Saturday, October 30, 2010

Research byte: Genetics, ADHD, reading difficulties and IQ

The Genetic Association Between ADHD Symptoms and Reading Difficulties: The Role of Inattentiveness and IQ.

Yannis Paloyelis, Fruhling Rijsdijk, Alexis C. Wood, Philip Asherson and , Kuntsi. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology (2010). 10.1007/s10802-010-9429-7, Published online: 17 June 2010

Abstract

Previous studies have documented the primarily genetic aetiology for the stronger phenotypic covariance between reading disability and ADHD inattention symptoms, compared to hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms. In this study, we examined to what extent this covariation could be attributed to “generalist genes” shared with general cognitive ability or to “specialist” genes which may specifically underlie processes linking inattention symptoms and reading difficulties. We used multivariate structural equation modeling on IQ, parent and teacher ADHD ratings and parent ratings on reading difficulties from a general population sample of 1312 twins aged 7.9–10.9 years. The covariance between reading difficulties and ADHD inattention symptoms was largely driven by genetic (45%) and child-specific environment (21%) factors not shared with IQ and hyperactivity-impulsivity; only 11% of the covariance was due to genetic effects common with IQ. Aetiological influences shared among all phenotypes explained 47% of the variance in reading difficulties. The current study, using a general population sample, extends previous findings by showing, first, that the shared genetic variability between reading difficulties and ADHD inattention symptoms is largely independent from genes contributing to general cognitive ability and, second, that child-specific environment factors, independent from IQ, also contribute to the covariation between reading difficulties and inattention symptoms.



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Friday, October 29, 2010

Sharp Brains 10 questions to evaluate brain training/fitness programs

Alvaro Fernandez (@AlvaroF)
10/29/10 9:45 AM
10-Question Checklist to Assess Products Making Brain Fitness & Training Claims: To help consumers and professiona... http://bit.ly/azP87A


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Educational Psychologist

Research bytes: WISC-IV with deaf and hard-of-hearing children




The Reliability and Validity of WISC-IV Scores With Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children. Hailey E. Krouse and Jeffery P. Braden. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment published 27 October 2010, 10.1177/0734282910383646

Abstract

The present study examined the reliability and validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) for use with deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HOH) children. Psychologists (n = 10) provided data for 128 D/HOH children who were assessed with the WISC-IV as part of routine assessments. All the WISC-IV subtests (8) and indexes (2) examined had split-half internal consistency coefficients that were higher (p < .05) than the values reported for the normative sample. The mean Perceptual Reasoning Index (M = 93.21) and Verbal Comprehension Index (M = 80.86) for D/HOH children were lower (p < .05) than the population mean (M = 100). Of the 44 inter-subtest correlations calculated, 29 were significantly greater than zero. The results support the reliability of the WISC-IV scores for D/HOH children, although the findings suggest that the Perceptual Reasoning Index may have a different meaning than Performance IQ for D/HOH children.



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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Dr. Detterman's Intelligence Bytes: Why do we often fail to recognize the full range of differences in human intelligence?



Another in the Dr. Detterman's Intelligence Bytes series



The study of human intelligence is the study of differences among people. Few
realize what considerable differences in human ability there are. This unawareness is probably due to at least three reasons. First, we are seldom exposed to the full range of human ability. Societies are probably more segregated by intelligence than by any other characteristic. There are few places where the full range of ability is observable. In their daily life, most people are exposed to people who have intellectual ability very similar to their own. There are also few situations where a person can actually gauge the intelligence of others. Most of life's situations do not require the application of intelligence to any substantial or observable degree.



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Research brief: Cultural and Linguistic Matrix (C-LIM) method for interpreting cognitive test data has limited supporting empirical evidence




Kranzler, J., Flores, C., & Coady, M. (2010). Examination of the Cross-Battery Approach for the Cognitive Assessment of Children and Youth From Diverse Linguistic and Cultural Backgrounds. School Psychology Review; 2010, 39(3), 431-446,

Abstract

Flanagan, Ortiz, and Alfonso (2007) recently developed the Culture-Language Interpretive Matrices (C-LIMs) for the cognitive assessment of children and youth from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. To examine the utility of this new approach, we administered the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities to a sample of students receiving English as a second language services in public school settings who had not been referred for special education services. Results of within-subjects analyses of the predicted effects of linguistic demand and of cultural loading on subtest scores in the C-LIM were nonsignificant. Although a statistically significant (decreasing) trend was observed for the effect of linguistic demand and cultural loading combined, post hoc analyses revealed that this finding was attributable to a significantly higher score on one subtest and did not reflect significant differences among all three subtests in this contrast. Moreover, only 13% of the sample had a pattern of test scores that was consistent with Flanagan et al.'s C-LIM predictions of the pattern of subtest scores predicted for children and youth from diverse backgrounds. In sum, results of our study suggest that further research is needed to substantiate the use of C-LIMs for diagnostic purposes with diverse populations.




