Neil Abell, David W. Springer, and Akihito Kamata
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195333367
- eISBN:
- 9780199864300
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195333367.001.0001
- Subject:
- Social Work, Research and Evaluation
This book provides an overview of scale and test development. From conceptualization through design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, critical concerns are identified and grounded in ...
More
This book provides an overview of scale and test development. From conceptualization through design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, critical concerns are identified and grounded in the increasingly sophisticated psychometric literature. Measurement within the health, social, and behavioral sciences is addressed, and technical and practical guidance is provided. Acknowledging the increasingly sophisticated contributions in social work, psychology, education, nursing, and medicine, the book balances condensation of complex conceptual challenges with focused recommendations for conceiving, planning, and implementing psychometric study. Primary points are carefully referenced and consistently illustrated to illuminate complicated or abstract principles. Basics of construct conceptualization and establishing evidence of validity are complimented with introductions to concept mapping and cross-cultural translation. In-depth discussion of cutting edge topics like bias and invariance in item responses is provided. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic strategies are illustrated and critiqued, and step-by-step guidance is offered for anticipating elements of a complete data collection instrument, determining sampling frame and size, and interpreting resulting coefficients. Much good work has been done by RAI developers to date. Too often, practitioners or researchers either underestimate the skills and effort required, or become overwhelmed by the complexities involved.Less
This book provides an overview of scale and test development. From conceptualization through design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, critical concerns are identified and grounded in the increasingly sophisticated psychometric literature. Measurement within the health, social, and behavioral sciences is addressed, and technical and practical guidance is provided. Acknowledging the increasingly sophisticated contributions in social work, psychology, education, nursing, and medicine, the book balances condensation of complex conceptual challenges with focused recommendations for conceiving, planning, and implementing psychometric study. Primary points are carefully referenced and consistently illustrated to illuminate complicated or abstract principles. Basics of construct conceptualization and establishing evidence of validity are complimented with introductions to concept mapping and cross-cultural translation. In-depth discussion of cutting edge topics like bias and invariance in item responses is provided. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic strategies are illustrated and critiqued, and step-by-step guidance is offered for anticipating elements of a complete data collection instrument, determining sampling frame and size, and interpreting resulting coefficients. Much good work has been done by RAI developers to date. Too often, practitioners or researchers either underestimate the skills and effort required, or become overwhelmed by the complexities involved.
Peter Lyons and Howard J. Doueck
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195373912
- eISBN:
- 9780199865604
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373912.001.0001
- Subject:
- Social Work, Research and Evaluation
This book is intended to be read at any stage in the dissertation process, but will be particularly useful in the early stages of preparation for a social work dissertation, and as a reference ...
More
This book is intended to be read at any stage in the dissertation process, but will be particularly useful in the early stages of preparation for a social work dissertation, and as a reference resource throughout. The book is a guide to successful dissertation completion. Content includes a brief history and overview of social work doctoral education in the United States, the importance of values in social work, and the relationship between personal, research, and social work values. Chapter 2 addresses issues in selecting and working with the dissertation supervisor and committee, as well as the role and tasks of all three parties in successful completion of the dissertation. In Chapter 3 strategies for researching, and evaluating the literature, as well as writing the literature review are discussed. In addition, the relevance of theory to social work research is examined. Chapter 4 describes ethical issues in social research and requirements for the protection of human subjects. In addition, an overview of both quantitative and qualitative research methods is provided. In Chapter 5 sample design and sample size are discussed in relation to both quantitative and qualitative research. The significance of the psychometric properties of measurement instruments is also discussed. Chapter 6 addresses issues in data collection, data management, and data analysis in qualitative and quantitative research. Finally Chapter 7 presents strategies for dissertation writing including structure and content, as well as data presentation.Less
This book is intended to be read at any stage in the dissertation process, but will be particularly useful in the early stages of preparation for a social work dissertation, and as a reference resource throughout. The book is a guide to successful dissertation completion. Content includes a brief history and overview of social work doctoral education in the United States, the importance of values in social work, and the relationship between personal, research, and social work values. Chapter 2 addresses issues in selecting and working with the dissertation supervisor and committee, as well as the role and tasks of all three parties in successful completion of the dissertation. In Chapter 3 strategies for researching, and evaluating the literature, as well as writing the literature review are discussed. In addition, the relevance of theory to social work research is examined. Chapter 4 describes ethical issues in social research and requirements for the protection of human subjects. In addition, an overview of both quantitative and qualitative research methods is provided. In Chapter 5 sample design and sample size are discussed in relation to both quantitative and qualitative research. The significance of the psychometric properties of measurement instruments is also discussed. Chapter 6 addresses issues in data collection, data management, and data analysis in qualitative and quantitative research. Finally Chapter 7 presents strategies for dissertation writing including structure and content, as well as data presentation.
