Thursday, February 27, 2025

What is #dyslexia?— An expert delphi consensus on #dyslexia definition, #assessment and #identification—-#SLD #dyslexia #SPED #schoolpsychology



An open access journal article that can be downloaded for reading.  Click here to access/download


ABSTRACT 

This paper discusses the findings of a Delphi study in which dyslexia experts, including academics, specialist teachers, educational psychologists, and individuals with dyslexia, were asked for their agreement with a set of key statements about defining and identifying dyslexia: why it should be assessed and how and when this assessment should be conducted. Two rounds of survey responses provided a vehicle for moving towards consensus on how to assess for dyslexia. Forty-two consensus statements were ultimately accepted. Findings suggested that assessment practice should take account of risks to the accurate identification of dyslexia. An assessment model, with guidelines for assessors, is presented, based on the Delphi's findings. This hypothesis-testing model requires assessors to investigate and weigh up the factors most likely to result in an accurate assessment before reaching conclusions, assigning terminology, and making recommendations for intervention and management.

Click on following images for larger more readable versions of figures




Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Research Byte: Age-related change in #inhibitory processes when controlling for #workingmemory (#Gwm) capacity and #processingspeed (#Gs) - #cognition #intelligence #CHC #executivefunctions #Gwm #Gs #schoolpsychology


 

Click on images to enlarge for easy reading.


This is a nice study/paper.  And it is open access and can be downloaded for reading by clicking here.

I recommend reading, if not the entire article, at least the introductory lit review.  The introductory lit review is worth a read if one wants to understand the basic literature re the definition, theories, and research regarding the relations between cognitive inhibition, working memory capacity (Gwm), and processing speed (Gs) in a developmental context.  

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine the age-related changes in inhibitory control of 450 children at the ages of 7–8, 11–12, and 14–16 when controlling for working memory capacity (WMC) and processing speed to determine whether inhibition is an independent factor far beyond its possible reliance on the other two factors. This examination is important for several reasons. First, empirical evidence about age-related changes of inhibitory control is controversial. Second, there are no studies that explore the organization of inhibitory functions by controlling for the influence of processing speed and WMC in these age groups. Third, the construct of inhibition has been questioned in recent research. Multigroup confirmatory analyses suggested that inhibition can be organized as a one-dimension factor in which processing speed and WMC modulate the variability of some inhibition tasks. The partial reliance of inhibitory processes on processing speed and WMC demonstrates that the inhibition factor partially explains the variance of inhibitory tasks even when WMC and processing speed are controlled and some methodological concerns are addressed.




Sunday, February 23, 2025

Research Byte: Intrinsic #Brain Mapping of #Cognitive Abilities (as per #CHC): A Multiple-Dataset Study on #Intelligence and its Components (journal pre-proof)

 Click on image to enlarge for easy reading


A journal pre-proof copy of this article is available for download here.

Abstract

This study investigates how functional brain network features contribute to general intelligence and its cognitive components by analyzing three independent cohorts of healthy participants. Cognitive scores were derived from 1) the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV), 2) the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices (RPM), and 3) the NIH and Penn cognitive batteries from the Human Connectome Project. Factor analysis on the NIH and Penn cognitive batteries yielded latent variables that closely resembled the content of the WAIS-IV indices and RPM. We employed graph theory and a multi-resolution network analysis by varying the modularity parameter (γ) to investigate hierarchical brain-behavior relationships across different scales of brain organization. Brain-behavior associations were quantified using multi-level robust regression analyses to accommodate variability and confounds at the subject-level, node-level, and resolution-level. Our findings reveal consistent brain-behavior relationships across the datasets. Nodal efficiency in fronto-parietal sensorimotor regions consistently played a pivotal role in fluid reasoning, whereas efficiency in visual networks was linked to executive functions and memory. A broad, low-resolution 'task-positive' network emerged as predictive of full-scale IQ scores, indicating a hierarchical brain-behavior coding. Conversely, increased cross-network connections involving default mode and subcortical-limbic networks were associated with reductions in both general and specific cognitive performance. These outcomes highlight the relevance of network efficiency and integration, as well as of the hierarchical organization in supporting specific aspects of intelligence, while recognizing the inherent complexity of these relationships. Our multi-resolution network approach offers new insights into the interplay between multilayer network properties and the structure of cognitive abilities, advancing the understanding of the neural substrates of the intelligence construct.