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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

iPost: Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience PODCAST

Neuroscience News from Elsevier
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

iPost: Growing human brain like a maturing Internet

Brain Technology (@Neurotechnology)
10/26/10 6:51 PM
A new computer program shows how the brain's connections change as a child grows up http://bit.ly/a7i93y


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CHC theory tipping point passed: Inroads in mainstream intelligence research

In 2005 I unilaterally claimed that the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities had reached the "tipping point" in school psychology--it had become the consensus psychometric framework from which new intelligence tests are developed, old ones are revised, and non-CHC batteries are analyzed. Later in 2007 I again revisited my "tipping point" claim by analyzing the use of keywords in the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) general service listserv. At that time I concluded that the actual tipping point occurred (in school psychology) sometime between 2001 and 2003.

Today I decided to see if the school psychology CHC tipping point had spilled over and gained traction in more mainstream psychology. In particular, I was interested in how often the terms "CHC" or "Cattell-Horn-Carroll" were present in articles in THE premiere journal outlet for the heavy hitters in the field of intelligence research--the journal Intelligence.

So...I went to the journal's web page and used the above two terms/phrases and asked for a search of "all fields" for the journal. Below is what I found.

Prior to 2004 there was NOT ONE article in Intelligence that mentioned CHC or Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory. However, since 2004 there have been at least 21 publications that reference this model of intelligence.

It is my opinion that CHC theory clearly reached a tipping point somewhere between 2001-2003 and it is now making strong inroads as one of the most supported models of the structure of human intelligence in the field of intelligence research.

Don't you just love good data?


Sunday, October 24, 2010

Dr. Detterman's intelligence bytes: On the father of individual differences-Galton



Another in the Dr. Detterman's Intelligence Bytes series

Detterman on Galton




Galton has been called the father of differential psychology, the father of individual differences research, the father of behavioral and educational statistics, the father of behavior genetics, and the father of eugenics, to name a few (though he never had any children of his own). Here is a partial list of his accomplishments:

• Explored and mapped Africa before Livingstone.

• Wrote an extremely popular book on travel to remote places.

• Developed the median

• Developed z-scores

• Developed and promoted correlation for applications in the social sciences

• Pioneered the application of the normal distribution to human characteristics

• Developed the quincunx, a device for demonstrating the normal distribution (Marbles drop down from a central hole over pegs and are distributed into bins forming a normal distribution. These are seen in many science museums.)

• Discovered regression to the mean

• Developed the twin method for behavior genetic research

• Developed and applied the questionnaire method in the social sciences

• Made many contributions to geography

• Explained cyclones

• Developed Galton whistles to test pitch discrimination

• Studied fingerprints and their heritability

• Proved that the probability of identical fingerprints from different individuals was so low that it was extremely unlikely allowing fingerprints to be used in law enforcement.

• Developed underwater ‘spectacles' to allow divers to see clearly

• Demonstrated that intercessional prayer was not effective

• Studied what made an oral presentation interesting (Don't read it.) using an ‘inclinometer' he devised

• Developed a kind of speedometer for bicycles

• Pioneered a method of composite photographs for studying the “average” face

• Developed a heliostat, Galton's Sun-Signal.

• Developed eugenics (see later chapter)

• Got experimental participants to pay him for collecting data on them



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Saturday, October 23, 2010

French WAIS III study supports primary Gq interpretation of Arithmetic in adults

Interesting study with French WAIS III that provides additional support for quantitative knowledge (Gq) being the primary source of variance in understanding the Arithmetic subtest, as well as some processing speed (Gs) in adults. Click here for prior post on this topic.


Rozencwajg, P., Schaeffer, O., & Lefebvre, V. (2010). Arithmetic and aging: Impact of quantitative knowledge and processing speed. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(5), 452-458.

