Techniques derived from item response theory are useful for estimating the reliability of test classification above and below the cutting score. Test developers can construct a test whose information is peaked in the region of the cutting score; users can select a test which provides the most information in this region. The Cut-Score…

One form of adaptive testing involves a two-stage procedure. The first stage is the administration of a routing test. From this first test, an estimate of an examinee's ability is obtained. On the basis of this ability estimate, a second test focused on a given ability level is administered. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency…

Historically pesonality has been predicated on behavioral consistency. To demonstrate the uniqueness of personality using three methods, 23 female college students initially recorded self-descriptive words at the end of each of 23 days. These words were then assigned favorability values from the Adjective Generation Technique norm list. First,…

The focus of this study was on the visual analysis of time series data for evaluating educational programs. Two characteristics of the data--changes in slope and variability--and two characteristics of evaluation--training in data utilization and the use of aimlines/decision rules--were manipulated. A total of 51 students and/or teachers in…

Two methods of 'equating' tests using item response theory (IRT) are compared, one using true scores, the other using the estimated distribution of observed scores. On the data studied, they yield almost indistinguishable results. This is a reassuring result for users of IRT equating methods. (Author)

Self-Knowledge Development Theory (SKDT) by Weinstein and A. Alschuler (1985) is a structural developmental theory positing four stages in the development of self-knowledge. The Experience Recall Test-2 (ERT2) is described, which is the most recent instrument developed for assessing the SKDT. Self-knowledge is defined as the ability to describe…

Guidelines for the construction and use of an attitude instrument are presented, and the application of the instrument to measure student attitude toward economics is described. Attention is directed to the Likert-like summated forced-choice variety of attitude instrument, whereby attitude toward the object is inferred from the summed responses to…

Pratt's measure C on the class concentration of bibliometric distributions is calculated and interpreted for the laws of Zipf, Mandelbrot, and Lotka and geometric distribution, and comparisons are made of the results. An explicit mathematical formula which unifies disparate theories is derived and tested. (Author/CLB)

The predictive relation between neonatal behavior and temperament at 24 months was examined for 67 infants selected from the full socioeconomic status (SES) distribution. Initial ratings were made when the infants were one to four days old. Irritable neonates were rated as more upset, less attentive to stimuli, and less responsive to the staff at…

A neurobehavioral maturity assessment which used data from preterm infants was developed. Eight dimensions of neurobehavioral functioning were found to be stable, nonredundant, and developmentally valid. (PCB)

A recommendation to renorm the Bayley Scales of Infant Development is based on (1) high scores obtained on infants in rural North Carolina (N=305); (2) published means for other samples of infants born in the 1970s; (3) recent age placement revisions of items on the Gesell Developmental Examination. (Author/JW)

The construction and refinement of the Yale Children's Inventory (YCI) is described, resulting in 11 scales (eight behavioral and three cognitive). The relationship and content of the three relevant YCI scales (attention, impulsivity, hyperactivity) are compared to the DSM-III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) diagnostic categories for attention…

Results of two studies suggested that acquisition of route mapping during the preschool years provides a means of organizing spatial information and internal representations necessary for successful problem solving in general. (Author/RH)

Investigated the effect on student performance of changes in question structure and sequence on a GCE 0-level multiple-choice chemistry test. One finding noted is that there was virtually no change in test reliability on reducing the number of options (from five to per test item). (JN)

Seventy-three children (ages 4-18) with hearing impairments were administered the Auditory Perception of Alphabet Letters test. Results indicated excellent reliability, and high intercorrelations with both open-set and closed-set auditory tests. The study concludes that spoken names of alphabet letters can be employed as an effective auditory…