Donna Harrington
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195339888
- eISBN:
- 9780199863662
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195339888.001.0001
- Subject:
- Social Work, Research and Evaluation
Measures that are reliable, valid, and can be used across diverse populations are vital to social work research, but the development of new measures is an expensive and time-consuming process. An ...
More
Measures that are reliable, valid, and can be used across diverse populations are vital to social work research, but the development of new measures is an expensive and time-consuming process. An array of existing measures can provide a cost-effective alternative, but in order to take this expedient step with confidence, researchers must ensure that the existing measure is appropriate for the new study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is one of the ways to do so. CFA has four primary functions—psychometric evaluation of measures, construct validation, testing method effects, and testing measurement invariance. This book provides an overview of the method, step-by-step guides to creating a CFA model and assessing its fit, and explanations of the requirements for using CFA, as well the book underscores the issues that are necessary to consider when using multiple groups or equivalent and multilevel models. Real-world examples, screenshots from the Amos software program that can be used to conduct CFA, and reading suggestions for each chapter form part of the book.Less
Measures that are reliable, valid, and can be used across diverse populations are vital to social work research, but the development of new measures is an expensive and time-consuming process. An array of existing measures can provide a cost-effective alternative, but in order to take this expedient step with confidence, researchers must ensure that the existing measure is appropriate for the new study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is one of the ways to do so. CFA has four primary functions—psychometric evaluation of measures, construct validation, testing method effects, and testing measurement invariance. This book provides an overview of the method, step-by-step guides to creating a CFA model and assessing its fit, and explanations of the requirements for using CFA, as well the book underscores the issues that are necessary to consider when using multiple groups or equivalent and multilevel models. Real-world examples, screenshots from the Amos software program that can be used to conduct CFA, and reading suggestions for each chapter form part of the book.
K. Warner Schaie
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195156737
- eISBN:
- 9780199786817
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195156737.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology
This book lays out the reasons why we should study cognitive development in adulthood, and presents the history, latest data, and results from the Seattle Longitudinal Study (SLS), which now extends ...
