Four studies on the psychometric properties of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), involving 682 adults and 1,592 college students, investigated factor structure and construct and content validities. Overall, results suggest that the CISS is a valid and reliable measure of basic coping styles. (SLD)

Investigates reliability and validity of speech evaluation instruments used in public speaking classes. Finds that student speeches can be evaluated reliably and validly using any of a number of different evaluation forms that address the fundamental speech constructs of content and delivery. Finds that lack of extensive rater training and…

This paper critiques the following tests of creativity: (1) the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking; (2) the Creativity Assessment Packet; (3) subtests of the Structure of the Intellect Learning Abilities Test; (4) Thinking Creatively with Sounds and Words; (5) Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement; and (6) the Khatena-Torrance Creative…

Describes Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) and its junior versions, the High School Personality Questionnaire and the Children's Personality Questionnaire. Briefly describes development of the tests. Covers reliabilities and validities of the tests, with attention to applications in educational, clinical, and occupational settings.…

The use of confirmatory factor analysis by the LISREL program is demonstrated as an assumption-testing method when computing reliability coefficients under different model assumptions. Results indicate that reliability estimates are robust against departure from the assumption of parallelism of test items. (SLD)

Components of emotional processing (communication channel, processing mode, and emotional valence) were examined in psychiatric and neurological populations, using an experimental affect battery. The test battery exhibited good psychometric properties and discriminated among diagnostic groups. (Author/JDD)

Major presumptions that underlie the use of early intelligence tests are presented and disputed, centering on the construct of early intelligence, reliability, prediction, standardized administration, professional acceptability, utility for decision making, and congruence with Public Law 99-457. Professional solidarity is urged in opposing the…

Investigated reliability, validity, and factor structure of the Career Attitude Scale (CAS), a new instrument for the measurement of career self-efficacy. Three-phase study using college students as subjects supported construct validity of CAS. Hypothesized relationships between CAS scores and measures of self-esteem and general self-efficacy were…

Assessment reforms might fail because high stakes will be attached to them too soon, judgments will be unreliable, and lawsuits will occur. Educators need to consider technical issues including score reliability, task validity, portfolio sampling, and generalizability problems. U.S. schools would improve considerably if national Advanced Placement…

Students (n=210) in learning disabilities research centers were administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised and the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised. A model considering the reliability of each measure identified learning disabilities three times more often than a regression analysis model. The regression…

Describes a revision of the Names Test, an easy-to-administer phonics assessment. Describes what was done to increase the test's category reliability, to further examine the test's validity, and to enhance its usability. (SR)

Study of metacognition in reading examined the psychometric properties of the Index of Reading Awareness. To determine reliability and validity data, researchers administered it to elementary students along with the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised. They concluded that it should be used cautiously to measure metacognition in reading. (SM)

Discusses what has been done in the last five years to enhance the intrinsic power of the MET, the English test for entrance to all universities in China. (JL)

Developed Death Anxiety Scale for Children (DASC), instrument to explore children's responses to death and dying. Constructed scale of neutral and anxiety producing words. Established validity by reading words to children and recording galvanic skin response, response time, and pulse rate. Found that children responded with greater skin resistance…

Administered Anticipatory Grief Scale (AGS) and Hopkins Symptom Checklist-SCL-90-R to 27 wives who were caring for their spouses suffering from dementia. Alpha coefficient for AGS was 0.84, indicating good internal consistency. AGC was positively and significantly correlated with depression, anxiety, and hostility dimensions of SCL-90-R,…