Pedagosko i psiholosko testiranje i procjenjivanje spadaju među najvažnije doprinose znanosti o ponasanju nasem drustvu i pružaju temeljna i znacajna poboljsanja u odnosu na ranije postupke. Iako se ne može ustvrditi da su svi testovi dovoljno usavrseni niti da su sva testiranja razborita i korisna, postoji velika kolicina informacija koje ukazuju na ucinkovitost kvalitetnih instrumenata u onim situacijama u kojima je njihovo koristenje potkrijepljeno validacijskim podacima. Pravilna upotreba testova može dovesti do boljih odluka o pojedincima i programima nego sto bi to bio slucaj bez njihovog koristenja, a također i ukazati na put za siri i pravedniji pristup obrazovanju i zaposljavanju. Međutim, losa upotreba testova može dovesti do zamjetne stete nanesene ispitanicima i drugim sudionicima u procesu donosenja odluka na temelju testovnih podataka. Cilj Standarda je promoviranje kvalitetne i eticne upotrebe testova te uspostavljanje osnovice za ocjenu kvalitete postupaka testiranja. Svrha objavljivanja Standarda je uspostavljanje kriterija za evaluaciju testova, provedbe testiranja i posljedica upotrebe testova. Iako bi evaluacija prikladnosti testa ili njegove primjene trebala ovisiti prvenstveno o strucnim misljenjima, Standardi pružaju okvir koji osigurava obuhvacanje svih relevantnih pitanja. Bilo bi poželjno da svi autori, sponzori, nakladnici i korisnici profesionalnih testova usvoje Standarde te da poticu druge da ih također prihvate.

Standards for educational and psychological testing

Clinics in Developmental Medicine

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), path analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) have long histories in clinical research. Although CFA has largely superseded EFA, CFAs of multidimensional constructs typically fail to meet standards of good measurement: goodness of fit, measurement invariance, lack of differential item functioning, and well-differentiated factors in support of discriminant validity. Part of the problem is undue reliance on overly restrictive CFAs in which each item loads on only one factor. Exploratory SEM (ESEM), an overarching integration of the best aspects of CFA/SEM and traditional EFA, provides confirmatory tests of a priori factor structures, relations between latent factors and multigroup/multioccasion tests of full (mean structure) measurement invariance. It incorporates all combinations of CFA factors, ESEM factors, covariates, grouping/multiple-indicator multiple-cause (MIMIC) variables, latent growth, and complex structures that typically have required CFA/SEM. ESEM has broad applicability to clinical studies that are not appropriately addressed either by traditional EFA or CFA/SEM.

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Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling: An Integration of the Best Features of Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis

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Multiple factor analysis.

Researchers must make numerous choices when conducting factor analyses, each of which can have significant ramifications on the model results. They must decide on an appropriate sample size to achieve accurate parameter estimates and adequate power, a factor model and estimation method, a method for determining the number of factors and evaluating model fit, and a rotation criterion. Unfortunately, researchers continue to use outdated methods in each of these areas. The present article provides a current overview of these areas in an effort to provide researchers with up-to-date methods and considerations in both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. A demonstration was provided to illustrate current approaches. Choosing between confirmatory and exploratory methods is also discussed, as researchers often make incorrect assumptions about the application of each.

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Current Methodological Considerations in Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Traumatic incident reduction (TIR) is a trauma resolution method that appears to be well tolerated and has yielded relatively rapid benefit in two adult treatment studies. This article reports on two open trials using TIR with 33 urban at-risk youth and 31 unaccompanied refugee minors. In both studies, participants consistently responded positively. In the second study, nearly all participants who began treatment with post-traumatic stress disorder ended without it, with an average of at least one significant trauma memory being treated per session. TIR’s apparent efficiency and effectiveness in these preliminary studies indicates its promise in child and adolescent treatment.

Traumatic Incident Reduction for Urban At-Risk Youth and Unaccompanied Minor Refugees: Two Open Trials

Progressive counting: Multi-site group and individual treatment open trials.

This study examined the longitudinal effects of mothers’ partner relationship quality on parenting behaviors and school-age children’s peer relationships. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development archival data were used to examine parenting behaviors as a mediator between partner relationship quality and child peer outcomes using structural equation modeling. Maternal report was used to assess partner quality; a parent–child interaction task was used to measure parenting behaviors; teacher and child report were used to assess children’s peer relationships. Maternal parenting behaviors partially mediated the association between partner quality and children’s teacher-reported social–emotional outcomes with peers. Results are discussed in terms of the spillover hypothesis and implications for clinical interventions are discussed.

The Impact of Mothers’ Relationship Quality and Parenting on Children’s Peer Relationships:

Statistics from a number of surveys indicate there is a high rate of economic and financialilliteracyin the United States.1 Severalother studies have pointed out that problems related to the widespread lack of economic and financial understanding have serious consequences on the fUture economic well-being of many citizens.2 For example, a report of the 2002 Governors Task Force concluded that money and financial problems are the number one cause of divorce, a leading cause of suicide, and a main reason for the increase in personal bankruptcies throughout the United States. However, economic and financial illiteracy is an acute problem in larger urban areas. AboUt 10 million households are unbanked, meaning they have no relationship with a mainstream financial institUtion. The majority of these households are minority families centered in urban areas.SThese households typically depend on less economically sound lending or credit choices such as check cashing outlets, short-term lenders, and rent-to-own stores for many of their financial servICes.

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Can Students Learn Economics and Personal Finance in a Specialized Elementary School

In the history of the DSM, two disorders have been proposed for consideration that shared much in common – self-defeating personality disorder (SDPD) and depressive personality disorder (DPD). In a pr

Thomas A. Schmitt

Papers

Traumatic Incident Reduction for Urban At-Risk Youth and Unaccompanied Minor Refugees: Two Open Trials

Progressive counting: Multi-site group and individual treatment open trials.

The Impact of Mothers’ Relationship Quality and Parenting on Children’s Peer Relationships:

Can Students Learn Economics and Personal Finance in a Specialized Elementary School

Combining self-defeating and depressive personality symptoms into one construct.