection of six original seriation tasks formed a…

The Standardized Test of Essential Writing Skills (STEWS) has been developed as a valid and reliable means of assessing expository writing skill. Studies concerning the reliability and validity of the STEWS are presented and their implications for use of the STEWS are discussed. (Author/DWH)

Developed three measures of clinical group benefits and presented empirical evidence (N=27) explicating the logic of the Interpersonal Relations Scale as an assessment device. Conceptualized the benefits of clinical groups as the fostering of intimacy skills by which group members learn about themselves, others, and their interpersonal…

Investigated the reliability of the McCarthy Screening Test (MST) from a criterion-referenced standpoint, using a sample of 1,323 children. Suggested that dependability indices be adopted for clinical instruments such as the MST. (JAC)

Given known item parameters for a test, unbiased estimators are derived for an examinee's ability parameter, his or her proportion correct true score for the variances of these parameters and for the parallel forms reliability of the maximum likelihood estimator of the ability parameter. (Author/JKS)