More
This book lays out the reasons why we should study cognitive development in adulthood, and presents the history, latest data, and results from the Seattle Longitudinal Study (SLS), which now extends to over forty-five years. The SLS is organized around five questions: does intelligence change uniformly throughout adulthood, or are there different life-course-ability patterns? At what age and at what magnitude can decrement in ability be reliably detected? What are the patterns and magnitude of generational differences? What accounts for individual differences in age-related change in adulthood? Can the intellectual decline that increases with age be reversed by educational intervention? Based on work on the SLS, this book presents a conceptual model. The model represents this book's author's view on the factors that influence cognitive development throughout the human lifespan, and provides a rationale for the various influences that have been investigated — genetic factors, early and current family environment, life styles, the experience of chronic disease, and various personality attributes. The data in this volume include the 1998 longitudinal cycle of the SLS. In light of both new data and revised analyses, psychometric and neuropsychological assessments have been linked in long-term data to aid in the early identification of risk for dementia in later life. The book also presents new data and concludes on the impact of personality on cognition. It includes correlation matrices and web-access information for select data sets.Less
This book lays out the reasons why we should study cognitive development in adulthood, and presents the history, latest data, and results from the Seattle Longitudinal Study (SLS), which now extends to over forty-five years. The SLS is organized around five questions: does intelligence change uniformly throughout adulthood, or are there different life-course-ability patterns? At what age and at what magnitude can decrement in ability be reliably detected? What are the patterns and magnitude of generational differences? What accounts for individual differences in age-related change in adulthood? Can the intellectual decline that increases with age be reversed by educational intervention? Based on work on the SLS, this book presents a conceptual model. The model represents this book's author's view on the factors that influence cognitive development throughout the human lifespan, and provides a rationale for the various influences that have been investigated — genetic factors, early and current family environment, life styles, the experience of chronic disease, and various personality attributes. The data in this volume include the 1998 longitudinal cycle of the SLS. In light of both new data and revised analyses, psychometric and neuropsychological assessments have been linked in long-term data to aid in the early identification of risk for dementia in later life. The book also presents new data and concludes on the impact of personality on cognition. It includes correlation matrices and web-access information for select data sets.
Norma van Surdam Graham
- Published in print:
- 1989
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195051544
- eISBN:
- 9780199872183
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195051544.003.0008
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
Intrinsic uncertainty arises from sources intrinsic to the observer, in particular from the observer's inability to attend to only the relevant information (attention limitations) and inability to ...
More
Intrinsic uncertainty arises from sources intrinsic to the observer, in particular from the observer's inability to attend to only the relevant information (attention limitations) and inability to remember the set of possible stimuli (memory limitations). This intrinsic uncertainty can be incorporated into the models based on multiple independent analyzers that were presented in the previous chapter for cases of extrinsic uncertainty. This chapter considers the interaction of uncertainty assumptions with the transducer function (output versus input function) of individual analyzers; the overall transducer function of all the analyzers used by the decision rule; the psychometric function for the observer; and the ROC curves. The control of attention and individual differences is discussed.Less
Intrinsic uncertainty arises from sources intrinsic to the observer, in particular from the observer's inability to attend to only the relevant information (attention limitations) and inability to remember the set of possible stimuli (memory limitations). This intrinsic uncertainty can be incorporated into the models based on multiple independent analyzers that were presented in the previous chapter for cases of extrinsic uncertainty. This chapter considers the interaction of uncertainty assumptions with the transducer function (output versus input function) of individual analyzers; the overall transducer function of all the analyzers used by the decision rule; the psychometric function for the observer; and the ROC curves. The control of attention and individual differences is discussed.
Donald Laming
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198523420
- eISBN:
- 9780191712425
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198523420.003.0003
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
The normal, equal variance model of signal detection theory, expressed with respect to log stimulus magnitude as metric, provides an account of discriminations between two separate stimulus ...
More
The normal, equal variance model of signal detection theory, expressed with respect to log stimulus magnitude as metric, provides an account of discriminations between two separate stimulus magnitudes of an accuracy rarely encountered within experimental psychology. It models the signal detection operating characteristic, the psychometric function, and Weber's Law; this is demonstrated by reference to appropriate data. One might say that ‘the phenomena of sensory discrimination [between separate stimuli] are uniform with respect to the logarithm of stimulus magnitude’. But Fechner's Law depends on a further assertion — that the ‘logarithmic metric measures the sensation experienced by the subject’, that may not be true.Less
The normal, equal variance model of signal detection theory, expressed with respect to log stimulus magnitude as metric, provides an account of discriminations between two separate stimulus magnitudes of an accuracy rarely encountered within experimental psychology. It models the signal detection operating characteristic, the psychometric function, and Weber's Law; this is demonstrated by reference to appropriate data. One might say that ‘the phenomena of sensory discrimination [between separate stimuli] are uniform with respect to the logarithm of stimulus magnitude’. But Fechner's Law depends on a further assertion — that the ‘logarithmic metric measures the sensation experienced by the subject’, that may not be true.
