The empirical validity of straight-line responses on a clinical evaluation form.
OBJECTIVE
Many preceptors fill out students' clerkship-performance forms with all items marked with the maximum value. Because items are usually designed to measure somewhat specific behaviors, the authors questioned the validity of straight-line five (SL5) responses, and conducted an empirical validity study to investigate the measurement properties of these SL5 forms.


METHODS
In 1999-00 the authors undertook a correlation study and a generalizability study to assess the measurement characteristics of the SL5 forms. For the correlation study, they calculated mean scores for each of 168 students across forms, excluding the SL5 forms, then correlated this mean with the proportion of straight-line forms the student received. They conducted a generalizability analysis with and without the straight-line forms to determine the impact on score reliability.


RESULTS
The proportion of SL5 forms was significantly correlated (r =.48, p <.0001) with the mean student score. Inclusion of the SL5 forms did not negatively affect the reliability of the mean score.


CONCLUSIONS
The SL5 forms appear to be valid ratings of students' performances. An informal comparison of the comments on SL5 forms and those not displaying this format supported this conclusion.
Kreiter
Clarence D
CD
Department of Family Medicine and Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA. clarence-kreiter@uiowa.edu
Ferguson
Kristi J
KJ
D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans