The authors encourage those in the field of school psychology to consider the use of learning disabilities assessment practices in relation to specific American Psychological Association and National Association of School Psychologists ethical codes and in regard to the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association,…

Describes hypothesis validity as extent to which research results reflect theoretically derived predictions about relations between or among constructs. Discusses role of hypotheses in theory testing. Presents four threats to hypothesis validity: (1) inconsequential research hypotheses; (2) ambiguous research hypotheses; (3) noncongruence of…

Notes that studies in psychology often have low power because of inadequate sample size and that prevalent psychometric distributions are sometimes radically nonnormal. Demonstrates robustness of independent samples t-test with respect to Type I error. Shows that researchers may use power tables based on population normality without modification…

Amplifies a recent article by the author on influences for religious endogamy. A more appropriate indicator, called the Index of Influences for Endogamy, indicates influences of virtually equal strength for Catholics and Protestants, challenging the earlier conclusion of stronger Catholic than Protestant influences. (JAC)

Notes that psychotherapy process research has produced advances in measure development and substantive findings of process-outcome relations. Describes paradigm shift toward sequentially patterned, significant change episodes, emphasizing segmentation of process by meaningful patterns wherever they occur. Reviews theoretical, psychometric, and…

Discusses problems and issues of psychotherapy process research. Notes complexity of research that attempts to combine process and outcome adequately. Suggests that more than one therapeutic orientation be studied in specific project to include some type of control. Cautions that, although statistically significant correlations between process and…

Notes that polytomous item response theory (IRT) models are appropriate for Likert scale and other polytomous item types. Presents polytomous IRT models, including graded response, nominal response, partial credit, and rating scale models. (Author/NB)

Discusses the role of research methodology as disciplined inquiry in educational research. Uses examples to address issues of generalizability of results, precision, and choice of research methods. (MK)

Child abuse research has provided information on psychological sequelae of sexual molestation, with findings helpful in informing social policy and guiding mental health practice. Because of recency of interest, costs, and time investment associated with more rigorous longitudinal research, many studies have used correlational designs and…

Identifies questions in child psychopathology and delinquency that can best be answered by using longitudinal data and discusses advantages and problems of longitudinal studies. Reviews methodological issues arising in longitudinal research on child psychopathology and proposes solutions to problems. Contrasts retrospective and prospective designs…

Demonstrates low probability that nonequivalence will produce erroneous inferences in small samples. Sees probability of erroneous inference in absence of true treatment effect as generally no greater than nominal Type I error rate. Seems unlikely that small samples have biased inferences drawn from past psychotherapy outcome research. Cites other…

Discusses conceptual and methodological problems surrounding research on Italian women's roles. Presents case studies of women who do not fit into the stereotypes used to describe Italian women and to demonstrate research uses of source materials. (Author/MK)

Considers relationship between statistically and clinically significant change. Sees Jacobson and Truax's index of clinically significant change as neglecting possible confounding of improvement rate estimates by regression to the mean. Describes alternative method (Edwards-Nunnally method) that incorporates an adjustment that minimizes this…

Notes that, in assessing and diagnosing children and adolescents for psychological treatment, attention must be paid to variations across sources of assessment data, comorbidity of diagnoses, and potential utility of family diagnosis. Presents specific methodological recommendations regarding randomized clinical trials, control groups, dependent…

Discusses issues to consider when investigating behavioral effect of foods, including idiosyncratic response to particular food, necessity of identifying individual sensitive to food being studied, necessity of including washout phase, consideration of withdrawal effects, assessment of change, dietary challenge, and time parameter necessary for…