Research bytes: Innovative behavioral research methods research articles




Block, C. K., & Baldwin, C. L. (2010). Cloze probability and completion norms for 498 sentences: Behavioral and neural validation using event-related potentials. Behavior Research Methods, 42(3), 665-670.

Three decades after their publication, Bloom and Fischler' s (1980) sentence completion norms continue to demonstrate widespread utility. The aim of the present study was to extend this contribution by expanding the existing database of high-constraint, high cloze probability sentences. Using the criteria established by Bloom and Fischler, we constructed 398 new sentences and presented these along with 100 sentences from their original list to be normed using a sample of 400 participants. Of the 498 sentences presented, 400 met criteria for high cloze probability—that is, .67 or higher probability of being completed by a specific single word. Of these, 321 sentences were from the new set and an additional 79 were from Bloom and Fischler' s set. A high degree of correspondence was observed between responses obtained by Bloom and Fischler for their high-constraint set. A second experiment utilized an N400 event-related potential paradigm to provide further validation of the contextual constraint for the newly generated set. As expected, N400 amplitude was greater for sentences that violated contextual expectancy by ending in a word other than the newly established completion norm. Sentence completion norms are frequently used in cognitive research, and this larger database of high cloze probability sentences is expected to be of benefit to the research community for many years to come. The full set of stimuli and sentence completion norms from this study may be downloaded from http://brm.psychonomic-journals.org/ content/supplemental.



Buchanan, T., Heffernan, T. M., Parrott, A. C., Ling, J., Rodgers, J., & Scholey, A. B. (2010). A short self-report measure of problems with executive function suitable for administration via the Internet. Behavior Research Methods, 42(3), 709-714

This article describes a short self-report measure of problems with executive function designed for use in Internet-mediated research. In Study 1, participants completed the online measure (Webexec) using a browser but under laboratory conditions. They also completed a paper self-report measure of executive problems (the Dysexecutive Questionnaire; DEX) and three objective tasks involving executive function: reverse digit span, semantic fluency (unconstrained), and semantic fluency (constrained). Webexec scores correlated positively with the DEX and negatively with the three executive tasks. Further evidence of construct validity came from Study 2, in which Webexec scores correlated positively with both use of cannabis and prospective memory problems reported in an online drug questionnaire. Webexec thus appears suitable for online research with normal populations.


ESCOLANO-PÉREZ , E., & SastreRiba, S. (2010). Early infant cognitive assessment: Validity of an instrument. Behavior Research Methods, 42(3), 759-767.

The present study represents a contribution to the assessment of infant cognitive development by presenting a valid instrument for observing the development of logical reasoning and executive function during the second year of life—key processes in the construction of human knowledge. The instrument constructed, called ELEDA (Early Logical and Executive Development Assessment), was a combined or mixed observation instrument composed of field formats and category systems. Its validity was calculated using generalizability theory, which enables different sources of error affecting a behavioral measurement to be analyzed jointly. The need for valid early cognitive assessment instruments such as the one in the present article is evident, since the sooner assess-ment is performed, the sooner action can be taken, thus optimizing the results.


Freeman, J. B., & Ambady, N. (2010). MouseTracker: Software for studying real-time mental processing using a computer mouse-tracking method. Behavior Research Methods, 42(1), 226-241.

In the present article, we present a software package, MouseTracker, that allows researchers to use a computer mouse-tracking method for assessing real-time processing in psychological tasks. By recording the streaming x-, y-coordinates of the computer mouse while participants move the mouse into one of multiple response al-ternatives, motor dynamics of the hand can reveal the time course of mental processes. MouseTracker provides researchers with fine-grained information about the real-time evolution of participant responses by sampling 60–75 times/sec the online competition between multiple response alternatives. MouseTracker allows research-ers to develop and run experiments and subsequently analyze mouse trajectories in a user-interactive, graphics-based environment. Experiments may incorporate images, letter strings, and sounds. Mouse trajectories can be processed, averaged, visualized, and explored, and measures of spatial attraction/curvature, complexity, velocity, and acceleration can be computed. We describe the software and the method, and we provide details on mouse trajectory analysis. We validate the software by demonstrating the accuracy and reliability of its trajectory and reaction time data. The latest version of MouseTracker is freely available at http://mousetracker.jbfreeman.net.


Li, X. R., Liang, Z., Kleiner, M., & Lu, Z. L. (2010). RTbox: A device for highly accurate response time measurements. Behavior Research Methods, 42(1), 212-225.

