An instrument developed to measure high school students' resistance to schooling was administered to 646 metropolitan high school students. Factor analysis and instrument modification supported construct validity and resulted in a 25-item instrument for measuring resistance to schooling. (SLD)

A study involving 174 at-risk undergraduate students provided evidence of the construct validity of 5 factors corresponding to scales of the Dimensions of Self-Concept measure. Evidence was obtained for a higher order general academic self-concept, but the anxiety factor was not related to this higher order factor. (SLD)

The development of the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics is described, and the results from several validity analyses performed with 1,203 college students are presented. Additional validity evidence was obtained through correlation with the Attitudes Toward Statistics Scale of S. L. Wise for a subsample of 221 students. (SLD)

A 72-item survey, examining 6 types of instructional media, was administered to 85 preservice teachers to examine their beliefs with respect to instructional media. Factor analysis supported two strong constructs, technological beliefs and traditional beliefs. Whole and subscale reliabilities are also reported. (SLD)

Job applicants (n=114) for a nonmanagerial position were administered the California Personality Inventory (CPI) before hiring. Two-year postemployment ratings of employee characteristics were used as criteria to validate the Work Orientation and Managerial Potential CPI scales. Scales were correlated to the ratings, but not to employment status.…

This issue and its introductions, postscript, and 11 chapters deal with the special evaluation problems of programs in the developing world. Views of policymakers, practitioners, and evaluators on ways to evaluate development are presented. The collection offers a framework for debate and proposes new emphases for development evaluation. (SLD)

This article discusses preparation of research reports in light of how the information is likely to be evaluated and how the report contributes to the research process. The focus is on description, explanation, and contextualization of the study. Common issues related to interpretation of assessment studies are also highlighted. (SLD)

The definition, importance, conceptual basis, and functional nature of content validity are explored, with an emphasis on psychological assessment in clinical situations. Conditional and dynamic aspects and multiple elements of content validity are discussed, and quantitative and qualitative methods of content validation are reviewed. (SLD)

Validation issues that arise with measures of constructs and behavior are addressed with reference to general reasons for using assessment procedures in clinical psychology. A distinction is made between the representational phase of validity assessment and the elaborative validity phase in which the meaning and utility of scores are examined.…

An empirically based paradigm for assessment and taxonomy of child, adolescent, and young adult behavioral and emotional problems is outlined, and the standardization procedures used to assess problems reported by different informants for large clinical samples are discussed. The application of the paradigm to new cases is considered. (SLD)

Issues related to the use of outcome and process data from the treatment of antisocial children to predict future childhood adjustment were examined through a study of 69 children. Data supported the hypothesis that measures of processes thought to produce changes in child behavior would serve to predict future adjustment. (SLD)

The goals of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis are described, and procedural guidelines for each approach are summarized, emphasizing the use of factor analysis in developing and refining clinical measures. Recent examples of the use of factor analysis are reviewed and used to highlight controversies that can emerge. (SLD)

Instrument refinement refers to any set of procedures designed to improve an instrument's representation of a construct. Five objectives of instrument refinement are discussed, and instrument refinement practices are reviewed in a discussion of its role in the process of developing theory and sharpening construct definition. (SLD)

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…

Methodological considerations in conducting research on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), the most widely used clinical personality instrument, are reviewed, with reference to the original MMPI and the version for adolescents (MMPI-A). Potential pitfalls in personality testing and personality assessment research are…