Heavy reliance on Cronbach's alpha has been standard practice in many validation studies. However, there seem to be two misconceptions about the interpretation of alpha. First, alpha is mistakenly considered as an indication of unidimensionality and second, that the higher the value of alpha the better. The aim of this study is to clarify these misconceptions with the use of real data from the educational setting. Results showed that high alpha values can be obtained in multidimensional scales or tests given a sufficient number of items. Therefore, alpha cannot be an indication of unidimensionality. At the same time, after a certain point, higher values of alpha do not necessarily mean higher reliability and better quality scales or tests. In fact very high values of alpha could be an indication of lengthy scales, parallel items or a narrow coverage of the construct under consideration. Researchers are advised to apply caution when reporting alpha.

The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) for Cypriot senior high school EFL students, through Rasch measurement. In doing so, the researchers clarified two discrepancies found in the literature: first the factor structure of the scale and second whether test anxiety is a component of FLCA. The Greek version of the FLCAS was administered to a sample of 304 senior high school EFL students. Results showed that after removing five items which fitted the Rasch Rating Scale model poorly, the remaining 28 items formed a unidimensional scale, one component of which is test anxiety. The degree of reliability was high. Semantic analysis of the items revealed that one of the reasons was the inclusion of many parallel items. The Rasch person-item map showed that a second reason was the narrow coverage of the construct by the items. Finally the 5-point Likert scale was shown to be marginally optimal. Suggestions are proposed for future research into the refinement of the scale.

As Greek Cypriot senior high school teachers, the researchers believe that instruments assessing Internet addiction should be developed and validated for use wherever there are adolescents (the most at-risk population) and Internet access. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). A sample of 604 randomly selected high school students from five high schools in Limassol, Cyprus participated in the study. The Rasch Rating Scale Model was used for the analyses of the data collected. Results suggested the modification of the IAT in two ways. First, the 5-point rating scale was replaced by a 3-point scale, which was found to be optimal in the pilot study. Second, item 8 was replaced by a self-rating item because it was found to be identical to item 6 both statistically and semantically. The respondents' reliability was satisfactory (0.86) and item reliability very high (0.99). All 20 items were sufficiently spread out and describe distinct levels along the variable and do define a linear continuum of increasing difficulty. All the evidence collected supports the unidimensionality and the high degree of construct validity of the scale. Finally four recommendations for the modification of the scale and future research are proposed.

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As Greek Cypriot senior high school teachers, the researchers believe that instruments assessing Internet addiction should be developed and validated for use wherever there are adolescents (the most at-risk population) and Internet access. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). A sample of 604 randomly selected high school students from five high schools in Limassol, Cyprus participated in the study. The Rasch Rating Scale Model was used for the analyses of the data collected. Results suggested the modification of the IAT in two ways. First, the 5-point rating scale was replaced by a 3-point scale, which was found to be optimal in the pilot study. Second, item 8 was replaced by a self-rating item because it was found to be identical to item 6 both statistically and semantically. The respondents' reliability was satisfactory (0.86) and item reliability very high (0.99). All 20 items were sufficiently spread out and describe distinct levels along the variable and do define a linear continuum of increasing difficulty. All the evidence collected supports the unidimensionality and the high degree of construct validity of the scale. Finally four recommendations for the modification of the scale and future research are proposed.