Showing papers in "Educational and Psychological Measurement in 1984"
TL;DR: The authors examined the reliability and factorial validity of the Computer Attitude Scale and its three subscales (Computer Liking, Computer Confidence, and Computer Anxiety) with 155 eighth-through twelfth-grade students.
Abstract: As computer-related programs are introduced into school curricula, it is helpful to evaluate student attitudes which may affect the success of such programs This study, involving 155 eighth-through twelfth-grade students, examines the reliability and factorial validity of the Computer Attitude Scale and its three subscales (Computer Liking, Computer Confidence, and Computer Anxiety) The data suggest that this instrument is an effective, reliable, and convenient means of measuring student attitudes toward learning about and using computers
669Â citations
TL;DR: The Internal Control Index (ICI) as discussed by the authors is a measure of locus of control in adults, which measures the orientation of control orientation to cognitive processing, and has been found to be related to cognitive processes.
Abstract: This paper presents the development of a new measure of locus of control in adults, the Internal Control Index. Locus of control orientation has been found to be related to cognitive processing, mo...
266Â citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) was used to measure marital adjustment in a survey of 545 married, living together, separated, and divorced individuals.
Abstract: The measurement of marital adjustment remains of major concern to researchers and clinicians. In spite of criticism, several research studies have reported the use of various measures of marital adjustment, most recently the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). This paper reports the field-testing and preliminary validation of a series of items from the DAS which have been previously suggested to be nearly as accurate as the entire scale for classifying respondents' marital adjustment. Data from a total of 545 married, living together, separated, and divorced persons revealed that the abbreviated form of the DAS validly differentiated between persons who in their perception were happy in their relationship and those who were not. The usefulness of this abbreviated scale for researchers and clinicians is discussed.
229Â citations
TL;DR: In this article, a sample of 462 elementary and junior high school Southern California teachers, the responses scored separately for frequency and intensity to 22 items of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were intercorrelated and subjected to a principal factors solution followed by varimax rotation.
Abstract: For a sample of 462 elementary and junior high school Southern California teachers, the responses scored separately for frequency and intensity to 22 items of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were intercorrelated and subjected to a principal factors solution followed by varimax rotation. In each of the two rotated factor matrices empirical support was obtained for the presence of three a priori (hypothesized) dimensions of Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment—constructs around which three MBI subscales had been designed. It was concluded that the two scoring systems could be expected to yield comparable factor structures and hence equivalent constructs. A conclusion also was reached that two of the three factors in the MBI were invariant with two found for a group of Massachusetts teachers who participated in a parallel investigation.
172Â citations
TL;DR: This paper proposed an adjustment to the Rand statistic to allow comparison across different levels for number of clusters found within a classification, which allowed the user to compare several different classifications with respect to classification agreement while correcting for the contribution of chance to any observed agreement.
Abstract: Investigators examining empirically derived classifications are often concerned with the replicability of an obtained classification. However, most available statistics which allow replication comparison suffer from various limitations. This paper proposes an adjustment to one of these statistics, the Rand statistic, which will allow comparison across different levels for number of clusters found within a classification. This adjustment permits the user to compare several different classifications with respect to classification agreement, while correcting for the contribution of chance to any observed agreement.
164Â citations
TL;DR: In this article, the relative loss in statistical power of the traditional methods of analysis when response-shift bias is present is determined. But, the authors do not consider the effect of response shift bias in their analysis.
Abstract: Howard and his colleagues have discovered an instrumentation related contamination which confounds the results of studies which employ self-report measures in a pre/post or posttest only design. This confounding influence is referred to as response-shift bias. Research has demonstrated that the traditional methods of analysis (i.e., analysis of posttests only, analysis of pre/post difference scores, and analysis of covariance using prescores (ANCOVA)) do not consider response-shift bias and produce biased estimates of the treatment effect. A retrospective pre/post design is recommended by Howard and his colleagues to control for response-shift bias. The only method of analysis which yields an unbiased estimate of the treatment effect is posttest minus retrospective pretest difference scores. The purpose of the present study is to determine the relative loss in statistical power of the traditional methods of analysis when response-shift bias is present. Analytic and Monte Carlo techniques were employed to ...
