Describes a study that sought to test for the factorial validity of the French version of the Beck Depression Inventory separately for nonclinical adolescent French-speaking males and females; cross-validate findings across a second independent sample for each gender; and test for equivalent factorial structure across gender for that population.…

The Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS) assesses intentionality in personal growth. Three studies were undertaken to (1) investigate the PGI construct; (2) describe the development and factor structure of the PGIS; and (3) test the internal consistency, temporal stability, and convergent and discriminant validity of scores on the PGIS. (EMK)

The stability of peer status of children (ages 9 to 12) with (N=38) and without learning disabilities (LD) was examined through sociometric measures twice in the same school year. Although test-retest reliability was good, children with LD were likely to lose peer status and be seen by peers in less favorable terms at Time 2 than Time 1. (Contains…

Explains and demonstrates a procedure that is commonly used to determine the reliability of a test in such a way that a person who has modest arithmetical skills can carry out the same analysis on a classroom test or examination. (ASK)

Investigated the reliability, validity, and practicality of a controlled production measure of vocabulary, consisting of items from five frequency levels and using a completion-item format. Two equivalent test forms were compared. The test was found to be useful in distinguishing between different proficiency groups. (Author/MSE)

Evaluates the revised editions of the Self-Efficacy Scale for use with children in schools. Addresses the reliability and validity of the two versions of the scale. Proposes counseling interventions to increase student self-efficacy. (Contains 22 references, 1 table, and an appendix.) (GCP)

The reliability and validity of the Attachment Q Sort (AQS; Waters & Deane, 1985) was tested in a series of meta-analyses on 139 studies with 13,835 children. The observer AQS security score showed convergent validity with Strange Situation procedure (SSP) security (r=31) and excellent predictive validity with sensitivity measures (r=39). Its…

Reliability is a problem inherent in all educational assessments, but the amount of attention this particular problem should be given is related to the function and use of the assessment. In this article, classification accuracy is put forward as a conceptualization of reliability that is meaningful for a large number of educational assessments.…

The authors developed and validated a measure of employees' attitudes toward lateness at work. Analyses provided clear evidence of the reliability and validity of the new measure. Specifically, high reliabilities were observed in both student (a = 0.82) and employee (a = 0.84) samples. Using objective lateness data from organizations, the measure…

The Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST) is a 37-item parental self-completion questionnaire to screen for autism spectrum conditions in research. Good test accuracy was demonstrated in studies with primary school aged children in mainstream schools. The aim of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of the CAST. Parents of…

A new test index is defined as the probability of obtaining two randomly selected test scores (PDTS) as statistically different. After giving a concept definition of the test index, two simulation studies are presented. The first analyzes the influence of the distribution of test scores, test reliability, and sample size on PDTS within classical…

Uses and consequences of educational testing have increased dramatically in recent years. Professional standards to ensure fair treatment of all affected by test results are more important than ever, but standards for developing and using educational tests are only helpful if they are followed. Test developers and users each have a role to play in…

The CAGE is a commonly used alcohol screening instrument. Although considerable work has been done on the validity of CAGE scores, relatively little information is available on their reliability. Reliability induction and generalization studies were performed for the CAGE. Of the 259 studies available for analysis, only 19 (7.3%) contained…

Differential item functioning (DIF) analyses are used to identify items that operate differently between two groups, after controlling for ability. The Simultaneous Item Bias Test (SIBTEST) is a popular DIF detection method that matches examinees on a true score estimate of ability. However in some testing situations, like test translation and…

Purpose: This article critically reviews evidence to determine whether the use of disfluency typologies, such as "syllable repetitions" or "prolongations", has assisted the understanding or treatment of developmental stuttering. Consideration is given to whether there is a need for a fundamental shift in the basis for constructing measures of…