The purpose of this investigation was to discover the relative rank order of efficiency of eight distractor categories in multiple-choice foreign language vocabulary tests. Type of test question used was clarified, types of distractors defined, selection process described, test design discussed, and resulting data tabulated and interpreted. (CHK)

Rebutting responses by Guglielmino, Long, and McCune to his earlier criticism of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale, Field reviews the effect of homogeneity in the scale's factor structure and of negatively phrased items and concludes that the scale does not measure readiness for self-directed learning. (SK)

The United States Employment Service Interest Inventory (USES-II), a self-report instrument that measures an individual's relative strength of interests in 12 broad occupational categories, was completed by 732 adult clients at a medical and vocational rehabilitation institution. Results strongly confirmed the 12-scale factor structure of the…

The Student Ideal form of the Adult Classroom Environment scale was administered to 449 adult students and a factor analysis performed. All but 15 of 49 items loaded clearly with a 5-factor orthogonal solution, partially supporting scale's 7 dimensions. A revised scale was administered to 287 students, and another factor analysis largely confirmed…

Presents a procedure for classifying and analyzing Slosson Intelligence Test items to gain insight into at-risk students' true strengths and weaknesses. (RS)

Differential drift of item location parameters over a 10-year period is demonstrated in data from the College Board Physics Achievement Test. Item content and secondary school curricula shifts are associated with drift. Statistical procedures for detecting item parameter drift in item pools for long-term testing programs are proposed. (TJH)

This study investigated the distributional properties of the standardized residual that is commonly used in the Rasch model calibration program to develop various indices of item and person fit. The power of the standardized residual to detect measurement disturbances is also addressed. (TJH)

A method is proposed for equating different sets of items administered to different groups using the Rasch model. The Rasch equating model formulated describes one common Rasch scale in different groups with different but overlapping item sets. The model, based on the quasi-loglinear Rasch model, can be tested globally. (SLD)

The Content Validation Form is presented as a means of proving that occupational tests provide a representative work sample or knowledge, skill, or ability necessary for a job. It is best used during test construction by a panel of subject matter experts. (SK)

The use of the "none of the above" (NOTA) option in test items is explored. Empirical research on use of this option is obscuring the fact that, when NOTA is the correct answer, it can reward examinees with serious knowledge deficiencies or misinformation. This option should not be used. (SLD)

Compared the Nedelsky (L. Nedelsky, 1954) and Angoff (W. Angoff, 1971) standard-setting methods in three studies involving 80 graduate students as judges. Nedelsky cutscores were significantly lower than Angoff cutscores. Suggests that combining the strong features of both methods would make a better standard-setting procedure. (SLD)

Analyzes gender-uniform differential item functioning (DIF) in a second language vocabulary test with the tools of item response theory to study potential gender impact on the test performance measured by different item composites. Results show that while there are test items with indications of DIF in favor of either females or males, the test as…

The empirical structure of the item set from the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems was examined in the context of the interpersonal circumplex and Big Five factors of personality using results from 1,093 undergraduates. Results support using a theoretically guided empirical analysis rather than blind analysis of empirical methods. (SLD)

The efficiency of a new strategy to identify back random responding (BRR) on the Personality Assessment Inventory (L. C. Morey, 1991) was studied using random manipulations of item responses from community (904 adult nonpatients) and clinical (1,079 adult patients) respondents. The strategy involved a comparison of short-form and full-instrument T…

This study focused on misspecifications in composing parcels to represent a latent construct. Two measurement design factors, item reliability and intercorrelations among parcels, defined 12 true unidimensional parcel models. Deviations from the true model were examined via a 2-facet measurement model in which items and parcels represented the 2…