74Â citations
TL;DR: In this article, a study was conducted to determine the reliability and construct validity of Kolb's original ipsative instrument and of an alternate normative form adapted from the original inventory.
Abstract: Assessment of learning style provides a framework within which individual differences for specific ways of learning can be described. The Learning Style Inventory developed by Kolb assesses learners' preferences for specific phases of an experiential learning cycle. This study was undertaken to determine the reliability and construct validity of Kolb's original ipsative instrument and of an alternate normative form adapted from the original inventory. Results of this study indicated that the alternate version was as reliable as the original version, was equivalent in measuring characteristics defined in the original learning style scales, and demonstrated construct validity that was at least comparable to that for the ipsative instrument. For research purposes, the alternate normative version can be substituted for the original ipsative instrument to meet the requirements of independence in statistical analyses.
73Â citations
TL;DR: In this article, a 28-item objective scale for self-ism is proposed and preliminary evidence for its validity is presented, along with preliminary evidence of its validity in the context of Rotter's social learning theory.
Abstract: Narcissism has become a matter of increasing concern in recent years. In this paper it is referred to as selfism and construed as a problem solving generalized expectancy in the framework of Rotter's social learning theory. The development of a 28-item objective scale is described along with preliminary evidence for its validity.
68Â citations
TL;DR: In this article, two Likert-type formats, one with all choice points defined and the other with only end-points defined, were administered to 121 subjects, each subject completed half of the items in the defined and other half in the end-defined condition.
Abstract: The question as to whether the format of a scale influences results has been examined infrequently and with conflicting answers. Two Likert-type formats, one with all choice points defined and the other with only end-points defined, were administered to 121 subjects. Each subject completed half of the items in the defined and the other half in the end-defined condition. Results were not significantly different between forms, nor did subjects indicate a format preference. Although the end-defined items exhibited greater variability than did the every-point defined items, the results suggest that minor Likert-type format changes do not critically affect outcomes.
60Â citations
TL;DR: The validity of the Lollipop Test: A Diagnostic Screening Test of School Readiness was examined by using the Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT), Level I, Form Q, as the criterion as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The validity of the Lollipop Test: A Diagnostic Screening Test of School Readiness was examined by using the Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT), Level I, Form Q, as the criterion. The sample of 293 kindergarten pupils was administered the MRT by their teachers in classroom groups; the Lollipop Test was individually administered by qualified examiners. The statistical significance of all correlations (p < .001) demonstrated appreciable concurrent validity across the test batteries. Further, a canonical correlation indicated a high degree of multivariate relationship between the tests. Implications of these results were discussed with respect to school readiness screening and the use of the Lollipop Test.
48Â citations
TL;DR: Several forceful arguments have been presented which raise questions about the use of the GRE as a primary factor in the admissions process as discussed by the authors, and two issues that are raised repeatedly are concerned with...
Abstract: Several forceful arguments have been presented which raise questions about the use of the GRE as a primary factor in the admissions process. Two issues that are raised repeatedly are concerned with...
TL;DR: In this paper, it is demonstrated that if the form-to-form component is removed from the estimate of average error variance, the binomial model leads to Kuder-Richardson formula 21 as an estimate of reliability.
Abstract: Straightforward application of the binomial error model defines parallel forms as random samples of items from a large pool of items. Such a model includes form-to-form differences in difficulty as a component of error variance and leads to Kuder-Richardson formula 21 as an estimate of reliability. Such a component is inappropriate if all examinees take the same form of the test. It is demonstrated here that if the form-to-form component is removed from the estimate of average error variance, the binomial model leads to KR 20 as the estimate of reliability. Empirical data are cited which support deductions from the compound binomial error model regarding the trend in the standard error of measurement over the observed score range. A computational formula derived from this model is recommended for two practical purposes: to estimate the standard error for individual examinees or to implement the recommendation in the APA/AERA/NCME Standards (1974) that the standard error of measurement be reported for seve...
