Effects of Applying Different Time Limits to a Proposed GRE Writing Test

In order to determine the role of time limits on both test performance and test validity, we asked approximately 300 volunteers–prospective graduate students–to each write two essays–one in a 40-minute time period and the other in 60 minutes. Analyses revealed that, on average, test performance was significantly better when examinees were given 60 minutes instead of 40. However, there was no interaction between test-taking style (fast vs. slow) and time limits. 'That is', examinees who described themselves as slow writers/test takers did not benefit any more (or any less) from generous time limits than did their quicker counterparts. In addition, there was no detectable effect of different time limits on the meaning of essay scores, as suggested by their relationship to several nontest indicators of writing ability.     

The questionable role of higher education as an occupational screening device

Employers optimally pursue activities which facilitate the coordinating of employee characteristics and the requirements of the job. One allegedly important employee characteristic is the level of education. Employees with higher levels of education are rewarded with higher wages than employees with lower levels. This may occur if higher levels of education make an employee truly more productive or if because of an employer's beliefs only those individuals with higher levels of education are allowed to enter the higher paying positions (occupational screening).The above propositions are testable, depending crucially upon the theoretical model employed for determining occupational choices. We shall compare the implications of two possible occupation choice models: (1) enter the job which offers the highest lifetime income, (2) enter the job which offers the highest level of overall satisfaction. We estimate these two models using the NBER-TH data sample. By distributing our estimated results and the actual distribution of occupations over the education levels of high school, some college and BA we can see if more or less people are expected to enter specific occupations at each education level. Support for screening exists if more people are expected in high status occupations at low education levels than are actually in those occupations.When comparing the estimated results for each model we see different outcomes emerge. The latter indicates that screening does not exist while the former does. We present arguments as to why we feel that the second model is the more correct and appropriate and, consequently, why we feel that education is not an effective screening device.     

Psychosocial correlates of child abuse potential in multiply disadvantaged adolescent mothers

OBJECTIVE: This study had two aims: First to examine psychosocial correlates of child maltreatment risk, and second to assess the validity of the CAP Inventory (Milner, 1986) with multiply disadvantaged teenage mothers. METHOD: Participants were 75 adolescent mothers who were wards of the Illinois child protection system. Mothers (aged 14-18) and infants participated in home-based psychosocial assessment of personal and parenting functioning. Group comparisons examined differences for mothers with elevated versus normal versus invalid CAP scores due to faking good. RESULTS: Findings indicated that abuse risk groups differed on emotional distress, social support satisfaction, reading achievement, and years of education, but not on parenting beliefs or quality of child stimulation. Differences favored the normal over the elevated risk group in all significant comparisons, whereas mothers with elevated faking good differed from normals only in lower reading achievement. Multiple regression analysis highlighted emotional distress, support dissatisfaction, and low achievement as significant predictors of greater abuse risk. CONCLUSIONS: Despite sharing multiple disadvantages, adolescent wards are a heterogeneous group who show different levels of psychosocial functioning corresponding to levels of child maltreatment risk. The findings provide support for the concurrent validity and clinical applicability of the CAP Inventory with disadvantaged teenage mothers.