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to examine how quantitative knowledge (Gq in the CHC model) and processing speed (Gs in the CHC model) affect scores on the WAIS-III Arithmetic Subtest (Wechsler, 2000) with aging. Two age groups were compared: 30 young adults and 25 elderly adults. For both age groups, Gq was an important predictor of Arithmetic score variance (R² = 48% and R² = 45%, respectively). However, in line with Salthouse, the results showed that processing speed predicted Arithmetic scores only for the older adults, not for the younger ones (additional 9% of the variance for the elderly vs. 1% of the variance for the young adults). These results can clarify the ambiguous evolution of Arithmetic scores with aging: Arithmetic performance with aging seems to follow an intermediate path between Gc and Gf. This suggests that both Gq and Gs have an impact on Arithmetic in aging.

Additional quotes from the article

Today, “the CHC model (Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory of cognitive abilities) used extensively in applied psychometrics and intelligence testing during the past decade is a consensus model” (McGrew, 2005, p. 149). CHC is a hierarchical model (Fig. 1) with three strata: factor g (Stratum III), broad abilities (Stratum II), and narrow abilities (Stratum I). Broad CHC abilities (Stratum II) include Gf (fluid intelligence/reasoning), Gc (crystallized intelligence/knowledge), Gv (visual–spatial abilities), Gsm (short-term memory), Gs (cognitive processing speed), and Gq (quantitative knowledge). [Click on images to enlarge them]




In contemporary assessments of intelligence (Flanagan & Harrison, 2005), the Cattell–Horn–Carroll Theory (CHC model) plays an important role in interpreting the scores underlying the Wechsler Scale Subtests. There is some controversy, however, as to the constructs measured by each subtest. As stated above, authors disagree on how to classify Arithmetic in this model.

The first hypothesis tested here concerns the role of quantitative knowledge (Gq) in Arithmetic Subtest performance. Gq has been defined as the wealth (breadth and depth) of a person's “acquired store of declarative and procedural quantitative knowledge. Gq is largely acquired through the ‘investment’ of other abilities, primarily during formal educational experiences. It is important to recognize that RQ (narrow ability, Stratum I), which is the ability to reason inductively and deductively when solving quantitative problems, is not included under Gq, but rather is included in the Gf domain (broad ability, Stratum II). Gq represents an individual's store of acquired mathematical knowledge, not reasoning with this knowledge” (McGrew, 2005, p. 156).

Yet when we look at the performance curve with age (see Fig. 2), we can see firstly that the mean scores on Digit Span (Gsm) and Matrix Reasoning – which is a typical test of fluid intelligence (Gf) ([Schroeder and Salthouse, 2004] and [Verhaeghen, 2003]); – start to decline gradually at the age of 25, whereas the mean score on Arithmetic remains stable until age 70. Secondly, the mean score on Vocabulary – which is a typical test of crystallized intelligence (Gc) (Verhaeghen, 2003) – is close to the teenage level (age 16) after the age of 70, whereas performance drops well below that level on Arithmetic. Analyses of age effects on the WAIS-III subtests among American subjects indicate the same phenomena ([Ardila, 2007] and [Ryan et al., 2000]). Finally, Arithmetic performance with aging seems to follow an intermediate path between Gc and Gf (see Fig. 3). This result is similar to that found by Schroeder and Salthouse (2004), see their [Fig. 1] and [Fig. 2] p. 399 and 400): “All the factors were also influenced by knowledge (vocabulary), with the largest knowledge effects on the numeric/fluency factor” (p. 400).



.....the high correlations obtained between the scores on the Arithmetic Subtest and the new quantitative test, both for the young and older adults, support the hypothesis that the Arithmetic Subtest belongs to factor Gq in the CHC model ([Flanagan and Harrison, 2005] and [Flanagan and Kaufman, 2004])





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Friday, October 22, 2010

Research bytes: The nose knows: More research on olfactory (Go) abilities





Nguyen, A. D., Shenton, M. E., & Levitt, J. J. (2010). Olfactory Dysfunction in Schizophrenia: A Review of Neuroanatomy and Psychophysiological Measurements. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 18(5), 279-292.

Olfactory processing is thought to be mediated via the frontal and temporolimbic brain regions, both of which, as well as olfactory dysfunction, are implicated in schizophrenia. Likewise, several empirical studies of olfactory dysfunction—in particular, olfactory deficits in identification, odor detection threshold sensitivity, and odor memory, along with associated brain structural changes—have been conducted to illuminate the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. These anomalies have been investigated, more recently, as possible biological markers of that disabling illness. This article summarizes recent research on neuroimaging changes associated with olfactory impairments in schizophrenia patients and on related functional changes in psychophysiological measurements (e.g., odor identification, odor discrimination, odor detection threshold, and odor memory). The possible role of these changes as biological markers of the disorder will be discussed, as will potentially productive directions for future research.



