Hierarchical data analyses in different discipline areas are reviewed in this article to compare statistical applications between the Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) software and the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) MIXED procedure. Similar features of the two software programs are illustrated through reconfirmation of an HLM example using the…

Contrasts or comparisons can be used to investigate specific differences between means. Contrasts, as explained by B. Thompson (1985, 1994) are coding vectors that mathematically express hypotheses. The most basic categories of contrasts are planned and unplanned. The purpose of this paper is to explain the relative advantages of using planned…

Conventional wisdom suggests the omnibus F-test needs to be significant before conducting post-hoc pairwise multiple comparisons. However, there is little empirical evidence supporting this practice. Protected tests are conducted only after a significant omnibus F-test while unprotected tests are conducted without regard to the significance of the…

A reply to "Beyond Rhetorical Relativism," a 1982 article written by E. Croasmun and R. A. Cherwitz, this paper suggests that that article suffers from a poor choice and unclear usage of language, a weak line of argument, and a faulty conceptualization of the issues. The first section of the paper reviews the arguments presented by…

This paper presents three different ways of computing the internal consistency coefficient alpha for a same set of data. The main objective of the paper is the illustration of a method for maximizing coefficient alpha. The maximization of alpha can be achieved with the aid of a principal component analysis. The relation between alpha max. and the…

While the potential use of correlation methods has spread to wide contexts and these uses have permeated behavioral research, their scope remains the orthodox applications: to test independence, and to measure association. It is well worth noticing that problems having no obstensible connection to dependence, independence, or association have been…

This paper discusses the Gottlieb Fregian approach to meaning of propositions and D. A. Brenders' use of that approach in his research. The paper argues that Brenders' theory is problematic and self-contradictory because of his adherence to Frege's distinctions coded in terms of idea and sense and reference on the word level, and judgment and…

An integrated overview is provided of selected multiple comparison methods, with an emphasis on the sequentially rejective Bonferroni (SRB) test and its modifications. Multiple comparisons of means is a frequently used, and yet confusing, method in educational and psychological research. Seven multiple comparison methods are reviewed: (1) the…

Counseling psychologists are in ideal positions to address issues pertinent to black college students, particularly via empirical research study and advocacy. The first step towards maximizing benefit to black college students is to respond to their need for personal and community-wide intervention. It is necessary to collaborate with the…

This paper is a short tutorial in formal grammar with speculative examples of how it could be used as a research tool for task analysis, the description of lesson structure, the modeling of interactive dialogue, and perhaps the instructional design process. Gagne's notion of "events of instruction" is used in an example of the…

This paper examines the possibility of a Kuhnian paradigm in research on educational communications and technology. It discusses Kuhnian metaphor and its attraction as a viewfinder. It turns to anthropology for explanation of how beliefs and behaviors become social fact, then takes a critical look at usage of this metaphor in the field as a social…

Parallel merit reliability (PMR) indexes the same consistency of measurement that is reflected in a validity coefficient; it reflects the reliability of measurement across identical merit score cases. Research has identified the potential benefits of the PMR approach as providing item level and cut-score reliability indices without requiring…

Rather than presenting another major review on research on notetaking from lecture, the purpose of this document is to synthesize the results of this research and to suggest future research directions. First, the historical roots of the current "notetaking from lecture/review" research paradigm are identified. Second, the research on notetaking…

Phenomenological research is defined and discussed in terms of its purpose and procedures. Phenomenology deals with subjective consciousness. Phenomenological research probes into the human experience to illuminate the complexity of individual perception. It is aimed at interpretive understanding. The general design for research consists of three…

Meta-analysis does not solve all the problems encountered in qualitative research reviews, but it holds out some hope for increasing the reliability and dependability of a reviewer's conclusions. Several developments in meta-analysis are cause for optimism. First, different meta-analysts are doing work in the same areas, leading to increased…