Although computer keyboards and mice are frequently used in measuring response times (RTs), the accuracy of these measurements is quite low. Specialized RT collection devices must be used to obtain more accurate measurements. However, all the existing devices have some shortcomings. We have developed and implemented a new, commercially available device, the RTbox, for highly accurate RT measurements. The RTbox has its own microprocessor and high-resolution clock. It can record the identities and timing of button events with high ac-curacy, unaffected by potential timing uncertainty or biases during data transmission and processing in the host computer. It stores button events until the host computer chooses to retrieve them. The asynchronous storage greatly simplifies the design of user programs. The RTbox can also receive and record external signals as trig-gers and can measure RTs with respect to external events. The internal clock of the RTbox can be synchronized with the computer clock, so the device can be used without external triggers. A simple USB connection is suf-ficient to integrate the RTbox with any standard computer and operating system.



LorenzoSeva, U., Ferrando, P. J., & Chico, E. (2010). Two SPSS programs for interpreting multiple regression results. Behavior Research Methods, 42(1), 29-35.

When multiple regression is used in explanation-oriented designs, it is very important to determine both the usefulness of the predictor variables and their relative importance. Standardized regression coefficients are rou-tinely provided by commercial programs. However, they generally function rather poorly as indicators of rela-tive importance, especially in the presence of substantially correlated predictors. We provide two user-friendly SPSS programs that implement currently recommended techniques and recent developments for assessing the relevance of the predictors. The programs also allow the user to take into account the effects of measurement error. The first program, MIMR-Corr.sps, uses a correlation matrix as input, whereas the second program, MIMR-Raw.sps, uses the raw data and computes bootstrap confidence intervals of different statistics. The SPSS syntax, a short manual, and data files related to this article are available as supplemental materials from http:// brm.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.


Magis, D., Beland, S., Tuerlinckx, F., & DeBoeck, P. (2010). A general framework and an R package for the detection of dichotomous differential item functioning. Behavior Research Methods, 42(3), 847-862.

Differential item functioning (DIF) is an important issue of interest in psychometrics and educational mea-surement. Several methods have been proposed in recent decades for identifying items that function differently between two or more groups of examinees. Starting from a framework for classifying DIF detection methods and from a comparative overview of the most traditional methods, an R package for nine methods, called difR, is presented. The commands and options are briefly described, and the package is illustrated through the analysis of a data set on verbal aggression.



McCarthy, P. M., & Jarvis, S. (2010). MTLD, vocd-D, and HD-D: A validation study of sophisticated approaches to lexical diversity assessment. Behavior Research Methods, 42(2), 381-392.

The main purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the approach to lexical diversity assessment known as the measure of textual lexical diversity (MTLD). The index for this approach is calculated as the mean length of word strings that maintain a criterion level of lexical variation. To validate the MTLD approach, we compared it against the performances of the primary competing indices in the field, which include vocd-D, TTR, Maas, Yule' s K, and an HD-D index derived directly from the hypergeometric distribution function. The comparisons involved assessments of convergent validity, divergent validity, internal validity, and incremental validity. The results of our assessments of these indices across two separate corpora suggest three major find-ings. First, MTLD performs well with respect to all four types of validity and is, in fact, the only index not found to vary as a function of text length. Second, HD-D is a viable alternative to the vocd-D standard. And third, three of the indices—MTLD, vocd-D (or HD-D), and Maas—appear to capture unique lexical information. We conclude by advising researchers to consider using MTLD, vocd-D (or HD-D), and Maas in their studies, rather than any single index, noting that lexical diversity can be assessed in many ways and each approach may be informative as to the construct under investigation.


Solway, A., Geller, A. S., Sederberg, P. B., & Kahana, M. J. (2010). PyParse: A semiautomated system for scoring spoken recall data. Behavior Research Methods, 42(1), 141-147.

Studies of human memory often generate data on the sequence and timing of recalled items, but scoring such data using conventional methods is difficult or impossible. We describe a Python-based semiautomated system that greatly simplifies this task. This software, called PyParse, can easily be used in conjunction with many common experiment authoring systems. Scored data is output in a simple ASCII format and can be accessed with the programming language of choice, allowing for the identification of features such as correct responses, prior-list intrusions, extra-list intrusions, and repetitions


Willander, J., & Baraldi, S. (2010). Development of a new Clarity of Auditory Imagery Scale. Behavior Research Methods, 42(3), 785-790.

