Children ages 3-6 years were interviewed following a scheduled pediatric clinic visit to assess their ability to remember and report incidents of body touch. Follow-up interviews were conducted after one and six months. Results suggest that children actively and accurately process their experiences and that the quality and quantity of their…

Reflects upon Steward and Steward essay on improving understanding of children as witnesses. Focuses in particular on the effect on legal proceedings of a poorly conducted or highly suggestive interview. Suggests that the major problem today is whether a child's account has been contaminated by delays or through interactions with others, and…

Examines the rationale and design of evaluations of interview protocols to be used in sexual abuse cases. Comments on the findings of Steward et al. study, in the contexts of cost-benefit analysis and ecological validity. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different techniques, such as enhanced interviews, anatomical dolls,…

Psychometric evaluation of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS) is reported. Factor analyses indicated the presence of a stable factor structure for both social skills and problem behaviors scales. Reliability studies indicated the PKBS has adequate-to-strong stability. Explorations of within-scale relationships yielded evidence…

Discusses the entrenched nature of standardized testing in the educational system, the anti-testing movement and its supporting evidence, shifts in policy since 1980, current trends, the investment of publishers and test-makers in standardized testing, the true costs of standardized testing, and specifically "American" characteristics of…

This article on the Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD) Scale for Adolescents and the Brown ADD Scale for Adults describes the tests' recommended uses, administration, components, standardization, reliability, and validity. The self-report measures are designed for initial screening, as one part of a comprehensive diagnostic assessment, and for…

Compares the empirical performance of C-tests with other representatives of the family of reduced redundancy tests--classical cloze, cloze-elide, multiple-choice cloze--using the Duisburg English Language Test for Advanced Students as the criterion for empirical validity. Findings reveal that the C-Test emerges as the most economical and reliable…

The Handicap-Related Problems for Parents Inventory (HPPI) was developed for the measurement of handicap-related problems experienced by mothers of children with chronic physical conditions. An initial evaluation of its psychometric properties was completed with 119 mothers of children with physical or sensory impairments. The HPPI demonstrated…

Elucidates the concepts of evaluation, and maintains that evaluation is an integral part of music education, at all levels. Expounds on the functions of evaluation in music education, dividing the discussion into the following categories: achievement, diagnostic, aptitude, and attitude functions. Addresses the concerns and criticisms of…

The Young Children's Computer Inventory is a Likert-type survey instrument designed for use by first grade students at home or in schools. Addresses the historical antecedents of the instrument, reports construct validity and reliability based upon pilot tests in the United States and Japan, and provides recommendations for the practitioner with…

A survey identified 352 psychological tests that are used in Australia but produced in other countries. About 89 percent have been standardized for use in Australia, but no local data have been compiled for some high-use tests. Responsibilities of test distributors and users are discussed. (SLD)

Two self-administered, self-scored, and self-interpreted career interest inventories used by adolescents and adults are described, the Self-Directed Search and its Form Easy, an adaptation for poor readers. The paper discusses test components, subtests, and theory; gender issues; interpretation; appropriateness; coding discrepancies; and…

Reliability and validity of the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire (OSIQ) for adolescents were studied in an Australian sample of 72 male and 144 female high school students. The OSIQ was found to be reliable for appropriate research with adolescents. Further work is needed to improve item content and the present subscales. (SLD)

Two coordinated studies involving 429 teachers and preservice teachers and 227 education graduate students were designed to develop and validate scores on an efficient self-report measure of multicultural awareness for teachers working in kindergarten through grade 12. The construct and criterion validity and reliability of the developed Teacher…

This study examined the reliability of an instrument used to evaluate services for people with developmental disabilities. Seven types of variables were analyzed: demographic data, residential arrangements, medical needs, adaptive behavior, severity of challenging behavior, frequency of challenging behavior, and the perception that disabled…