K. Warner Schaie
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195156737
- eISBN:
- 9780199786817
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195156737.003.0009
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology
This chapter presents evidence on the distinctiveness of cognitive styles of motor-cognitive flexibility, attitudinal flexibility, and psychomotor speed from the domain of psychometric intelligence ...
More
This chapter presents evidence on the distinctiveness of cognitive styles of motor-cognitive flexibility, attitudinal flexibility, and psychomotor speed from the domain of psychometric intelligence as measured in the Seattle Longitudinal Study. The concurrent and predictive relationships for the domains utilizing the cognitive style and core battery primary mental ability variables over the age ranges studied are then considered, along with similar data for the latent ability constructs over the seven- and fourteen-year periods. The predictive direction is identified to lead from the cognitive style measures to the ability measures of verbal meaning, number, and word fluency in the core battery and to the latent construct measures of verbal and numeric ability.Less
This chapter presents evidence on the distinctiveness of cognitive styles of motor-cognitive flexibility, attitudinal flexibility, and psychomotor speed from the domain of psychometric intelligence as measured in the Seattle Longitudinal Study. The concurrent and predictive relationships for the domains utilizing the cognitive style and core battery primary mental ability variables over the age ranges studied are then considered, along with similar data for the latent ability constructs over the seven- and fourteen-year periods. The predictive direction is identified to lead from the cognitive style measures to the ability measures of verbal meaning, number, and word fluency in the core battery and to the latent construct measures of verbal and numeric ability.
Peter Lyons and Howard J. Doueck
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195373912
- eISBN:
- 9780199865604
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373912.003.0005
- Subject:
- Social Work, Research and Evaluation
This chapter examines participant selection, sampling design, sample size and sampling error; as well as the importance of statistical power, effect size, confidence levels, and confidence intervals. ...
More
This chapter examines participant selection, sampling design, sample size and sampling error; as well as the importance of statistical power, effect size, confidence levels, and confidence intervals. Types of sampling, including probability and nonprobability sampling methods, are discussed in relation to both quantitative and qualitative research designs. The measurement properties of instruments including requirements of validity and reliability as well as issues in measurement with human measures (credibility, inquiry audits, and triangulation) are presented.Less
This chapter examines participant selection, sampling design, sample size and sampling error; as well as the importance of statistical power, effect size, confidence levels, and confidence intervals. Types of sampling, including probability and nonprobability sampling methods, are discussed in relation to both quantitative and qualitative research designs. The measurement properties of instruments including requirements of validity and reliability as well as issues in measurement with human measures (credibility, inquiry audits, and triangulation) are presented.
Ian J. Deary
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198524175
- eISBN:
- 9780191712531
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198524175.003.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter discusses the psychometric structure, predictive validity, and statistical genetics of intelligence.
This chapter discusses the psychometric structure, predictive validity, and statistical genetics of intelligence.
Ian J. Deary
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198524175
- eISBN:
- 9780191712531
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198524175.003.0005
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter describes and criticizes research that seeks the cognitive foundations of intelligence differences by studying psychometric tests themselves and attempting to fractionate them into ...
More
This chapter describes and criticizes research that seeks the cognitive foundations of intelligence differences by studying psychometric tests themselves and attempting to fractionate them into processes.Less
This chapter describes and criticizes research that seeks the cognitive foundations of intelligence differences by studying psychometric tests themselves and attempting to fractionate them into processes.
Barbara Jo Fidler, Nicholas Bala, and Michael A. Saini
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199895496
- eISBN:
- 9780199980086
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199895496.003.0004
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
To advance the scientific knowledge base of alienation and deal more effectively with alienation cases, there must be reliable and valid methods for assessing and measuring the presence of ...