In the psychological study of auditory imagery, instruments for measuring vividness or clarity have existed for some time. The present article argues that existing scales are ambiguous, in that clarity and vividness of auditory imagery are addressed simultaneously, and that empirical validations of those scales suffer from inad-equate methods. The aim of the present study was to develop a new psychometric scale, the Clarity of Auditory Imagery Scale, measuring individual differences in clarity of auditory imagery. Drawing on previous literature, 16 items were generated, forming an initial item pool that was presented to 212 respondents. The hypothesized single dimensionality inherent in the data was confirmed using Velicer' s (1976) minimum average partial test and parallel analysis. Also, data were factor analyzed, extracting a stable one-factor solution including all 16 items. The internal consistency of the final scale was satisfactory (coefficient alpha .88). Other properties of the questionnaire, such as test–retest reliability, remain to be established.

Wilson, A., Dollman, J., Lushington, K., & Olds, T. (2010). Reliability of the 5-min psychomotor vigilance task in a primary school classroom setting. Behavior Research Methods, 42(3), 754-758.

This study evaluated the reliability of the 5-min psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) in a single-sex Australian primary school. Seventy-five male students (mean age 11.82 years, SD 1.12) completed two 5-min PVTs using a Palm personal digital assistant (PDA) in (1) an isolated setting and (2) a classroom setting. Of this group of students, a subsample of 37 students completed a test–retest reliability trial within the classroom setting. Using a mixed-model analysis, there was no significant difference in the mean response time (RT) or number of lapses (RTs 500 msec) between the isolated and the classroom setting. There was, however, an order effect for the number of lapses in the isolated setting, with the number of lapses being greater if the isolated test was conducted second. Test–retest intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) in the classroom setting indicated mod-erate to high reliability (mean RT .84, lapses .59). Bland–Altman analysis showed no systematic difference between the two settings. Findings suggest that the 5-min PDA PVT is a reliable measure of sustained attention in the classroom setting in this sample of primary-aged schoolchildren. The results provide further evidence for the versatility of this measuring device for larger interventions outside the laboratory.


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Sunday, February 27, 2011

FYiPOST: Encephalon carnival 84: Psychology-neuroscience roundup

The dominant theme of this month's Encephalon blog carnival is that no matter how straightforward something may appear, it is not always that simple. Among the intriguing offerings:
  • In The Mathematician in the Asylum, forensic psychologist Romeo Vitelli at Providentia explores the life of Andre Bloch, a leading French mathematician who spent 30 years in an asylum after knifing three family members to death.   
Hosting the 84th edition of Encephalon is Janet Kwasniak, who blogs about consciousness at "Thoughts on Thoughts." Janet is in France, but wherever you are the content is just a click away – HERE.





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Educational Psychologist

Saturday, February 26, 2011

IQs Corner listed as top 50 blog by psychology professionals


Thanks to all my regular and new readers for making IQs Corner a blog that has received another recognition---being listed as one of the top 50 blogs by psychology professionals Psycholoblog.



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Importance of Automaticity@brainfitness, 2/23/11 3:53 PM

Brain Fitness (@brainfitness)
2/23/11 3:53 PM
Indispensible automaticity: What is it & how does it influence my child's learning? http://bit.ly/fz2w86 #reading #education #edchat


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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Research brief: WAIS-IV US-Canadian factor and score comparability

The transportability of the meaning of an intelligence test batteries composite scores across countries/cultures is important when a test is originally developed and normed in one country and is then adapted and used in a second country.

Bowden et al (2010) recently investigated the factorial invariance of the WAIS-IV across US and Canadian samples. The results are summarized in the abstract below (click to enlarge). The WAIS-IV was found to measure the same theoretical constructs across the two countries. However, the reported difference in latent mean factor intercepts indicated that the WAIS-IV provides higher scores with Canadian subjects. The need for Canadian norms are suggested.






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Thursday, February 17, 2011

FYiPOST: Statistics and Computing, Vol. 21, Issue 2 - New Issue Alert

For the quantoid readers of IQ's Corner.



Thursday, February 17

Dear Valued Customer,
We are pleased to deliver your requested table of contents alert for Statistics and Computing. Good news: now you will find quick links to the full text of the article. Access the article with only one click!

