Carol J. Turner

The Relationship between Self-Reported Religiosity and Drug Use by College Students

As part of an extensive questionnaire on student drug use patterns at a small private college, this study was completed to determine the relationship between self-reported religiosity of college students and 1) the nature and incidence of current drug usage, 2) reasons for abstaining from drug use, 3) acceptable sources for referral in case of drug problems, and 4) persons with whom students would discuss their attitudes toward drugs. Statistically significant differences between religious and non-religious students at the 0.01 level were found in the current use of alcohol and marijuana, in reasons for abstaining from marijuana, amphetamines, barbiturates, and hallucinogens; in referral of drug problems to drug wise friends; and in discussing drug attitudes with parents and with college counselors.

Convergent and Discriminant Validity of Measures: Sources of Self-Esteem in the Classroom.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the convergent and discriminant validity of teacher and student ratings of classroom sources of self-esteem in terms of a formulation offered by William James (1893). Fifteen seventh and eighth grade classes were randomly selected from five junior high schools to complete one of three forms of a student questionnaire while the teachers in each class completed independent ratings. The internal-consistency estimates of student ratings ranged from .72 to .87; non-zero convergent validity values (correlations between independent measures of the same trait) ranged from .20 to .31. These non-zero convergent validity values were higher than correlations between independent measures of different traits (heteromethod values) which may provide some evidence of discriminant validity. Elevations of correlations between repeated measures of different traits (monomethod values) were indicative of shared method variance in both teacher and student ratings. Although non-zero convergent validity values in this study were not large, they compared favorably with those in other studies of self-esteem variables based on independent ratings of the same trait (Wylie, 1974) and similar ratings of different traits (Campbell and Fiske, 1959).

Convergent and Discriminant Validity of Measures: Employee Problem Appraisal Form

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the convergent and discriminant validity of counselor and client ratings of common presenting problems at a counseling center for unviersity employees. Each subject was asked to complete the Employee Problem Appraisal Form (EPAF) at three points in time: during the intake interview (N = 306); after eight weeks of counseling (N = 114); and at termination after 16 or more counseling sessions (N = 80). The counselor for each client also completed a parallel form of the EPAF at each time interval. Five scales on the EPAF were selected for multitrait-multimethod analysis on the basis of internal-consistency estimates. Non-zero convergent validity values (correlations between independent measures of the same trait) ranged from .27 to .66. That four of these non-zero convergent validity values were higher than correlations between independent measures of different traits (heterotrait-heteromethod values) provided some evidence of discriminant validity. Elevations of correlations between repeated measures of different traits (heterotrait-monomethod values) were indicative of shared method variance in both counselor and client ratings. Although non-zero convergent validity values in this study were not large, they increased over time and compared favorably with measures of similar psychological variables based on independent ratings of the same trait (Campbell and Fiske, 1959). These results were discussed relative to improvement of the EPAF, and suggestions were offered for further research using this instrument.

Modified Questionnaire on the Occupational Status of Women.

The development and modification of an instrument designed to measure accuracy of information and attitudes related to the occupational status of women are described. The original 50-item questionnaire was constructed by using a classicial measurement approach and administered to a total of 707 counselors and related professionals. The modified questionnaire consisted of 30 items selected from the original questionnaire on the basis of Rasch analysis. Coefficient alpha for the modified questionnaire was estimated as 0.86; coefficient alpha for the original questionnaire was 0.77. Both the original and the modified questionnaires differentiated between and among subgroups in the sample, which were assumed to have more or less positive attitudes toward women and work. On the basis of this analysis, the modified questionnaire is recommended to estimate counselor and related professional attitudes toward women and work.

The Reliability and Factorial Validity of the Self-Assessment Questionnaire for Liberal Arts Majors

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of four-self-assessment instruments designed to help college students identify occupations consistent with a major field of study. Four hundred twenty-five liberal arts students volunteered to complete one form on the Self-Assessment Questionnaire. The reliability indices of the forms, estimated by coefficient alpha, ranged from .81 to .98. The construct validity of the separate forms was evaluated through factor analysis. On the basis of this evidence, the self-assessment approach was recommended to help college students identify occupations consistent with their major field of study.

Traditional versus Rasch Scaling of Aggregate Data in the Multitrait-Multimethod Matrix.

Aggregate ratings of teacher behavior were used in this study as data for a multitraitmultimethod validity analysis. The ratings were scaled once using the Rasch latent trait scaling model and agai...

The Reliability and Factorial Validity of the Questionnaire on the Quality of Relationships in Hospitals

An instrument developed to measure communication, collegiality, and climate related to the quality of relationships in hospitals is described. Entitled the Questionnaire on the Quality of Relationships in Hospitals (QQRH), the 62 item questionnaire was administerd to 345 employees at two non-profit, general hospitals. The reliability of the questionnaire was estimated by using coefficient alpha. The validity of the separate scales was evaluated through factor analysis. Finally, the questionnaire differentiated between and among subgroups in the sample that were assumed to have more or less positive attitudes. On the basis of this evidence, the QQRH is recommended to estimate employee attitudes about the quality of relationships in hospitals.