More
To advance the scientific knowledge base of alienation and deal more effectively with alienation cases, there must be reliable and valid methods for assessing and measuring the presence of alienation, which could include standardized measures, structured interviews, rating scales, or some other scientifically based protocol that has been tested for its psychometric properties. Currently, there is a lack of reliable or valid assessment protocols and measures for alienation. This chapter discusses some measures of alienation in current use that have some utility, but none have been proven in research studies to have reliability or validity, and little distinction is made in current measures between screening (assessing potential for alienation before it occurs) and assessing for the risk of recurrence of alienation.Less
To advance the scientific knowledge base of alienation and deal more effectively with alienation cases, there must be reliable and valid methods for assessing and measuring the presence of alienation, which could include standardized measures, structured interviews, rating scales, or some other scientifically based protocol that has been tested for its psychometric properties. Currently, there is a lack of reliable or valid assessment protocols and measures for alienation. This chapter discusses some measures of alienation in current use that have some utility, but none have been proven in research studies to have reliability or validity, and little distinction is made in current measures between screening (assessing potential for alienation before it occurs) and assessing for the risk of recurrence of alienation.
Geraint Rees and Ryota Kanai
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199596492
- eISBN:
- 9780191745669
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199596492.003.0005
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Techniques, Development
Where mental activity is concerned, fMRI technology is often used to map ongoing brain activity. In conjunction with pattern-recognition software, this technology has driven recent advances in the ...
More
Where mental activity is concerned, fMRI technology is often used to map ongoing brain activity. In conjunction with pattern-recognition software, this technology has driven recent advances in the imaging of transient mental states and acts. But examination of some structural aspects of the brain also throws light on people's more enduring mental characteristics (‘traits’). This chapter explores and discusses some of these findings. The surprisingly robust correlations that have been established between brain structure and a range of human traits allow us to envisage a scenario in which the scrutiny of someone's brain structure will deliver information about their behavioural dispositions, and even their political commitments, that might not otherwise be available. We can imagine that such information might be of interest to prospective employers; moreover, as brain structure is not something that a person can readily influence, this method of finding out about someone might be more appealing than some of the current methods (interviews, observation, psychometric tests) in which there is sometimes considerable room for manipulation.Less
Where mental activity is concerned, fMRI technology is often used to map ongoing brain activity. In conjunction with pattern-recognition software, this technology has driven recent advances in the imaging of transient mental states and acts. But examination of some structural aspects of the brain also throws light on people's more enduring mental characteristics (‘traits’). This chapter explores and discusses some of these findings. The surprisingly robust correlations that have been established between brain structure and a range of human traits allow us to envisage a scenario in which the scrutiny of someone's brain structure will deliver information about their behavioural dispositions, and even their political commitments, that might not otherwise be available. We can imagine that such information might be of interest to prospective employers; moreover, as brain structure is not something that a person can readily influence, this method of finding out about someone might be more appealing than some of the current methods (interviews, observation, psychometric tests) in which there is sometimes considerable room for manipulation.
Shane N. Phillipson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789888083428
- eISBN:
- 9789882209848
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888083428.003.0004
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
This chapter focuses on developing an understanding of ‘intelligence’ and how this understanding can be used for enhancing learning.
This chapter focuses on developing an understanding of ‘intelligence’ and how this understanding can be used for enhancing learning.
Eric D. Heggestad
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195387476
- eISBN:
- 9780199914517
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195387476.003.0033
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
Researchers have studied the expected effects of faking and explored potential solutions to the problem it presents without first developing a thorough understanding of its nature. The goal of this ...