Volume 21 Number 2 is now available on SpringerLink

Register for Springer's email services providing you with info on the latest books in your field. ... More!
In this issue:
Estimation of prediction error by using K-fold cross-validation
Tadayoshi Fushiki
Abstract    Full text PDF

Exact distributional computations for Roy's statistic and the largest eigenvalue of a Wishart distribution
Ronald W. Butler & Robert L. Paige
Abstract    Full text PDF

Functional variance estimation using penalized splines with principal component analysis
Göran Kauermann & Michael Wegener
Abstract    Full text PDF

Restricted likelihood inference for generalized linear mixed models
Ruggero Bellio & Alessandra R. Brazzale
Abstract    Full text PDF

A finite mixture model for multivariate counts under endogenous selectivity
Marco Alfò, Antonello Maruotti & Giovanni Trovato
Abstract    Full text PDF

Bayesian kernel projections for classification of high dimensional data
Katarina Domijan & Simon P. Wilson
Abstract    Full text PDF

Efficient Bayesian analysis of multiple changepoint models with dependence across segments
Paul Fearnhead & Zhen Liu
Abstract    Full text PDF

Bayesian estimation and stochastic model specification search for dynamic survival models
Helga Wagner
Abstract    Full text PDF

Stochastic matching pursuit for Bayesian variable selection
Ray-Bing Chen, Chi-Hsiang Chu, Te-You Lai & Ying Nian Wu
Abstract    Full text PDF   

A quasi-Newton acceleration for high-dimensional optimization algorithms
Hua Zhou, David Alexander & Kenneth Lange
Abstract    Full text PDF   

Fast simulation of truncated Gaussian distributions
Nicolas Chopin
Abstract    Full text PDF

Book Review
James E. Gentle: Computational statistics (Statistics and Computing Series)
Christian P. Robert
Abstract    Full text PDF

Book Review
A.E. Gelfand, P.J. Diggle, M. Fuentes, P. Guttorp (eds.): Handbook of spatial statistics
Denis Allard
Abstract    Full text 








Book review: Lynn's Global Bell Curve: Race, IQ and Global Inequality

A review of the Richard Lynn's Global Bell Curve: Race, IQ and Global Inequality book is available at the COGN-IQ blog.


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Free cognitive journal access for 4 days@psypress, 2/17/11 4:13 AM

Psychology Press (@psypress)
2/17/11 4:13 AM
FREE for 4 days only: Brand new issue of #Cognitive #Neuroscience http://goo.gl/qa8Ua. Click to see why this journal is already in the JCR!


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Educational Psychologist

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

FYiPOST: : Journal of Educational Psychology - Volume 103, Issue 1




A new issue is available for the following APA journal:


Does discovery-based instruction enhance learning?
Page 1-18
Alfieri, Louis; Brooks, Patricia J.; Aldrich, Naomi J.; Tenenbaum, Harriet R.



Does incorrect guessing impair fact learning?
Page 48-59
Kang, Sean H. K.; Pashler, Harold; Cepeda, Nicholas J.; Rohrer, Doug; Carpenter, Shana K.; Mozer, Michael C.

Spatially distributed instructions improve learning outcomes and efficiency.
Page 60-72
Jang, Jooyoung; Schunn, Christian D.; Nokes, Timothy J.

Learning by reviewing.
Page 73-84
Cho, Kwangsu; MacArthur, Charles

Assessing knowledge of mathematical equivalence: A construct-modeling approach.
Page 85-104
Rittle-Johnson, Bethany; Matthews, Percival G.; Taylor, Roger S.; McEldoon, Katherine L.

Mathematics attitudes and mathematics outcomes of U.S. and Belarusian middle school students.
Page 105-118
Lipnevich, Anastasiya A.; MacCann, Carolyn; Krumm, Stefan; Burrus, Jeremy; Roberts, Richard D.

Early predictors of biliteracy development in children in French immersion: A 4-year longitudinal study.
Page 119-139
Jared, Debra; Cormier, Pierre; Levy, Betty Ann; Wade-Woolley, Lesly

Individualizing a web-based structure strategy intervention for fifth graders' comprehension of nonfiction.
Page 140-168
Meyer, Bonnie J. F.; Wijekumar, Kausalai K.; Lin, Yu-Chu


Orthographic analogies and early reading: Evidence from a multiple clue word paradigm.
Page 190-205
Savage, Robert S.; Deault, Louise; Daki, Julia; Aouad, Julie

Toward a model of social influence that explains minority student integration into the scientific community.
Page 206-222
Estrada, Mica; Woodcock, Anna; Hernandez, Paul R.; Schultz, P. Wesley

Who is most at risk for school removal? A multilevel discrete-time survival analysis of individual- and context-level influences.
Page 223-237
Petras, Hanno; Masyn, Katherine E.; Buckley, Jacquelyn A.; Ialongo, Nicholas S.; Kellam, Sheppard