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Book Nook: #Presidential age and #intelligence. #Executivefunctions and the #executive office

Talk about timely…given all the talk about the age of our current (Trump) and prior (Biden) presidents.  


About this book (from publisher web page)

This book on presidential age is not about Alzheimer's Disease and associated pathologies of the aging brain. It is instead about the normally aging brain. Brains don’t simply develop and maintain their functionality into older adulthood unless otherwise impaired by neurocognitive disease. Were this the case, this book might be about leveraging prodromal biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases to screen prospective presidential candidates. Instead, the normal decline age brings to all human brains begs a different type of book—and a broader and more blanketed warning about electing increasingly older presidents.


Table of contents below.  It is clear from the breadth of coverage that this is a serious attempt to corral critical age-related cognitive abilities research in the context of executive decision making (e.g., being President)…which makes it clear that the assessment of intelligence is well beyond the quick and very limited MoCA screener that our current president likes to brag (incorrectly) about as an indication of his great intelligence.  

The book is due out the first week of March, 2025.  Thus, I have not read any of the chapters upon which to base an opinion.  I shall be ordering a copy.

Click on images to enlarge for easy reading.






Thursday, February 06, 2025

Research Byte: Specialized Purpose of Each Type of Student #Engagement: A #metaanalysis - #schoolpsychology #EDPSY #learning #motivation #CAMML #CHC

 


This is an open access downloadable article available by clicking here.  Types of student engagement would be interesting constructs to add to the Cognitive-Affective-Motivation Model of Learning (crossing the Rubicon to engaged learning).

Click on images to enlarge for easy reading.





Wednesday, February 05, 2025

Quote2Note: #Copernicus (via Reed) on the danger of being right when the rest of the world is wrong - or, the “intertia of #tradition”

Copernicus . . . did not publish his book [on the nature of the solar system] until he was on his deathbed. He knew how dangerous it is to be right when the rest of the world is wrong.

Thomas Brackett Reed, in a speech at Waterville, Maine, July 30, 1885

Saturday, February 01, 2025

New journal in intelligence: #Intelligence and #Cognitive #Abilities


Passing this long to professionals interested in intelligence and cognitive abilities research.

Dear Colleagues and Friends,


Intelligence & Cognitive Abilities (ICA) is up and running and ready for submissions! This has happened in record time thanks to support, encouragement, and input from many people, especially those who helped fund us. We’re also thrilled to announce that Anna-Lena Schubert and Tim Bates have agreed to be Associate Editors.

Since Elsevier’s Intelligence has a “new” direction (and most of their EB resigned in protest), ICA was created to ensure intelligence researchers have a publication outlet edited by individuals with strong track records of intelligence research and committed to free inquiry. Moreover, to maximize the availability of every published paper, ICA is entirely online and Open Access. Because profit is not a primary motivating factor, the publication fee is substantially lower than all other journals that cover this area of psychology (at least by 50%). Since many intelligence researchers do not have funding for publication costs, ICA offers generous waivers and discounts. The Editorial Board represents expertise for the full, diverse range of intelligence topics, research designs, and data analysis methods.

But wait. There’s more. To encourage submissions, any manuscripts submitted before September 1st, 2025 and subsequently accepted will have all publication charges waived.

ICA is hosted on the Scholastica journal publishing platform. Here is a link for official ICA information including Aims and Scope, Editorial Board, and what authors need to know for preparing and submitting manuscripts: icajournal.scholasticahq.com (see tabs on upper left; this site will be evolving visually and adding functionally over the next few weeks but it already supports all aspects of submission, review, and publication). Any email invitations you receive inviting reviews of submissions and other simple site registration will come from Scholastica.

Intelligence research has moved far beyond traditional psychometrics into cognitive psychology, genetics, neuroimaging, neuroscience, and many other domains. All perspectives are welcomed to publish in ICA. We pledge fair and constructive reviews by experts and speedy online publication. But to be successful and serve the intelligence research community, we need submissions so please consider clicking the link above with your best work as soon as possible. It’s now up to you.

With gratitude,

Sincerely,

Tom Coyle, Editor-in-Chief


Rich Haier, Consulting Editor