Sociolinguistic and Measurement Considerations for Construction of Armed Services Selection Batteries.

摘要

The objective of this study is to identify potential sources of linguistics bias in Armed Forces aptitude tests. General aspects of a sociolinguistic perspective are set forth as a basis for investigating the use of language in tests. Linguistic interference is investigated for three different aspects of language usage in tests: directions; word problems, as seen in tests for arithmetic reasoning and automotive information; and word knowledge. For each of the main areas of investigation procedures for verification and experimentation are suggested, and further questions are explored. The conclusion summarizes specific considerations that should be given to sociolinguistic aspects of aptitude tests and suggests ways in which this analysis may be followed up by test designers and test interpreters. (Author)