Separation of performance-approach and performance-avoidance achievement goals: A broader analysis.
Page 238-256
Murayama, Kou; Elliot, Andrew J.; Yamagata, Shinji

Correction to Estrada-Hollenbeck et al. (2010).
Page 256
Estrada, Mica; Woodcock, Anna; Hernandez, Paul R.; Schultz, P. Wesley


FYiPOST: Teaching with concrete and abstract visual representations: Effects on students' problem solving, pr

In 3 experiments, we examined the effects of using concrete and/or abstract visual problem representations during instruction on students' problem-solving practice, near transfer, problem representations, and learning perceptions. In Experiments 1 and 2, novice students learned about electrical circuit analysis with an instructional program that included worked-out and practice problems represented with abstract (Group A), concrete (Group C), or abstract and concrete diagrams (Group AC), whereby the cover stories were abstract in Group A and concrete in Groups C and AC. Experiment 3 added a 4th condition (C-A) with a concrete cover story and abstract diagrams. Group AC outperformed Groups A and C on problem-solving practice in Experiments 1 and 2 and outperformed Group C on transfer across the 3 experiments; Group AC also outperformed Group C-A in Experiment 3. Further, Group A outperformed Group C on transfer in Experiments 2 and 3 and outperformed Group C-A in Experiment 3. Transfer scores were positively associated with the quality of the diagrams and the number of abstract representations drawn during the transfer test. Data on students' learning perceptions suggest that the advantage of Group AC relies on the combined cognitive support of both representations. Our studies indicate that problem solving is fostered when learners experience concrete visual representations that connect to their prior knowledge and are enabled to use abstract visual representations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)





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FYiPOST: Spatially distributed instructions improve learning outcomes and efficiency.

Learning requires applying limited working memory and attentional resources to intrinsic, germane, and extraneous aspects of the learning task. To reduce the especially undesirable extraneous load aspects of learning environments, cognitive load theorists suggest that spatially integrated learning materials should be used instead of spatially separated materials, thereby reducing the split-attention effect (Sweller & Chandler, 1994). Recent work, however, has suggested a new distinction between two common formats of spatially separated displays: spatially distributed versus spatially stacked (Jang & Schunn, 2010). Moreover, a distinction between instructions and learning task materials has rarely been made. Across two studies with 106 college students (56 in Study 1 and 50 in Study 2), we compared spatially distributed (multiple sources of information are placed side by side) versus spatially stacked (only one at the top is visible) instructions, without changing the learning task materials, on both task performance and learning. With materials more typical of practice, Study 1 showed that the distributed-display instructions led learners to more efficient learning; learners finished the task faster and scored higher in the overall learning test. With materials more tightly controlled for spatial format per se, Study 2 replicated the effect and found that the benefit of the distributed instructions appeared to be associated with changes in cognitive load. Implications for educational practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)





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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

FYiPost: 70 dyslexia support links

This is an FYI link request that may be of interest to IQs Corners readers, that comes from another blog, Onlinecollegecourses.

"Since we write in a similar niche, thought you might want to share a recent article of ours, "70 Excellent Links for Dyslexia Support", with your readers. .

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Saturday, February 12, 2011

The Cognitive Atlas Project - way cool stuff

Very intriguing article and description of the Cognitive Atlas Project, a scientific social collaborative knowledge project.









Poldrack, R. A. (2010). Mapping Mental Function to Brain Structure: How Can Cognitive Neuroimaging Succeed? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(6), 753-761

Abstract

The goal of cognitive neuroscience is to identify the mapping between brain function and mental processing. In this article, I examine the strategies that have been used to identify such mappings and argue that they may be fundamentally unable to identify selective structure–function mappings. To understand the functional anatomy of mental processes, it will be necessary for researchers to move from the brain-mapping strategies that the field has employed toward a search for selective associations. This will require a greater focus on the structure of cognitive processes, which can be achieved through the development of formal ontologies that describe the structure of mental processes. In this article, I outline the Cognitive Atlas Project, which is developing such ontologies, and show how this knowledge could be used in conjunction with data-mining approaches to more directly relate mental processes and brain function.










The article , with annotations, is available here, as part of this blogs IQ's Reading feature.



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FYiPost: Free psychometric test links @ www.markparkinson.co.uk

Graduates! Just another reminder that there's a multitude of free psychometric tests and questionnaires on the 'links' page of my website at:

www.markparkinson.co.uk/psychometric_links.htm

Also a growing number of other sites that offer free taster tests, for example you will find verbal, numerical and inductive reasoning tests at:

www.graduatesfirst.com







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