TL;DR: In this article, summation formulas for the Welch-James procedure are presented for the 2 x 2 design, and matrix formulas that permit routine application of the procedure to crossed factorial designs are presented.
Abstract: The Welch-James procedure may be used to test hypotheses on means, when independent samples from populations with heterogeneous variances are available. Until recently the complexity of the available presentations of this procedure limited the application of this procedure. To resolve this state of affairs, summation formulas for the Welch-James procedure are presented for the 2 x 2 design. In addition, matrix formulas that permit routine application of the procedure to crossed factorial designs are presented.
TL;DR: In this paper, the relationship between seriation tasks and number line comprehension tasks is reported, and a strong relationship of r =.80 was found between the items on the constructed scale and the number-line comprehension tasks administered three months after the test administration of the seriation task.
Abstract: In this study the relationship between seriation tasks and number line comprehension tasks are reported. Subjects were 595 children from kindergarten and primary school grades 1 and 2. Three types of tasks were administered: six seriation tasks derived from Piaget's publications, six seriation tasks provided with irrelevant cues and number line comprehension tasks. With the use of the stochastic Mokken scale analysis, it was shown that a selection of six of the 12 original seriation tasks appeared to form a strong Mokken scale, which was invariant for different samples at the same point in time of test administration. The reliability of the items of the found scale and the predictive value of these items for number line comprehension, were equal to the values found with the original 12 seriation tasks. A strong relationship of r = .80 was found between the items on the constructed scale and the number line comprehension tasks administered three months after the test administration of the seriation tasks.
TL;DR: This paper found that multi-choice test item responses may be influenced by a number of factors other than knowledge of content, such as language difficulty and option set convergence, which were experimentally manipulated.
Abstract: MULTIPLE-choice test item responses may be influenced by a number of factors other than knowledge of content. Two factors, language difficulty and option set convergence, were experimentally manipu...
TL;DR: Pascarella and Terenzini as mentioned in this paper developed five factorially derived institutional integration scales to operationalize Tinto's (1975) conceptual model of college student withdrawal, and some psychometri...
Abstract: Pascarella and Terenzini (1980) developed five factorially derived institutional integration scales to operationalize Tinto's (1975) conceptual model of college student withdrawal. Some psychometri...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compared the robustness of two different one way fixed-effects analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models with respect to the effects of unequal regression slopes.
Abstract: The present study compares the robustness of two different one way fixed-effects analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models with respect to the effects of unequal regression slopes. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the model which uses a test statistic incorporating estimates of the separate slopes will be more robust than the conventional model which assumes the slopes are equal. A Monte Carlo simulation technique was employed to generate data under 64 different situations. Two treatment groups, five different sample sizes and twenty pairs of regression slopes were used. The number of replications in each simulation was 1827 to enable 0.95 confidence that each actual alpha value did not differ from the estimated alpha by more than .01. Both equal and unequal error variance were examined. A different random number seed was used for each of the 64 simulations. The results indicate that when the two standardized regression slopes differed by less than .4, both models were robust. When the dif...
TL;DR: In this article, the results of applying two different methods of Likert-scale construction (single-column and discrepancy-column formats) were analyzed and it was shown that the discrepancy format clearly provides stronger discrimination for purposes of measuring need than does the single-column approach.
Abstract: Over the past several years, numerous questions have arisen pertaining to response alternatives for Likert scaling. Specifically, both two-column and one-column Likert formats are commonly used in educational and psychological measurement. Which format, however, is to be preferred? Is one format superior to the other and under what restraints? This study makes a start toward clarifying these issues by analyzing the results of applying two different methods of Likert-scale construction (single-column and discrepancy-column formats). The findings indicate that the discrepancy format clearly provides stronger discrimination for purposes of measuring need than does the single-column approach.
TL;DR: The purpose of the study was to determine the realiability of the spanish translation of the Self Esteem Inventory (SEI) with a group of Puerto Rican students on the island and another on the main island as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The purpose of the study was to determine the realiability of the spanish translation of the Self Esteem Inventory (SEI) with a group of Puerto Rican students on the island and another on the mainl...
