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Bioelectric impedance analyses (BIA) provides a valid and reliable measure of body composition in field, clinical, and research settings if standard protocol procedures are followed, and population‐specific equations are available and utilized. The objective of this study was to create and cross‐validate a new BIA body composition equation with representative healthy weight (HW), overweight (OW), and obese (OB) young children. Participants were 436 children who were 5–11 years of age. Dual‐energy absorptiometry fat‐free mass (FFM) was used as the criterion measure and a single frequency tetra‐polar BIA device was used to create the new BIA equation. The new BIA equation explained 95.2% of the variance in FFM with no statistical shrinkage upon cross‐validation. The use of this equation may help to identify effective intervention strategies to prevent or combat childhood obesity, and may assist in additional conditions or treatments where information concerning body composition measures would provide greater accuracy and sensitivity measures for preventing or combating disease.

The quality of the instrument used in the measurement process of survey data is fundamental to successful outcomes. Issues regarding content and structure are often addressed during instrument development, but the rating scale is just as important, and too often overlooked. Specifically for Likert-type questionnaires, the words used to describe rating categories and the placement of a neutral or not sure category is at the core of this measurement issue. This study utilizes the Rasch model to assess the quality of an instrument and structure of the rating scale for a typical data set collected at an institution of higher education. The importance of category placement and an evaluation of the use of a middle category for Likert-type survey data are highlighted.

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Although the benefits of inclusive education for students with and without disabilities are well documented, many schools continue to struggle with implementing inclusive practices. Rural schools in particular face unique challenges including shortages in personnel, training, and materials for special education. The purpose of this study was to explore differences between rural and non-rural schools in the delivery of special education and related services using a sample of 486 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K) special education dataset. Results revealed that school location accounted for differences in: 1) the amount of time students with disabilities spent more in general education classrooms, and 2) the frequency of communication between special education professionals and families. Possible explanations for the differences and directions for future research are discussed.

Self control has been offered as a fundamental explanation for consumption behavior in a number of marketing settings. Until recently, measurement of self control had been inadequate, with advances being made only in specific domains. Tangney, Baumeister, and Boone (2004) introduced a reflective measure of self control which has gained popularity across social science research. However, the authors did not subject this critical measure to a review of fit and function through a psychometric lens. This study reviews their measure with consideration of fit and function, applying item response theory, and more specifically, Rasch measurement. Findings suggest that moderate levels of the unidimensional construct of self control are captured by the scale but high risk groups may be neglected by the measure in its current form.