Validity

The objective of this study was to validate a bilingual Spanish-English version of the Vocabulary Size Test (VST) considering its potential use as a discriminator between learners in terms of language competence. This version was designed based on the two forms available on one of the creators’ websites as well as considering practices recommended regarding the elimination of cognates and loans. A one-way ANOVA test was used to confirm the test’s capacity to discriminate among learners of different linguistic competence. Additionally, Principal Axis Factoring (PAF) was conducted to revise the existence of only one underlying variable. As a result of this study, a VST version for Spanish speakers consisting of 9 vocabulary frequency levels is shared. This version is in line with validation standards put forward in previous research. It is expected that this instrument will help future studies that seek to measure Spanish speakers’ competence in English as a foreign or second language without having to deal with the interference of other intervening factors.

Cloze tests are gap-filling tests designed to measure overall language ability and reading comprehension in a second language. Due to their ease of construction and scoring, cloze tests are widely used in the context of second and foreign language testing. Previous research over the past decades has shown the reliability and validity of cloze tests in different contexts. However, due to the interdependent structure of cloze test items, item response theory models have not been applied to analyze cloze tests. In this research, we apply a method to circumvent the problem of local dependence for analyzing cloze tests with the Rasch model. Using this method, we applied the Rasch model to a cloze test composed of eight passages each containing 8-15 gaps. Findings showed that the Rasch model fits the data and thus it is possible to scale persons and cloze passages on an interval unidimensional scale. The test had a high reliability and was well-targeted to the examinees. Implications of the study are discussed.

Modern teaching practices emphasize learner autonomy and learner-centered approaches to language learning. Such teaching methods require corresponding assessment approaches. Self-assessment is viewed as an assessment mode which matches modern learner-centered teaching methodologies. However, the validity and reliability of self-assessments are not yet conclusively established. This study aimed to provide validity and reliability evidence for self-assessments among Iranian EFL university learners. The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) Self-Assessment Grid was translated into Persian and was given to a sample of Iranian undergraduate students of English. A C-Test battery containing four passages was used as a criterion for concurrent validation. Self-assessments of university EFL learners were examined for internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Findings showed that while self-assessments are highly reliable they lack validity as evidenced with low correlations between components of self-assessment grid and the C-Test. The implications of the study for the application of self-assessments in foreign language education are discussed.

Background: Force plates are widely used in biomechanics and sports sciences to measure various aspects of human movement. The accuracy and reliability of force plate measurements are critical for valid data interpretation. Aim: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Iranian force plate in the vertical, anterior-posterior, and medial-lateral directions using two manual dynamometers and a load cell. Materials and Methods: In this study, the force plate device utilized had a frequency of 1200 Hz and was manufactured by the Danesh Salar Iranian Company. Additionally, to determine the device's validity, we used Lafayette hand-held dynamometers manufactured in the United States and a load cell by Zemik. Pearson's correlation coefficient was employed to determine the validity of the force plate, while the internal consistency coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the force plate's reliability. Results: The study findings indicated a significant and high level of reliability between the maximum force obtained from the force plate device and manual dynamometer devices and load cell. Additionally, the internal consistency coefficient was found to be excellent (very high) for 20 trials in the three directions of vertical (0.98), anterior-posterior (0.96), and medial-lateral (0.97). Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the Iranian force plate is a reliable device for measuring maximum force in the three directions of vertical, anterior-posterior, and medial-lateral, with very high validity.

The objective of the present study was to establish and assess the psychometric properties of the scale of emotional experience towards the spouse in 2018-19. For this purpose, all the married women in the city of Isfahan were considered as the statistical population from which 300 married women were selected as the statistical sample using convenience sampling. The research instruments included the scale of emotional experience towards the spouse, extroversion and introversion subscales of NEO Personality Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992), and triangulation (Dehghan and Yousefi, 2019). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (correlation analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and norm determination. Convergent validity and divergent validity results revealed that the subscale of negative emotional experience towards the spouse was significantly positively related to neuroticism and triangulation (convergent validity), but negatively related to extroversion (divergent validity). The subscale of positive emotional experience towards the spouse, on the other hand, had a positive relationship to extroversion (convergent validity) and a significantly negative relationship to neuroticism and triangulation (divergent validity). Exploratory factor analysis showed two basic factors called positive emotional experience towards the spouse and negative emotional experience towards the spouse. Test-retest coefficients, at a three-week interval, confirmed test-retest reliability. Thus, based on what the results revealed, this test can be used to assess the scale of emotional experience towards the spouse in the married women both in research and psychotherapy.

Background: Assessment of spasticity and wheelchair skills performance is important in both clinical practice and research.Aim: The present study aimed to systematically review the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of outcome measures used to assess spasticity and wheelchair skill tests in people with spinal cord injury.Materials and Methods: A search was conducted using terms through PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Related articles included measures of spinal cord injury patients published in English from 2010 to 2021.To determine the publication quality of studies COSMIN checklist was used.Results: A total of 2150 potentially eligible studies were retrieved from four databases. The remaining 20 full-text studies were retrieved for complete review. Finally, 12 studies involving a total of 658 participants were included in the systematic review.Conclusion: Ethical, safety, and psychological issues were considered during the test for people with disabilities. According to previous studies, the Spasticity Evaluation Tool has been suggested as a reliable tool for assessing spasticity in SCI subjects. However, due to the variety of tests and the elimination of selected tools, wheelchair skills tests cannot be recommended.

This study aims to assess the performance of university students through the C-Test and to analyze the extent to which this test is valid in measuring language ability. A standardized C-Test has been created with four brief passages, each containing 20 gaps. The length of each passage varied from 95 to 109 words. Throughout each passage, only the first and last sentences were not changed. The test was taken by 100 students; 39 were male and 61 were female at Al-Nisour University/Department of English in Baghdad, Iraq. The sample consists of two groups. Both groups come from the same school and would receive similar educational input in both cases based on their grade level. The validity and reliability of the C-Test were investigated using various techniques. The study analyzed the performance of Stage 4 and Stage 3 students on the Common Language Proficiency Test in Iraq. The results showed that the test discriminates well between high-ability and low-ability examinees, with no significant difference between the two groups. The Rasch model separation reliability was relatively high, and the data were one-dimensional. The students faced difficulties in guessing the most appropriate words due to their limited English proficiency. The results suggest that developing and implementing this test could significantly improve students' academic achievements in basic foreign language classes in Iraq.