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Abstract

The original manual for the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP; Miller, 1982) describes the derivation of a single scoring chart that covers all six of the test's age bands despite age-dependent differences in item content and parameters. The present study examined the possibility that the scoring chart distorts true individual differences in performance. In a Child-Find sample of 111 preschoolers, a direct multiple regression analysis showed that the subscales of the MAP, computed as the simple sum of item percentiles, accounted for only 33.5% of the variance in the test's Total Score. The finding was interpreted as indicating that the MAP Total Score is largely an artifact of the test's scoring system and, thus, unlikely to be a sound psychometric indicator of a child's developmental status. Suggestions for future research with the MAP are offered.

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Artifact in the Total Score of the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers

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