More
Researchers have studied the expected effects of faking and explored potential solutions to the problem it presents without first developing a thorough understanding of its nature. The goal of this chapter is to provide a conceptual framework for understanding faking. This framework is based on two key ideas: 1) that faking is a behavior rather than a psychological construct and 2) that faking is a measurement issue. The first part of the chapter reviews the dispositional, attitudinal, situational, and demographic factors that have been discussed as determinants of faking behavior. The second part of the chapter provides a psychometric representation of how these determinants of faking behavior can be expected to influence personality test scores. A key conclusion is that faking is a complex phenomenon and, as such, it is unlikely that there will be a simple approach to preventing or detecting faking behavior.Less
Researchers have studied the expected effects of faking and explored potential solutions to the problem it presents without first developing a thorough understanding of its nature. The goal of this chapter is to provide a conceptual framework for understanding faking. This framework is based on two key ideas: 1) that faking is a behavior rather than a psychological construct and 2) that faking is a measurement issue. The first part of the chapter reviews the dispositional, attitudinal, situational, and demographic factors that have been discussed as determinants of faking behavior. The second part of the chapter provides a psychometric representation of how these determinants of faking behavior can be expected to influence personality test scores. A key conclusion is that faking is a complex phenomenon and, as such, it is unlikely that there will be a simple approach to preventing or detecting faking behavior.
James W. Fawcett, Anne E. Rosser, and Stephen B. Dunnett
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198523376
- eISBN:
- 9780191724534
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198523376.003.0019
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Techniques
Brain disease of whatever nature can give rise to mental symptoms and disorders that, on occasions, may interfere with the assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery of the underlying ...
More
Brain disease of whatever nature can give rise to mental symptoms and disorders that, on occasions, may interfere with the assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery of the underlying disease. Good practice enjoins clinicians to evaluate and manage these complications. This is easier said than done. Evaluation often requires suitable psychometric tools and questionnaires, and on occasions this cannot be separate from research; management should include neurobiological and psychosocial information, and be skilful enough to dovetail with the ongoing medical management.Less
Brain disease of whatever nature can give rise to mental symptoms and disorders that, on occasions, may interfere with the assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery of the underlying disease. Good practice enjoins clinicians to evaluate and manage these complications. This is easier said than done. Evaluation often requires suitable psychometric tools and questionnaires, and on occasions this cannot be separate from research; management should include neurobiological and psychosocial information, and be skilful enough to dovetail with the ongoing medical management.
Veronica A. Bradley, Narinder Kapur, and Jonathan Evans
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198526544
- eISBN:
- 9780191689420
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198526544.003.0011
- Subject:
- Psychology, Neuropsychology
This chapter discusses the assessment of memory as part of the process of memory rehabilitation in terms of practical considerations and a ...
More
This chapter discusses the assessment of memory as part of the process of memory rehabilitation in terms of practical considerations and a conceptual framework. It describes the sources of evidence with particular reference to formal tests which may be useful in this context, and offers some suggestions are as to the value of certain tests or other assessment procedures in answering frequently-asked questions in the rehabilitation setting. In the future, some tests may be administered through the Internet, or by means of a videophone, there is a need for memory tests specifically designed to monitor the effects of therapeutic intervention.Less
This chapter discusses the assessment of memory as part of the process of memory rehabilitation in terms of practical considerations and a conceptual framework. It describes the sources of evidence with particular reference to formal tests which may be useful in this context, and offers some suggestions are as to the value of certain tests or other assessment procedures in answering frequently-asked questions in the rehabilitation setting. In the future, some tests may be administered through the Internet, or by means of a videophone, there is a need for memory tests specifically designed to monitor the effects of therapeutic intervention.
Alan Baddeley
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198528012
- eISBN:
- 9780191689505
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198528012.003.0010
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
A historical overview of the psychometric tradition is first discussed in this chapter. The author asserts that the psychometric industry has had a considerable amount of practical success in ...
