The convergent validity of the SPAI-C was studied by comparing scores to daily diary ratings of social distress for 10 elementary school children with social phobia, 3 of whom had overanxious disorder, and 10 controls. Results support the ability of the SPAI-C to distinguish social phobic children. (SLD)

A revised 138-item, 13-category version of the "Things I Worry About" Scale was administered to 3983 adolescents in Northern Ireland. Results suggest a slightly modified 13-category structure and provide preliminary evidence of construct validity. The scale also appears to reflect predictable differences in adolescent concerns. (SLD)

Factor analysis of data from 213 college business students supported the existence of 5 constructs for the Ethical Issues Rating Scale, an instrument measuring respondents' assessment of the importance of various ethical issues. Suggestions about refining the instrument and using it are discussed. (SLD)

Reports on four studies that addressed the development of a career counseling scale. Results show that the instrument had moderate to high internal consistency across the studies and exhibited strong test-retest reliability over a two-week period. Construct validity was also supported. Uses of this test for training are discussed. (RJM)

Seven hierarchical clustering methods were applied to the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) scores of 121 medical rehabilitation clients to investigate the possibility of method-dependent results and determine the stability of the clusters. This multiple-methods cluster analysis suggests that the underlying constructs of the…

The paper reviews a construct validation framework for research on the selection and evaluation of residents. The application of the proposed methodology to surgery residents is described. The need to measure non-cognitive and neuropsychological factors in addition to cognitive knowledge and technical ability is emphasized. (Author/MLW)

Violations of item unidimensionality on language tests produced distorted estimates of person ability, and violations of person unidimensionality produced distorted estimates of item difficulty. The Bejar Method was sensitive to such distortions. (Author)

Basic principles that should be followed by anyone developing a scale are reviewed, with emphasis on verbally mediated measures. The essential first step is a clear conceptualization of the target construct. Item development and ensuring unidimensionality follow. Factor analysis can be crucial in establishing unidimensionality and discriminant…

Focuses on correlations of New Zealand college students' scores on the Talkaholic Scale, finding that compulsive communication was associated with decreased communication apprehension, and increased argumentativeness and self-monitoring. Notes that the results are similar to the findings reported in the United States, lending further support for…

The psychometric characteristics of the Job Descriptive Index and other inventories of job satisfaction are examined across a sample of validation studies. The construct validity of these inventories is modest, but this problem can be corrected through proper application of structural equation models. (SLD)

The reliability and validity of E. D. Hirsch's (1988) Cultural Literacy Test (CLT) was studied with 150 first-year college students at the University of St. Thomas in Houston (Texas). The test appears reliable, with a split-half reliability estimate of 0.93, and the cultural literacy construct and the CLT are valid. (SLD)

Examines 73 participants on the relationship between verbal recall and listening, using measures of listening behavior as a criterion. Considers three possible models: (1) isomorphic, (2) confounding, and (3) recall ability as antecedent to listening. Finds that a model stipulating verbal recall ability as antecedent to listening provides the best…

Presents a critique of the social and political contexts in which the idea of construct validation developed. It outlines rhetorical, empirical, and philosophical dimensions of the concept and offers an alternative viewpoint for the conceptualization of construct validation. (SLD)

The validity of vignettes used to elicit subject responses in social science research is examined in a study of the validity of a group of patient assault vignettes seen by 12 persons with experience in patient care. A model for establishing the validity of vignettes is proposed. (SLD)

Examines the principal assessment process in measuring accountability for facilitating academic improvement. The article raises several conceptual and methodological issues on developing principal assessment models, provides data on issues in the development of evaluation models for principal assessment, and presents a basic model for principal…