TL;DR: In this paper, two measures of association between sets of variables X and Y have been proposed for set correlation, RY,X2 as a proportion of generalized variance and TY, X2 as an additive variance.
Abstract: Two measures of association between sets of variables X and Y have been proposed for set correlation, RY,X2 as a proportion of generalized variance and TY,X2 as a proportion of additive variance. Because these measures are strongly positively biased, approximate expected values and estimators of these measures are derived and checked by means of a Monte Carlo study. It is noted that sample values are subject to more "shrinkage" than is the multiple R2, and that, therefore, it is desirable to determine routinely the estimators' values. It is recommended that as a rule of thumb, the ratio of sample size to the product of the numbers of variables in the two sets should be at least 20, and preferably 25 or 30.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compute multiple judge reliability levels under the following conditions: different sets of judges perform the ratings; the number of judges is a constant; and the scale of measurement is nominal.
Abstract: This program computes multiple judge reliability levels under the following conditions: different sets of judges perform the ratings; the number of judges is a constant; and the scale of measurement is nominal.
TL;DR: In this article, the development and construct validation of a preliminary research form of an academic self-concept measure for college students is described, which is anchored to a theoretical framework comprising five constructs, for each of which a factor subscale constitutes an operational definition.
Abstract: The development and construct validation of a preliminary research form of an academic self-concept measure for college students are described. Entitled Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC), Form H, this instrument has been anchored to a theoretical framework comprising five constructs, for each of which a factor subscale constitutes an operational definition. The statistical data arising from administration of both an initial form and a preliminary research form are reviewed. The 25-item subscales in the initial form afforded reliability (coefficient alpha) estimates varying between .85 and .90; the 20-item subscales of the preliminary research form furnished parallel estimates of reliability ranging from .83 to .91. It was concluded that this second form shows promising construct validity, as evidenced by the fact that the five constructs within the theoretical framework when translated into five subscales received substantial empirical support in terms of the factor structure realized. The psychometric da...
TL;DR: In this article, a random sample (N = 50) of 124 children comprising a total grade level in a school district was evaluated during both the kindergarten and first grade school years by using a comprehensive battery of assessments.
Abstract: Concurrent and predictive validity of the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) was investigated. A random sample (N = 50) of 124 children comprising a total grade level in a school district was evaluated during both the kindergarten and first grade school years by using a comprehensive battery of assessments. Results indicated a consistent pattern of relationships between separate BDI domains and assessments that purport to measure similar constructs. An especially salient finding was that the BDI evidenced higher predictive values of achievement at the first grade than did other established assessments. The data were interpreted to support the BDI as a valid multifactored assessment for use in educational, clinical, and/or research endeavors with young children.
TL;DR: In this article, cover letters with and without pictures of the researcher were included with questionnaires to test the effects of this type of personalization on responses to a mail survey, and the researcher's attire, title, and affiliation were varied across different forms of the cover letter to evaluate the effect of status, role-clothing consistency, and similarity to the perceiver on perceiver's willingness to return the survey form.
Abstract: Cover letters with and without pictures of the researcher were included with questionnaires to test the effects of this type of personalization on responses to a mail survey. In addition, the researcher's attire, title, and affiliation were varied across different forms of the cover letter to evaluate the effects of status, role-clothing consistency, and similarity to the perceiver on perceiver's willingness to return the survey form. The questionnaires were mailed to a sample of 384 university alumni. The total number of returned questionnaires, after the initial mailing and two personalized follow-ups, were lower in the researcher-pictured cover letter conditions than in the control conditions. This finding offers some support for the hypothesis that repeated use of personalized mailings may have a negative effect on response rate. Response latencies suggest that within the researcher-pictured conditions, inconsistency of cues may also inhibit questionnaire returns.
TL;DR: In this paper, a 30-item instrument was developed to measure attitudes toward the treatment of animals, including animals in agriculture, animals in research, and wild animals, in the US.
