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I__. - International Military Testing Association

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anged from 62% (908X0) to 89% (112X0); however, the second<br />

smallest CA was 71% (321XlE). In comparison, the CA's at the 26group<br />

stage ranged from 71% (908X0) to 90% (112X0), with the<br />

second smallest CA being 72% (231X0). Therefore, the range of<br />

the CA's doesn't change much between the two extremes of the<br />

clustering process. At the 26-group stage, only 2 "A" tasks were<br />

classified as "Dw tasks and only 2 "D" tasks were classified as<br />

ltA1l tasks. With the exception of one AFS (908X0), where six 'ID"<br />

tasks were classified as IlA" tasks and one "A" task was classfied<br />

as a "D" task, there were only three "A" tasks classified as "D"<br />

tasks and two "DM tasks classified as "A" tasks over all AFSs at<br />

the l-group stage.<br />

A Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test (Siegel, 1956)<br />

was used to compare the differences in CA's between the the 26group<br />

stage and the 5-group stage and between the 5-group stage<br />

and the l-group stage. There was a statistically significant<br />

difference (d=. 05) between the 26-group and 5-group stages, but<br />

not between the 5-group and l-group stages. Although<br />

significantly better classifications result from the use of 26<br />

eqUatiOnS, 20 Of 26 AFSs had differences Of 5% or 1eSS (maX=13%).<br />

If generalized equations are to be used to classify tasks in<br />

other AFSs where TI data are not available, it appears promising<br />

that a single prediction equation could generate adequate testing<br />

importance values. Further analyses are being conducted to<br />

identify the highest and lowest stages that are significantly<br />

different from the 26-group and l-group stages, respectively.<br />

CONCLUSIONS<br />

A large amount of the variance in TI was accounted for by<br />

linear combinations of the task-level predictors. The stability<br />

of least squares weights within each of the 26 AFSs was<br />

demonstrated. Prediction equations adequately classified tasks<br />

according to testing importance with very few A to D or D to A<br />

misclassifications. Use of squared and interactive predictor<br />

terms added little to predictive efficiency. A hierarchical<br />

clustering of the regression equations developed for each AFS<br />

showed small decreases in predictive efficiency throughout most<br />

of the clustering process. Preliminary results indicate that a<br />

single prediction equation may do an adequate job of classifying<br />

tasks on testing importance across all AFSs.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

Lindguist, E. F. (1953). Design and analysis of exneriments in<br />

psvcholoav and education. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.<br />

Walker, H. M. & LeV, J. (1953). Statistical inference. New York:<br />

Henry Halt and Company.<br />

Siegel, S. (1956). Nonnarametric statistics for the behavioral<br />

sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill.<br />

315<br />

_ .

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