Investigated how dissimilar in composition and variability samples inducting reliability coefficients from prior studies were from the cited prior samples from which coefficients were generalized. Results from 20 articles show that citing reliability coefficients from prior studies as the basis for concluding new scores are reliable is only…

Investigates two aspects of research analyses in quantitative research studies reported in the 1996 issues of "Journal of Counseling & Development" (JCD). Acceptable methodological practice regarding significance testing and evaluation of score reliability has evolved considerably. Contemporary thinking on these issues is described; practice as…

After presenting a general linear model as a framework for discussion, this paper reviews five methodology errors that occur in educational research: (1) the use of stepwise methods; (2) the failure to consider in result interpretation the context specificity of analytic weights (e.g., regression beta weights, factor pattern coefficients,…

The mission of the "Journal of Counseling and Development" (JCD) includes the attempt to serve as a "scholarly record of the counseling profession" and as part of the "conscience of the profession." This responsibility requires the willingness to engage in self-study. This study investigated two aspects of research…

Attachment styles have been shown to be enduring and influential, and studies of attachment phenomena require scores that are reliable and valid. The present study investigated the psychometric integrity of scores on the Adult Attachment Scale using data from 283 college students. This instrument is an 18-item Likert scale that is an expansion of…

Most training programs in education and psychology focus on classical test theory techniques for assessing score dependability. This paper discusses generalizability theory and explores its concepts using a small heuristic data set. Generalizability theory subsumes and extends classical test score theory. It is able to estimate the magnitude of…

Researchers too frequently consider the reliability of the scores they analyze, and this may lead to incorrect conclusions. Practice in this regard may be negatively influenced by telegraphic habits of speech implying that tests possess reliability and other measurement characteristics. Styles of speaking in journal articles, in textbooks, and in…

Dissertations are an important component of the effort to generate knowledge. Thus, dissertation quality may be seen by accreditation and coordinating-board reviewers as a noteworthy reflection on the quality of doctoral programs themselves. The present study reviews methodological errors within Ph.D. dissertations. The illustrative errors are…