Clear, A. M., Konikel, K. E., Nomi, J. S., & McCabe, D. P. (2010). Odor recognition without identification. Memory & Cognition, 38(4), 452-460.

Odors are notoriously difficult to identify, yet an odor can often lead to a sense of recognition, despite an inability to identify it. In the present study, we examined this phenomenon using the recognition-without-identification paradigm. Participants studied either odor names alone or odor names that were accompanied by scratch-and-sniff stickers containing their corresponding scents. At test, the participants were presented with blank scratch-and-sniff stickers, half of which corresponded to items that were studied and half of which did not. The participants attempted to identify each test odor, as well as to rate the likelihood that it corresponded to a studied item. In addition, the participants indicated whether they were in a tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) state for a given odor's name. Odor recognition without identification was found, but only when the participants had actually smelled the test odor at study; it was not found when the participants only studied odor names and were then tested with odors, suggesting that this effect is an episode-specific, perceptually driven phenomenon. Despite this difference, an overall TOT-attribution effect, whereby recognition ratings were higher during TOT states than during non-TOT states, was shown across conditions.



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Research byte: Cognitive aging and the Flynn Effect




Dickinson, M. D., & Hiscock, M. (2010). Age-related IQ decline is reduced markedly after adjustment for the Flynn effect. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 32(8), 865-870.

Abstract

Twenty-year-olds outperform 70-year-olds by as much as 2.3 standard deviations (35 IQ points) on subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). We show that most of the difference can be attributed to an intergenerational rise in IQ known as the Flynn effect. Normative data from different versions of the WAIS enabled us to estimate the degree to which the Flynn effect, rather than age-related decline, contributes to differences between 20- and 70-year-olds. The Flynn effect accounted for 38-67% of the apparent age-related decline on 6 of the 11 subtests. On the other 5 subtests, all of which are categorized as verbal, the Flynn effect was larger than the age-group difference. For these verbal subtests, the Flynn effect masked a modest increase in ability as individuals grow older. Overall, the Flynn effect accounted for at least 85% of the disparity between 20- and 70-year-olds.



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iPost: Today's 70 year olds smarter than in the past?

PsyPost.org (@PsyPost)
10/22/10 3:50 PM
70-year-olds smarter than they used to be: Today´s 70-year-olds do far better in intelligence tests than their pre... http://bit.ly/bgtcdc


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Thursday, October 21, 2010

iPost: AAIDD annual 2011 conference call for papers

The call for papers for the next AAIDD annual conference is now out and can be found at link below. The conference will be in my backyard (Minneapolis MN) in 2011.

http://www.aaidd.org/content_5151.cfm

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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Two new Atkins MR/ID death penalty Flynn Effect articles

Two new articles published regarding the issue of adjusting IQ scores for the Flynn Effect in Atkins MR/ID death penalty cases. These will be included in an update of the ICDP Flynn Effect archive project which I hope to complete by the end of the week.

Looking to science rather than convention in adjusting IQ scores when death is at issue. 2010 Volume 41, Issue 5 (Oct), p. 413-419. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Cunningham, Mark D.; Tassé, Marc J.

Abstract

The progressive obsolescence of IQ test norms and associated score inflation (i.e., the Flynn effect) may have literal life and death significance in capital mental retardation determinations (i.e., Atkins hearings). Hagan, Drogin, and Guilmette (2008) asserted that IQ score corrections for the Flynn effect were inconsistent with a “standard of practice” they deduced from custom, convention, and authority. More accurately, this reflected a proposed practice guideline or recommendation for practice, rather than a standard of practice. Whether a proposed guideline or recommendation for practice, these are better informed by an analysis of the available science than accepted convention. The authors reviewed research findings regarding the occurrence of the Flynn effect in the “zone of ambiguity” (IQ = 71–80), and proposed a best practice recommendation for discussing and reporting Flynn effect correction of IQ scores in capital mental retardation determinations.


Science rather than advocacy when reporting IQ scores, p. 420-423. Hagan, Leigh D.; Drogin, Eric Y.; Guilmette, Thomas J.

