Larry G. Daniel

Factor Analytic Evidence for the Construct Validity of Scores: A Historical Overview and Some Guidelines

Expectations for reporting factor analysis results as part of construct validation are explored in the context of emerging views of measurement validity. Desired practices are discussed regarding both exploratory factor analysis (e.g., principal components analysis) and confirmatory factor analysis (e.g., LISREL and EQS factor analyses). A short computer program for conducting parallel analysis is appended.

Academic misconduct among teacher education students: A descriptive-correlational study

Results of a study to determine the extent to which teacher education students perceive their student peers to engage in various forms of academic misconduct are reported. A thirty-seven-item instrument was used to collect data from ninety-seven teacher education students at a southern comprehensive university. Items addressed the frequency of various cheating behaviors, the perceived maturity level of the persons most likely to cheat, and the degree to which respondents felt cheaters “neutralized” their cheating behaviors. Although cheating was not perceived as a major problem among teacher education students, a definite relationship between perceived neutralization and academic misconduct was noted.

A frame of reference for understanding behaviors related to the academic misconduct of undergraduate teacher education students

The purposes of the present study were to develop a valid self-report survey instrument that would measure the academic misconduct construct and to determine if the instrument could be used effectively to identify different orientations of teacher education students relative to academic misconduct. In an effort to achieve these purposes, an instrument called the Academic Misconduct Survey (AMS) was developed to measure the self-reported academic misconduct behaviors of the respondents. This study was conducted usingR-technique factor analyses and alpha-reliability analyses during Phase I (n=330) to investigate the clustering of variables within the AMS, and Q-technique factor analyses during Phase II (n=90) to investigate the clustering of persons into recognizable prototypes using data obtained from the AMS. Respondents in both phases were undergraduate teacher education students at several selected institutions of higher learning. Phase I results indicated that the instrument measured academic misconduct across five constructs: cheating on tests and assignments, inappropriate use of resources, quasi-misconduct, subtle manipulation, and bold manipulation. The second phase resulted in the identification of several interpretable clusters of persons, ranging from self-proclaimed noncheaters to those who indicated clear propensity toward various types of misconduct.

Psychometric Integrity of the Self-Esteem Index: A Comparison of Normative and Field Study Results

The purpose of the present study was to offer field estimates of the factor validity and internal consistency reliability of the Self-Esteem Index (SEI) using SEI data from 208 regular and special education students. Exploratory factor analytic results supported the existence of four factors, as anticipated; however, various inconsistencies were noted between the anticipated and actual factors with which particular items were associated. Likewise, confirmatory LISREL results indicated a somewhat poor fit of the expected factor model to the data. Alpha reliability results were somewhat more promising, with coefficients for scores on the entire scale and the four anticipated subscales exceeding.80. Based on the findings, the authors offer cautions regarding use of the instrument in educational settings.

Kerlinger's Research Myths: An Overview With Implications for Educational Researchers

Abstract A generation ago, Fred N. Kerlinger proposed that there were a number of myths that pervaded educational research. An overview of 3 specific myths—the methods, practicality, and statistics myths—is provided, followed by a discussion about the degree to which these myths have been overcome or still exist in educational research.

Seminal Readings on Reliability and Validity: A "Hit Parade" Bibliography

EPM editorial board members generated a list of those publications that they perceived as seminal to shaping the measurement field. Board members nominated up to five works and were asked to limit citations to publications since roughly 1950. Many of the citations dealt directly with reliability or validity, but topics more broadly related to measurement were also cited, including works dealing with validity generalization, item response theories, statistical significance testing, factor analysis, and the general linear model.

Effects of a Tourism Awareness Program on the Attitudes and Knowledge of Older Adults.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether older adults can learn cognitively and attitudinally from a one‐time exposure to information presented in an incidental fashion (i.e., information individuals are not actively seeking but that is presented while they are engaged in another activity, such as a social gathering). In this case, the information presented was a lecture and film on tourism. The study also sought to determine if these older adults could retain this information over a long‐term period (1 month). The sample (N = 213) consisted of members of six American Association of Retired Persons groups and one church senior citizen group. Participants were divided into a control group and an experimental group and given a pretest. After hearing a lecture and seeing a film on tourism awareness, the experimental group was given an immediate posttest. One month later, these participants were given a delayed posttest to determine if they had retained the information given the month before....