Reducing Validity in Epistemic ATL to Validity in Epistemic CTL

We propose a validity preserving translation from a subset of epistemic Alternating-time Temporal Logic (ATL) to epistemic Computation Tree Logic (CTL). The considered subset of epistemic ATL is known to have the finite model property and decidable model-checking. This entails the decidability of validity but the implied algorithm is unfeasible. Reducing the validity problem to that in a corresponding system of CTL makes the techniques for automated deduction for that logic available for the handling of the apparently more complex system of ATL.Comment: In Proceedings SR 2013, arXiv:1303.007

The impact of job complexity and study design on situational and behavior description interview validity

The primary purpose of this investigation was to test two key characteristics hypothesized to influence the validity of situational (SI) and behavior description (BDI) structured interviews. A meta-analysis of 54 studies with a total sample size of 5536 suggested that job complexity influences the validity of SIs, with decreased validity for high-complexity jobs, but does not influence the validity of BDIs. And, results indicated a main effect for study design across both SIs and BDIs, with predictive studies having 0.10 lower validity on average than concurrent studies. Directions for future research are discussed

Social Validity Assessment in Social Competence Interventions for Preschool Children: A Review

Social competence intervention studies published from 1970 to 2008 for preschoolers were reviewed for reports of social validity assessment. Analysis of 90 studies indicated that nearly 27% (n=24) of studies reported at least one measure of social validity assessment for: the goals (n=7), procedures (n=8), or effects (n=19). The methods used for these assessments were described including information about the participants, time of assessment and results. Trends in the rate of social validity assessment, methodological concerns and recommendations for further social validity assessments are discussed

Robust and efficient validation of the linear hexahedral element

Checking mesh validity is a mandatory step before doing any finite element analysis. If checking the validity of tetrahedra is trivial, checking the validity of hexahedral elements is far from being obvious. In this paper, a method that robustly and efficiently compute the validity of standard linear hexahedral elements is presented. This method is a significant improvement of a previous work on the validity of curvilinear elements. The new implementation is simple and computationally efficient. The key of the algorithm is still to compute B\'ezier coefficients of the Jacobian determinant. We show that only 20 Jacobian determinants are necessary to compute the 27 B\'ezier coefficients. Those 20 Jacobians can be efficiently computed by calculating the volume of 20 tetrahedra. The new implementation is able to check the validity of about 6 million hexahedra per second on one core of a personal computer. Through the paper, all the necessary information is provided that allow to easily reproduce the results, \ie write a simple code that takes the coordinates of 8 points as input and outputs the validity of the hexahedron.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to the 26th International Meshing Roundtable conference. V2: removed Appendix "Derivatives of the Jacobian determinant of a linear hexahedron" and update acknowledgements. V3: modifications in abstract, introduction and conclusio

Validity of the Adiabatic Approximation

We analyze the validity of the adiabatic approximation, and in particular the reliability of what has been called the "standard criterion" for validity of this approximation. Recently, this criterion has been found to be insufficient. We will argue that the criterion is sufficient only when it agrees with the intuitive notion of slowness of evolution of the Hamiltonian. However, it can be insufficient in cases where the Hamiltonian varies rapidly but only by a small amount. We also emphasize the distinction between the adiabatic {\em theorem} and the adiabatic {\em approximation}, two quite different although closely related ideas.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

On Hopf's Lemma and the Strong Maximum Principle

In this paper we consider Hopf's Lemma and the Strong Maximum Principle for supersolutions to a class of non elliptic equations. In particular we prove a sufficient condition for the validity of Hopf's Lemma and of the Strong Maximum Principle and we give a condition which is at once necessary for the validity of Hopf's Lemma and sufficient for the validity of the Strong Maximum Principle.Comment: 27 pages,4 figure

Construct validity of the Nepalese school leaving english reading test

There has been a steady interest in investigating the validity of language tests in the last decades. Despite numerous studies on construct validity in language testing, there are not many studies examining the construct validity of a reading test. This paper reports on a study that explored the construct validity of the English reading test in the Nepalese school leaving examination. Eight students were asked to take the test and think-aloud, followed by retrospective interviews. Additionally, seven experts were asked to make judgments regarding the skills tested by the test. The findings provide grounded insights into students’ response behaviors prompted by the reading tasks, and indicate some threats to the construct validity of the test. Additionally, the study reports a low level of agreement among the experts, and a big gap between the skills used by the students and the skills that the experts thought were being examined by the test

Standards of Validity and the Validity of Standards in Behavioral Software Engineering Research: The Perspective of Psychological Test Theory

Background. There are some publications in software engineering research that aim at guiding researchers in assessing validity threats to their studies. Still, many researchers fail to address many aspects of validity that are essential to quantitative research on human factors. Goal. This paper has the goal of triggering a change of mindset in what types of studies are the most valuable to the behavioral software engineering field, and also provide more details of what construct validity is. Method. The approach is based on psychological test theory and draws upon methods used in psychology in relation to construct validity. Results. In this paper, I suggest a different approach to validity threats than what is commonplace in behavioral software engineering research. Conclusions. While this paper focuses on behavioral software engineering, I believe other types of software engineering research might also benefit from an increased focus on construct validity.Comment: ACM/IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM), Oulu, Finland, October 11-12, 2018. 4 page