Abstract

The existence of shifts in mean IQ scores over time is well established. However, on a case-by-case basis, such shifts vary unreliably, rendering specific adjustments to a given individual's IQ score incalculable. Based upon data presented previously (Hagan, Drogin, & Guilmette, 2008) as well as a review of more recent studies that have further detailed the wide variability of mean score shifts, any proposal to “correct” IQ scores in forensic evaluations due to the “Flynn effect” (FE) is unjustifiable. To offer the court an unreliable new IQ score in place of an allegedly unreliable old one—and to do so specifically in capital murder cases as opposed to any other context—appears far more reflective of result-focused advocacy than objective scientific practice. Forensic psychologists are explicitly encouraged to address likely ranges of IQ score variability and to discuss in relevant detail the strengths and weaknesses of the specific studies—however much at odds these may be—that attempt to define and quantify mean score shifts.



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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

iPost: More on recent FAS cognitive abilities research

PsyPost.org (@PsyPost)
10/19/10 6:50 PM
Fetal alcohol exposure associated with a decrease in cognitive performance: It has been known for many years that ... http://bit.ly/ahwR9q


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iPost: Mapping that auditory (Ga) cortex


Neuroscience (@Neuro_science)
10/19/10 4:39 AM
How the Auditory Cortex Maps the Aural World - Softpedia http://bit.ly/9L8XC3


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iPost: Neurobehavioral profile for FAS?

Neuropath Learning (@NeuropathLrng)
10/19/10 12:08 AM
Poor executive function and poor spatial abilities characteristic of FAS http://fb.me/yQFWtRl0


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iPost: Fast Publication from Intelligence

Good news from the premiere journal in the study of human intelligence. 

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Faster Publication times
  Fast Publication from Intelligence
     
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Dear Dr McGrew,

We are pleased to let you know that Intelligence has improved its publication speed over the last year by 55% and is now typically publishing articles in issues within 10.6 weeks of acceptance.

publication time graph

NB: This does not include editorial time.

Improved publication speeds are largely due to innovations we have introduced in the publishing process including a more efficient page format. The size of journal issues is now flexible to reflect fluctuations in the number of articles submitted and a number of new reviewer and author tools have also led to quicker turnaround times.

Our Author Feedback Programme shows that our authors appreciate the faster speed of publication and we are confident that we can continue the trend of reduced production times.

This is just one of the many reasons to submit your article to Intelligence. Your article will be accessible to over 11 million researchers at 4,500 institutes in 180 countries worldwide via SciVerse ScienceDirect.

Kind regards,

Sam Hodder

Publisher, Cognitive Science, Elsevier


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Monday, October 18, 2010

Dr. Detterman's intelligence bytes: First writings on human "intelligence"



Another in the Dr. Detterman's Intelligence Bytes series

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first mentions of intelligence in
English were in 1390 as a “faculty of understanding” and in 1430 as “understanding as a quality of admitting degree”. Largely indirect evidence of peoples' awareness of differences in general intellectual ability can be found to this point in history. For most people, it probably did not matter how smart they were. With increasing literacy, intelligence was beginning to make a difference.

The first treatise on intelligence in the sense we speak of it today was by Juan
Huarte (1530-1589) and was first published in 1575 (Huarte, 1699). Huarte was a
Spanish physician who had been trained in the classics and, and as physicians of the day, subscribed to the humeral theory of bodily functioning. The Spanish title of his book was “Examen de ingenios para las sciencias” and was translated into English as the “Tryal of wits, discovering the difference of wits among men and what sorts of learning suits best with each genius.” It might be regarded as the first self-help book to guide parents and students to the area of study where they would be most successful wits, discovering the difference of wits among men and what sorts of learning suits best with each genius.” It might be regarded as the first self-help book to guide parents and students to the area of study where they would be most successful.


Sunday, October 17, 2010

Pictures from Australian Psych. Society 2010 College of Clinical Neuropsychologists

I want to thank Aimee Velnoweth a psychologist from Australia for taking (and sharing) some pictures of me while I made one of my two presentations at the 2010 College of Clinical Neuropsychologists National Conference in Frematle, Western Australia (Sep 30 to Oct 02).  They were an awesome group and it was one of the better organized conferences I have attended/presented. In the first photo I am being introduced by Dr. Stephen Bowden from the University of Melbourne....a great researcher, scholar and all round good guy.




iPost: New web site features information for dealing with traumatic brain injury in children

VXGV.jpg


From Brain Injury Blog. Follow links for info. 

braininjury

In partnership with the Teaching Resource Institute at Western Oregon University, BrainLine has announced a new portal, BrainLine Kids, a new feature of  their web site created specifically for those who support children with traumatic brain injury. BrainLine Kids features information from signs of concussion in children to support for students with TBI in the classroom.

