Computerized Adaptive Testing of Music-Related Skills.

The purposes of the present study were twofold: (a) to compare the efficiency, reliability, and concurrent validity of scores from a newly developed adaptive tonal memory test to those from a commercially available tonal memory test, and (b) to compare examinees' attitudes about taking adaptive and paper and pencil music tests. Thirty-six marching band students responded to a computerized adaptive test of tonal memory, Gordon's Advanced Measures of Music Audiation, the Tonal Memory subtest from the Wing Standardized Tests of Musical Intelligence, the Musical Memory subtest from the Drake Musical Aptitude Tests, and questionnaires assessing demographic information, self-efficacy for auditory skills, and attitudes about music tests. The Drake test, Gordon test, and Serf-Efficacy for Auditory Skills scale served as criterion measures in the concurrent validity analysis. Results indicated that the adaptive test required an average of 71 % fewer items to yield scores with greater reliability and validity than those from the Wing Tonal Memory test. Examinees' attitudes also were significantly more favorable toward the adaptive test than toward the paper and pencil music tests. Further implications of these findings are discussed, and a review of recent adaptive testing research within and outside of music is provided.