Examines effects of 5 test-format differences on performance of 15 critical-thinking measures. Scores of 172 Canadian high school students on all measures generated a correlation matrix that was best accounted for by a 5-factor model postulating critical-thinking, context, and credibility judgment factors. Multiple-choice and constructed-response…

As part of a neuropsychological assessment, 95 adult patients completed either standard or computerized versions of the Category Test. Subjects who completed the computerized version exhibited more errors than those who completed the standard version, suggesting that it may be more difficult. (SLD)

Three short forms of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R), developed in 1991, were cross-validated on 207 male and 133 female adolescent psychiatric inpatients and outpatients. Results show psychometric properties for the short forms that are comparable to those of the WAIS-R standardization sample. (SLD)

Determines whether three groups of readers (normally achieving, poor comprehenders, and reading disabled) differed in their ability to cope with reading comprehension task demands. Finds that the groups differed with respect to their performance on specific question-answer types and their standardized reading comprehension scores. Suggests that…

This article examines the effects of test format and task type on candidate output in direct and semidirect versions of the oral interaction subtest of the Australian Assessment of Communicative English Skills. Results are discussed in relation to the degree of interactiveness and other factors that appear to influence lexical density and to the…

Elaborates on and responds to challenges of direct writing assessment. Speculates on future directions in writing assessment. Suggests that, if writing instructors accept that writing is a multidimensional, situational construct that fluctuates across a wide variety of contexts, then they must also respect the complexity of teaching and testing…

Concerns about norm-referenced achievement tests involve (1) the purposes of the tests (comparability of results); (2) the content of the tests; (3) psychometric screening of test items; (4) the form of tests items; (5) the interpretation of summary scores; and (6) the construct validity of the tests. Offers guidelines for use of norm-referenced…

A 14-item instrument, the Dentist Satisfaction Survey-14, a form of a previously validated instrument, is described. Use with 522 dentists, and 29 in a follow-up, indicates that the short form is a parsimonious tool for general evaluation of dentists' job satisfaction. (SLD)

A format is suggested for testing using free association techniques. In this system, students are given key words or phrases and asked to relate as much relevant information as they can. Scoring techniques, strengths, and weaknesses of such open-ended approaches are discussed, along with possible suggestions for implementation. (PB)

Potential mechanisms mediating the facilitative effects of elaborative interrogation on associative memory were investigated with Canadian university students reading facts about Canadian provinces. One hundred subjects answered "why" questions about each fact, whereas 10 subjects in the control group did not. Conditions under which…

Research on true-false (TF), multiple-choice, and alternate-choice (AC) tests is reviewed, discussing strengths, weaknesses, and the usefulness in classroom and large-scale testing of each. Recommendations are made for improving use of AC items to overcome some of the problems associated with TF items. (SLD)

Presents a job aid for determining test-item format called TIFAID (Test Item Format Job Aid), based on adequately constructed instructional objectives. The four sections of the job aid are described: (1) a task classification system; (2) task-related questions; (3) a flowchart; and (4) a tips and techniques guide. (Contains four references.) (LRW)

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)

Responses of 36 bilingual adults, 107 Puerto Ricans, and 247 Puerto Rican adolescents demonstrate the high degree of measurement equivalence between Spanish and English versions of the Psychological Acculturation Scale, developed to assess acculturation from a phenomenological perspective. (SLD)

For 58 college students, high self-concept and learning processes scores were related to positive attitudes toward open-ended tests, negative toward multiple choice. Low test anxiety scores were related to positive attitudes toward open-ended tests. Males were more favorable to multiple choice than females were. (SK)