You can find out more information by clicking:  BrainLine Kids

 

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Saturday, October 16, 2010

iPost: Are you a high IQ "clever-silly"





Woodley, M. A. (2010). Are high-IQ individuals deficient in common sense? A critical examination of the 'clever sillies' hypothesis. Intelligence, 38(5), 471-480.

Abstract

A controversial hypothesis [Charlton (2009). Clever sillies: Why high-IQ people tend to be deficient in common sense. Medical Hypotheses, 73, 867–870] has recently been proposed to account for why individuals of high-IQ and high social status tend to hold counter-intuitive views on social phenomena. It is claimed that these ‘clever sillies’ use their high general intelligence and Openness to Experience to overanalyze social problems for which socially intelligent/common sense responses would seemingly be more appropriate. The first three sections of this review will consider i) the relationship between general and social intelligence; ii) the role of situational effects on the direction of the correlation between IQ and political attitudes; iii) the behavioral ecology of competitive altruism. While there is no hard evidence for Charlton's hypothesis, sophisticated although ultimately non-rational subjective analyses of social phenomena (i.e. ones that are disconfirmed by data, or reject empiricism) do seem to be favored by individuals in certain high-IQ knowledge work sectors. It is suggested that these function as costly signals of altruism, and that their popularity can best be understood in light of the theory that social attitudes are fundamentally influenced by perceptions of dominance and counter-dominance, with the latter playing an especially significant role in influencing the values systems of contemporary societies where the degree of conspicuous inequality is significantly evolutionarily novel.



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iPost: JPA special issue on the Flynn Effect




The special JPA issue on the Flynn Effect is now available. Below are the titles of the articles. Within a week I plan to add them to the Flynn Effect archive project. Stay tuned.

Ceci, S. J., & Kanaya, T. (2010). ''Apples and Oranges Are Both Round'': Furthering the Discussion on the Flynn Effect. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 441-447.

Fletcher, J. M., Stuebing, K. K., & Hughes, L. C. (2010). IQ Scores Should Be Corrected for the Flynn Effect in High-Stakes Decisions. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 469-473.

Flynn, J. R. (2010). Problems With IQ Gains: The Huge Vocabulary Gap. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 412-433.

Hagan, L. D., Drogin, E. Y., & Guilmette, T. J. (2010). IQ Scores Should Not Be Adjusted for the Flynn Effect in Capital Punishment Cases. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 474-476.

Kaufman, A. S. (2010). ''In What Way Are Apples and Oranges Alike?'' A Critique of Flynn's Interpretation of the Flynn Effect. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 382-398.

Kaufman, A. S. (2010). Looking Through Flynn's Rose-Colored Scientific Spectacles. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 494-505.

Kaufman, A. S., & Weiss, L. G. (2010). Guest Editors' Introduction to the Special Issue of JPA on the Flynn Effect. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 379-381.

McGrew, K. S. (2010). The Flynn Effect and Its Critics: Rusty Linchpins and ''Lookin' for g and Gf in Some of the Wrong Places''. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 448-468.

Reynolds, C. R., Niland, J., Wright, J. E., & Rosenn, M. (2010). Failure to Apply the Flynn Correction in Death Penalty Litigation: Standard Practice of Today Maybe, but Certainly Malpractice of Tomorrow. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 477-481.

Sternberg, R. J. (2010). The Flynn Effect: So What? Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 434-440.

Weiss, L. G. (2010). Considerations on the Flynn Effect. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 482-493.

Zhou, X. B., Zhu, J. J., & Weiss, L. G. (2010). Peeking Inside the ''Black Box'' of the Flynn Effect: Evidence From Three Wechsler Instruments. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(5), 399-411.




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Friday, October 15, 2010

IQs Readings: New feature - first focusing on article on dyslexia

I have become a huge fan of my new iPad. With the aid of the GoodReader app, I can read journal articles in PDF form. In the past, I have typically cut-and-pasted text from PDF files into a file, added my comments, then pasted into a blog editor to post as a new post.

