David J. Whitney

A Revised Index of Interrater Agreement for Multi-Item Ratings of a Single Target.

The commonly used form of r wg. (J) can display irregular behavior, so four variants of this index were examined. An alternative index, r* wg. J , is recommended. This index is an inverse linear function of the ratio of the average obtained variance to the variance of uniformly distributed random error. r* wg.J is superficially similar to Cronbach’s α, but careful examination confirms that r* wg.J is an index of agreement, not reliability. Based on an examination of the small-sample behavior of r wg and r* wg.J , sample sizes of 10 or more raters are recommended.

Nonstructural Seismic Preparedness of Southern California Hospitals

This study was conducted to assess the level of adoption of nonstructural seismic hazard adjustments by hospitals in Southern California, and to identify the factors that lead to adoption of these adjustments. Results provide evidence that hospitals in Southern California have partially implemented a variety of earthquake preparedness and mitigation activities. However, many adjustments specific only to earthquake hazard were not commonly implemented, and this is cause for concern. Successful implementation of nonstructural measures is most likely to occur in large hospitals having government or not-for-profit ownership, high levels of perceived support for seismic risk reduction from upper administrators, and frequent interaction of the hospital disaster coordinator with those in similar roles at other organizations.

Perceptions of Overt and Personality‐based Integrity Tests

Differences in test-taker perceptions between overt and personality-based integrity tests were examined. Following administration of both types of integrity tests, 255 undergraduate students provided ratings of perceived face validity and perceived predictive validity. Following receipt of actual test scores, 126 test takers participated in a second phase of the study in which they reported perceptions of distributive justice. Test takers perceived overt integrity tests as having greater face validity and predictive validity than personality-based integrity tests. Perceptions of job-relatedness were not strongly related to test performance on either test type. Distributive justice perceptions were related to test performance, but not type of integrity test.

Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences.

Abstract An innovative interdisciplinary project at California State University, Long Beach, was designed to increase the attractiveness of the geosciences (physical geography, geology, and archaeology) to underrepresented groups. The goal was to raise awareness of the geosciences by providing summer research opportunities for underrepresented high school and community college students and their faculty. A survey of a larger sample provided insight into strategies for enhancing geoscience awareness. A qualitative evaluation pointed to its success in meeting project goals. This unprecedented level of collaboration has set the groundwork for an institutional shift for inclusion of minorities in the geosciences and warrants replication.

Ethnic differences in geoscience attitudes of college students

While a gender balance remains elusive in the geosciences [de Wet et al., 2002], the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in these fields is at least as great a concern. A number of cultural and social factors have been proposed to explain the poor ethnic minority representation in the geosciences, including limited exposure to nature, deficient academic preparation, inadequate financial resources to pursue higher education, ignorance of career opportunities in the geosciences, insufficient family support, and misconceptions of the field.