OBJECTIVE to construct an instrument for the assessment of graduates of undergraduate nursing courses and to validate this instrument through the consensus of specialists. METHOD methodological study. In order to elaborate the instrument, documental analysis and a literature review were undertaken. Validation took place through use of the Delphi Conference, between September 2012 and Septembe...

Fifty years ago, L. J. Cronbach and P. E. Meehl (1955) advocated for the concept of construct validity, noting that psychologists study hypothetical, inferred entities and that validating measures of such entities involves basic theory testing. Three important developments in clinical assessment following that seminal article are noteworthy. First, clinical research has benefited from greater t...

On the basis of an empirical study of measures of constructs from the cognitive domain, the personality domain, and the domain of affective traits, the authors of this study examine the implications of transient measurement error for the measurement of frequently studied individual differences variables. The authors clarify relevant reliability concepts as they relate to transient error and pre...

The purpose of this study is to develop a scale that reveals factors adversely affecting the university preparatory class students’ motivation for the English language and English language classes. The sample included 454 student participants. The researchers used a 6-point Likert-type scale with 50 items to collect the research data. The results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated tha...

Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) is a new selection tool for medical school applicants. Developed at McMaster University in 2004 it comprises a series of interview stations designed to measure performance across a range of competencies including communication skills, team work, and ethical reasoning. In September 2012, 109 First Year Medical students underwent the MMI. It consisted of 10 stations....

Typically, when using existing scales, researchers conduct a confirmatory factor analysis and estimate reliability indices such as Cronbach alpha. Results are then used to select items that are subsequently incorporated in models. However, this process is inefficient as results from several studies consistently indicate that certain factors have low factor loadings. This study addressed this is...

Mammography screening has been demonstrated to decrease mortality from breast cancer. Although adherence rates have increased, there is still a need to increase annual screening. Self-efficacy is a construct that has been found useful in predicting behaviors. Measurement of self-efficacy needs to be specific to the behavior and to have good validity and reliability. The purpose of this study is...