More
A historical overview of the psychometric tradition is first discussed in this chapter. The author asserts that the psychometric industry has had a considerable amount of practical success in predicting educational and occupational achievement. However, this approach has had considerably less success in generating a theoretical understanding of the processes underlying high or low performance on intelligence tests. The problems of applying the psychometric approach to the analysis of cognition in ageing are demonstrated in this chapter. Individual differences in working memory are then assessed including the working memory span, and whether it is language specific and what it measures. The author claims that this offers a series of brief tests that do not rely heavily on prior knowledge, and is beginning to influence more traditional psychometric approaches. Further, he contends that unlike the classic approach to intelligence, it has a much closer link to current cognitive psychology.Less
A historical overview of the psychometric tradition is first discussed in this chapter. The author asserts that the psychometric industry has had a considerable amount of practical success in predicting educational and occupational achievement. However, this approach has had considerably less success in generating a theoretical understanding of the processes underlying high or low performance on intelligence tests. The problems of applying the psychometric approach to the analysis of cognition in ageing are demonstrated in this chapter. Individual differences in working memory are then assessed including the working memory span, and whether it is language specific and what it measures. The author claims that this offers a series of brief tests that do not rely heavily on prior knowledge, and is beginning to influence more traditional psychometric approaches. Further, he contends that unlike the classic approach to intelligence, it has a much closer link to current cognitive psychology.
Klaus Oberauer, Heinz-Martin Süß, Oliver Wilhelm, and Nicolas Sander
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195168648
- eISBN:
- 9780199847297
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195168648.003.0003
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter discusses how a substantial number of studies have shown that working memory capacity (WMC) is the best single predictor identified so far of reasoning ability as measured by ...
More
This chapter discusses how a substantial number of studies have shown that working memory capacity (WMC) is the best single predictor identified so far of reasoning ability as measured by intelligence tests. This finding is an important step toward understanding psychometric intelligence in terms of theories from cognitive psychology. The factor-analytic approach to individual differences provides a tool to identify associations and dissociations between indicators of cognitive functions. The approach is to model the correlational structure of a large set of indicators by theoretically specified structural equation models. WMC is found to be related to measures of processing speed. One explanation is that many working memory tasks are complex span tasks that involve a processing component, and the speed of performing this component is one source of variance in complex span tasks. Currently the most successful theory of deductive reasoning is the theory of mental models.Less
This chapter discusses how a substantial number of studies have shown that working memory capacity (WMC) is the best single predictor identified so far of reasoning ability as measured by intelligence tests. This finding is an important step toward understanding psychometric intelligence in terms of theories from cognitive psychology. The factor-analytic approach to individual differences provides a tool to identify associations and dissociations between indicators of cognitive functions. The approach is to model the correlational structure of a large set of indicators by theoretically specified structural equation models. WMC is found to be related to measures of processing speed. One explanation is that many working memory tasks are complex span tasks that involve a processing component, and the speed of performing this component is one source of variance in complex span tasks. Currently the most successful theory of deductive reasoning is the theory of mental models.
Sara Watkin and Andrew Vincent
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- November 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780199594801
- eISBN:
- 9780191918025
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199594801.003.0016
- Subject:
- Clinical Medicine and Allied Health, Professional Development in Medicine
Psychometric testing is widely used outside medicine as part of an employee selection process, although its use has attracted a great deal of criticism too. In the ...
More
Psychometric testing is widely used outside medicine as part of an employee selection process, although its use has attracted a great deal of criticism too. In the NHS, psychometric tests are often used for selection of mangers and a growing number of Trusts are now using psychometric testing as part of the consultant interview process. This chapter looks at the implications of this and at some of the more commonly known tools. Psychometric tests include personality tests, e.g. Myers—Briggs and Insights, as well as aptitude tests designed to assess an individual’s general logical ability, and verbal, numerical and technical reasoning. Aptitude tests are thought to be more accurate in predicting job performance than personality tests but have not been widely used in medicine. The tools used within medicine tend to look at a person’s personality, how they behave within teams and how they respond to conflict. Some of the more commonly used tools are: • Myers—Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) • 16 Personality Factor (16PF®) • Insights Discovery® Personality Profile (Insights) • Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO-B®) • Thomas—Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) • Strength Deployment Inventory® (SDI®) Two of these tools, MBTI and SDI, explicitly state that they should not be used as part of a selection process. However, they are increasingly being used, driven by the advice of unqualified or unscrupulous behavioural consultants! . . . What should I do if asked to sit a test? . . . You are who you are. Do not panic and do not try to work out what the panel want when answering questions about your personality. In general you will only get it wrong! The outcome of your assessment will not be you and the person you appear to be may be less suited for the job than the real you. Equally, this is not something you can practise—you can’t really ‘get good’ at something that is designed to simply show the real you! It’s also worth remembering that if the panel members are determined to employ someone you are not, ask yourself whether you would be happy in the role.