Abstract: A 30-item instrument was developed to measure attitudes toward the treatment of animals. Content reflected four major domains: companion animals, animals in agriculture, animals in research, and wild animals. Items followed a Likert-type format. Analysis of responses from 121 college students indicated acceptable reliability (.90). Differences between two groups exhibiting distinctly contrasting behavior toward animals and factor analytic results lent promising support to the construct validity of the scale.
TL;DR: In this article, a reformulation of various indices for measuring agreement among several raters on the presence or absence of a trait can be interpreted as intraclass correlation coefficients, which simplifies the relationships among the measures and permits simple significance tests to be carried out.
Abstract: Various indices for measuring agreement among several raters on the presence or absence of a trait can be interpreted as intraclass correlation coefficients. Such a reformulation clarifies the relationships among the measures, simplifies the computations involved, and permits simple significance tests to be carried out. An illustrative example is included.
TL;DR: This paper explains how to combine probabilities when some or all of them are from discrete probability distributions, such as probability distributions for nonparametric tests.
Abstract: The combining of probabilities from separate studies has been discussed frequently in regard to probabilities based on continuous probability distributions. Little has been written, however, regarding the combining of probabilities from discrete distributions, such as probability distributions for nonparametric tests. This paper explains how to combine probabilities when some or all of them are from discrete probability distributions.
TL;DR: In this paper, a community college sample of 202 students (102 females and 100 males) primarily of Hispanic background provided the means for determining the correlations of each of five factor subscales of a research form of the Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC) measure derived from a psychological theory of academic self-concept with the Total Score of the Academic SelfConcept Scale (ASCS) intended to measure general academic selfconcept and the empirical factor structure of each instrument.
Abstract: The scores of a community college sample of 202 students (102 females and 100 males) primarily of Hispanic background provided the means for determining (a) the correlations of each of five factor subscales of a research form of the Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC) measure derived from a psychological theory of academic self-concept with the Total Score of the Academic Self-Concept Scale (ASCS) intended to measure general academic self-concept and (b) the empirical factor structure of each instrument. It was concluded that the DOSC is a multidimensional academic self-concept measure whereas the ASCS is essentially unidimensional and therefore that the two measures reflect not altogether similar constructs. The Level of Aspiration subscale shows considerable promise as a potentially valid predictor of college achievement, as it exhibited among all five DOSC subscales the highest degree of concurrent validity with self-report measures of academic success.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report the findings of a study concerning the relationship between academic achievement and student-faculty personality congruence in terms of field dependence and predictability of the field dependence by age, sex, and cumulative grade point average (GPA).
Abstract: The purpose of this paper was to report the findings of a study concerning (a) the relationship between academic achievement and student-faculty personality congruence in terms of field dependence and (b) the predictability of field dependence by age, sex, and cumulative grade point average (GPA). The level of field dependence of 386 students and their instructors was identified by the Group Embedded Figures Test. A formula was employed to describe the congruence of personality traits between students and faculty. The correlational analysis supported the belief that student's course grades and GPA were very slightly greater when there was similarity rather than dissimiliarity of personality type with that of their instructor. A multiple regression analysis indicated that the cumulative GPA and sex as predictors contributed a statistically significant amount of variance to the field dependence/independence measure but that age did not.
TL;DR: A 35-40 minute battery of eight tests was constructed to measure the following four specific cognitive abilities in young, preschool children: verbal skill, memory, perceptual speed, and spatial ability as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: A 35-40 minute battery of eight tests was constructed to measure the following four specific cognitive abilities in young, preschool children: verbal skill, memory, perceptual speed, and spatial ability. The battery was administered to 98 preschool children. A factor analysis of the intercorrelations of the eight tests revealed four interpretable factors each representing one of the targeted abilities.Prior to this study, evidence for this particular organization of cognitive abilities in young children had not been reported in other factor analytic studies of existing preschool mental tests. An explanation for this fact might be that the earlier test batteries were not designed to measure particular cognitive abilities. On the other hand, the eight considered for this study had been designed expressly for that purpose.Based on results of factor analyses, a shorter version of the test battery, consisting of four tests, was devised. This shorter version which can be administered in 20 minutes, shows promis...