This article reports on how short scales can be used to assess the perceived risks that exist for decision makers, their perception of the decision context and their perceived information needs. Three scales are described: (1) a Decision Risk Scale; (2) a Decision Context Inventory; and (3) a Need for Information Inventory. (JAZ)

Concludes that the PLAI is a unique test that can be very useful in assessing children's ability to deal with the language of instruction. (FL)

The study evaluated the Batelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) with 40 disabled children under 30 months of age. Subjects were also given the Bayley Scales and Vine Scales of Adaptive Behavior. Results indicated high concurrent validity, interrater reliability, and internal consistency for the BDI. (Author/DB)

The Family Health Scale is an instrument designed to quantify the quality of psychiatrically labeled or nonlabeled family functioning from the perspective of an external clinical observer. Clinical judgment is exercised in rating, based on information available and ideally from a valid standardized method of direct observation. Discusses…

Without training in objective, systematic methods of assessing student performance, teachers often must rely on poor quality evaluation measures. This article discusses assessment problems and promotes a new Northwest Regional Education Laboratory (Oregon) development: providing classroom assessment specialists to assist teachers with student…

The study evaluated use of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) with 77 successful deaf college students. Findings indicated that profiles were similar to those of hearing college students, that Form A was more appropriate for this population than was Form E, and that reliability and content validity were both questionable. (DB)

The study describes the Shewan Spontaneous Language Analysis (SSLA), establishes its reliability and validity, and reports on its use with 47 aphasic adults who had suffered a single unilateral occlusive cerebral vascular accident two to four weeks prior to testing and 30 normal adults. (Author/DB)

This paper discusses the basic theory underlying confidence limits and presents reasons why psychologists should incorporate confidence ranges in their psychodiagnostic reports. Four methods for establishing confidence limits are compared. Three of the methods involve estimated true scores, and the fourth is the standard error of measurement…

The internal consistency of the Goodenough-Harris Draw-A-Person Test was examined using 150 children, aged 5-8. The 72-item full scales showed good internal consistency at all ages, with no sex differences. Administration of a 42-item short form resulted in sex effects and differential internal consistency. (Author/GDC)

Compared Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) with Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) to determine K-ABC's utility in determination of a severe discrepancy for learning disabilities classification. Found that K-ABC and WISC-R/PIAT approaches to the determination of a…

Reviews literature on exchange-orientation in relationship to marital adjustment and cohabitation and friendship compatibility. Presents revised exchange-orientation scale consisting of items which were judged relevant to exchange and which passed internal consistency tests and differentiated between high and low scorers. Includes various versions…

Conducted exploratory field study to examine how age-concepts are experienced and to assess relationship of age identities to each other. Proposes Cognitive Age as a new multidimensional age scale that merges the standard scale, Identity Age, and Personal Age. Study results attest to Cognitive Age scale's reliability and validity. (Author/NB)

Demonstrates that some commonly used indices can be misleading in their quantification of reliability. The effects are most pronounced on gain or difference scores. Proposals are made to avoid sources of invalidity by using a procedure to assess reliability in terms of upper and lower limits for the true scores of each examinee. (Author/JDH)

College students were administered the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale (MMCS). Most of the 3-item subscales had adequate reliabilities. A factor analysis of intercorrelations of responses revealed three pure factors and three ambiguous factors. Results provide partial support for reliability and factorial validity of the MMCS.…

The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the short form (Form B) of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Criterion measures for validity included: (1) sociometric measures; (2) teacher's popularity ranking; and, (3) self-esteem rating. (Author/LMO)