Less
Psychometric testing is widely used outside medicine as part of an employee selection process, although its use has attracted a great deal of criticism too. In the NHS, psychometric tests are often used for selection of mangers and a growing number of Trusts are now using psychometric testing as part of the consultant interview process. This chapter looks at the implications of this and at some of the more commonly known tools. Psychometric tests include personality tests, e.g. Myers—Briggs and Insights, as well as aptitude tests designed to assess an individual’s general logical ability, and verbal, numerical and technical reasoning. Aptitude tests are thought to be more accurate in predicting job performance than personality tests but have not been widely used in medicine. The tools used within medicine tend to look at a person’s personality, how they behave within teams and how they respond to conflict. Some of the more commonly used tools are: • Myers—Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) • 16 Personality Factor (16PF®) • Insights Discovery® Personality Profile (Insights) • Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO-B®) • Thomas—Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) • Strength Deployment Inventory® (SDI®) Two of these tools, MBTI and SDI, explicitly state that they should not be used as part of a selection process. However, they are increasingly being used, driven by the advice of unqualified or unscrupulous behavioural consultants! . . . What should I do if asked to sit a test? . . . You are who you are. Do not panic and do not try to work out what the panel want when answering questions about your personality. In general you will only get it wrong! The outcome of your assessment will not be you and the person you appear to be may be less suited for the job than the real you. Equally, this is not something you can practise—you can’t really ‘get good’ at something that is designed to simply show the real you! It’s also worth remembering that if the panel members are determined to employ someone you are not, ask yourself whether you would be happy in the role.
Damian P. Birney and Robert J. Sternberg
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195169539
- eISBN:
- 9780199847204
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195169539.003.0022
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter discusses four theoretical approaches—psychometric theories, information-processing theories, Piagetian and neo-Piagetian theories, and contextualist theories—and the associated ...
More
This chapter discusses four theoretical approaches—psychometric theories, information-processing theories, Piagetian and neo-Piagetian theories, and contextualist theories—and the associated methodologies that are used to understand intelligence and intellectual development. It then reflects on a relatively new theory that, following from the triarchic theory of intelligence, conceptualizes abilities as competencies in development. This multifaceted account of intelligence has been proposed to integrate what are often considered to be disparate paradigms. The triarchic theory of intelligence comprises three subtheories: a componential subtheory dealing with the (universal) components of intelligence; a contextual subtheory dealing with processes of adaptation, shaping, and selection; and an experiential subtheory dealing with the importance of coping with novelty and automatization. This chapter also examines experience and cognitive capacity as determinants of intellectual development.Less
This chapter discusses four theoretical approaches—psychometric theories, information-processing theories, Piagetian and neo-Piagetian theories, and contextualist theories—and the associated methodologies that are used to understand intelligence and intellectual development. It then reflects on a relatively new theory that, following from the triarchic theory of intelligence, conceptualizes abilities as competencies in development. This multifaceted account of intelligence has been proposed to integrate what are often considered to be disparate paradigms. The triarchic theory of intelligence comprises three subtheories: a componential subtheory dealing with the (universal) components of intelligence; a contextual subtheory dealing with processes of adaptation, shaping, and selection; and an experiential subtheory dealing with the importance of coping with novelty and automatization. This chapter also examines experience and cognitive capacity as determinants of intellectual development.
