Validity of Carkhuff's Index of Communication

Abstract

The study investigates the validity of Carkhuff Index of Communica tion and Emphatic Understanding Rating Scale. Three areas are investi gated : order effects, parallel items reflecting men and children as helpees, and differences between graduate students in psychology and in nursing. Results suggest that order of items and order of test administration have no effect on mean item and test scores. Differences noted in parallel items suggest that the instrument is not task generalizable. The low scores obtained by students in helping professions lend little support to the construct validity of the instruments.