Today I am trying something new. I just read the following article by Gabrieli (2009) Dyslexia: A New Synergy Between Education and Cognitive Neuroscience. Rather than doing the above multiple-step process, this time I annotated my thoughts as I read the article directly in the PDF file. I have highlighted text that I found interesting and important. More exciting, IMHO, is that I also inserted comment icons when I wanted to "add value" via my thoughts and commentary. Most PDF readers should allow readers to click or hover over these icons and see what I have written. I then upload the annotated PDF file to my server directly from an FTP file transfer program embedded within the GoodReader program. It is amazing.

I then exit GoodReader and open up my Blog Press iPad app, which I am writing within at this moment. I write all the above text, can insert some formatting, and can now provide a URL link to the article I annotated (click here).

Bingo...instant blog commentary from IQ's Corner embedded in the reading, rather than in a lengthy message post. Much more efficient for me.

I'm very interested in what readers thing of this new feature. I like it as it makes it much easier for me to read something and instantly share my thoughts, critique, etc. I need to know if readers can see my comments in the comment icons.

I can also go to a free web page that generates technorati tags and enter keywords and it generates the HTML code which I then copy and paste below. Bingo.

PS - I am aware of the warnings on the first page that the article I read is for personal use only and should not be used for commercial purposes. Within the blogosphere and educational circles there is the doctrine of "fair use", particularly if a person "adds value" to the reading...which I believe I am doing here. I believe most readers of my blog are aware of my educational intentions. Yes, there are two commercial ads on this blog, but they barely purchase more than some computer paper and ink cartridges during the year. If necessary, I will discontinue the add feature...as it really is not an income producer.




I love technology. I am now hooked on my iPad.


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IQ's Corner Recent Literature of Interest: 10-31-10







This weeks installment of IQ's Corner Recent Literature of Interest is now available by clicking here.




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iPost Research Byte: Cognitive factors of reading fluency




Cognitive development of fluent word reading does not qualitatively differ between transparent and opaque orthographies. Vaessen, Anniek; Bertrand, Daisy; Tóth, Dénes; Csépe, Valéria; Faísca, Luís; Reis, Alexandra; Blomert, Leo. Journal of Educational Psychology, Oct 11, 2010, No Pagination Specified. doi: 10.1037/a0019465

Abstract

[Note-blogmaster has inserted hypothesized CHC broad and narrow ability codes as designed by brackets]

Although the transparency of a writing system [Grw] is hypothesized to systematically influence the cognitive skills associated with reading development, results of cross-language investigations are inconsistent and usually do not address this issue in a developmental context. We therefore investigated the cognitive dynamics of reading fluency [Grw/Gs-RS] of different word types in Grades 1–4 in three orthographies differing in degree of transparency (Hungarian, Dutch, and Portuguese). The overall results showed that the relative strength of the contributions of phonological awareness [Ga-PC] and rapid naming [Glr-NA] to word reading fluency shifted as a function of reading expertise: The contribution of phonological awareness remained significant in all grades but decreased as a function of grade, whereas the contribution of rapid naming increased. Orthographic depth systematically modulated the strength of the cognitive contributions to reading, but not the overall developmental pattern. Together, these results indicate that the cognitive development of reading skill is fairly universal (at least for alphabetic scripts) and that differences in orthographic depth will not recruit different cognitive processes but will mainly be expressed in rate of reading development.



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Thursday, October 14, 2010

iPost Research Byte: What is prosody? A review of the literature

Psychology Press (@psypress)
10/14/10 10:57 AM
Here's a 40-page review of research advances in prosodic phrasing and prominence http://goo.gl/tAwP last day to read it!


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Dr. Detterman's intelligence bytes: On the history of IQ tests and theories


This is the second in the Dr. Doug Detterman's intelligence bytes. Below is a direct excerpt.

The point of view is simple to state: Intelligence tests arose because they filled a social need and still do. Through history, important decisions about peoples' lives were made by the subjective decisions of others. The history of intelligence tests is one of replacing subjective decisions of biased observers where bias was often based on family position and political influence with objective measures from more objective tests. Tests became important tools for a developing meritocracy.

This brief history will also make clear that though we know a lot about intelligence, we do not yet know exactly what it is. There are good reasons we do not know as much as we would like to about intelligence. These reasons lie in the history of the development of the intelligence test and the parallel history of the theory about intelligence. An appreciation of what we do and do not know about intelligence requires an understanding of that history.





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