Tuesday, July 01, 2025

National Academies report: Blueprint for national prevention infrastructure for #mental #emotional #behavioraldisorders

Available to download for free at this link.


SUMMARY

Substance use disorder and overdose, suicide, and youth mental illness are major public health crises that cost the United States in lives, human potential, productivity, and resources. Government agencies at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels work together with health care entities, academic institutions, communities, and community-based organizations to respond to these crises largely with treatment and recovery services. Mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) disorders are mental and substance use disorders and associated problem behaviors, even if they do not meet diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Less attention and fewer resources are dedicated to delivering services specifically devoted to preventing such disorders and promoting MEB health and overall well-being. Greater support for prevention could minimize the pain and suffering associated with MEB disorders, and, critically, reduce the burden on overtaxed treatment and recovery systems.

This report provides a blueprint to develop the infrastructure to deliver programs that reduce risk factors (characteristics associated with a higher likelihood of negative outcomes) and promote protective factors (characteristics that can reduce the negative impact of a risk factor and promote better outcomes) for MEB disorders across the life course and in an array of settings. The committee’s charge was to outline the components and requirements of a well-functioning infrastructure to support the delivery of evidence-based programs at federal, state, tribal, and local levels.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Blueprint for a National Prevention Infrastructure for Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/28577.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

IQs Corner at 20 years: Well over 5 million page views—10 million?

Every once and a while, when my motivation is low, I like to examine the page view/hit stats for this blog—IQs Corner.  Below is the current summary since Jan 2011…4.98 million!  This summary chart does not go back to the early days of this blog, when I blogged hot-and-heavy and had a steady stream of followers.  The first offical post was March 2005……I wish I could get all those stats…that is approximately 6 years of information not included in the 4.98 figure!  When accounted for, the total would be well beyond 5 million….per chance 10 million?  I wish I knew.

Also, for the past several years posts to this blog immediately “trigger” IFTTT posts (with links to the post page) on Twitter/X, BlueSky, and LinkedIn. A big spread of effect.

I want to thank all past and current readers of my various professional social media posts.  I may now go in streaks, but I’m still active.

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Research Byte: Individual differences in #spatial navigation and #workingmemory - lets hear it for the new #WJV visual working memory test—#CHC #Gv #Gwm #schoolpsychology #cognition #intelligence

Individual differences in spatial navigation and working memory
Intelligence. Sorry, but not an open access downloadable article 😕

Abstract

Spatial navigation is a complex skill that relies on many aspects of cognition. Our study aims to clarify the role of working memory in spatial navigation, and particularly, the potentially separate contributions of verbal and visuospatial working memory. We leverage individual differences to understand how working memory differs among types of navigators and the predictive utility of verbal and visuospatial working memory. Data were analyzed from N = 253 healthy, young adults. Participants completed multiple measures of verbal and visuospatial working memory and a spatial navigation task called Virtual Silcton. We found that better navigators may rely more on visuospatial working memory. Additionally, using a relative weights analysis, we found that visuospatial working memory accounts for a large majority of variance in spatial navigation when compared to verbal working memory. Our results suggest individual differences in working memory are domain-specific in this context of spatial navigation, with visuospatial working memory being the primary contributor.
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As an FYI.  The WJ V has a new cognitive Visual Working Memory test that I created. Unfortunately, it was not included in the original WJ V launch and will be added in a later release…not sure when…no one has told me…but I think this fall.
The back story is that this test was in development for over 30 years by yours truly.  For the WJ III I developed, and we normed, a visual working memory test where examinee’s were shown a abstract line-based image on a dotted grid and were instructed to rotate the image in their mind (after the test stimuli figure was removed) and then draw the rotated image on a identical blank grid.  The idea of examinees drawing their response was to add additional clinical information about visual-motor abilities, in addition to visual working memory.  Unfortunately, after being completely normed, we learned via inter-rater reliability studies that the scoring reliability was not adequate…darn.  
The second attempt was an earlier version of the current WJ V Visual Working Memory test that had already been printed for the WJ IV norming test books.  The WJ IV version was shelved at the last minute due to cost issues as a result of the financial crises at the end of the Bush presidency.  We were instructed to reduce the cost of the WJ IV norming.  This test simply had too many printed test easel pages (was called a “page eater”) and was eliminated…double darn.  
However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  With the new digital testing platform, the WJ IV version was now presented without a concern for the number of pages, and more importantly, it could have a much more complex and informative underlying scoring system since all taps on an asymetrical response grid were recorded (which was a richer set of response data than the original WJ IV version).  As stated in the WJ V technical manual (LaForte, Dailey & McGrew, 2025, p. 40):
The Visual Working Memory test requires the use of visual working memory “in the context of processing” (Maehara & Saito, 2007). For each item, the examinee briefly studies a pattern of stimulus dots inside of randomly placed squares on the screen and then must recall the specific locations of the dots. The presentation and recall screens are separated by a quick and simple visual discrimination distractor item. This test requires the examinee to maintain information in working memory while actively processing the distractor requirements. Once the distractor task is completed, it must be quickly removed from active memory to focus on recalling the locations of the stimulus dots (Burgoyne et al., 2022). Errors of both omission (i.e., erroneously recalling a dot in a box where no dot was present) and commission (i.e., failing to identify a box associated with a dot's correct location) are both factored into the test's scoring model; however, heavier emphasis is placed on visual recall through a relatively higher penalty for errors of commission.
Validity information in the WJ V TM provides evidence that the new Visual Working Memory test is a mixed measure of Gv and Gwm.  Preliminary evidence (inspection of growth curves and standard deviation distributional characteristics) was interpreted as being consistent with other measures of executive functioning.  Additional concurrent validity studies with established measures of executive functioning are needed before an evidence-based claim of executive functioning score variance can clearly be established.
I think the 30+ year wait was worth it.  I’m very proud of this test in its current form.  A “shout out” to Dr. Erica LaForte and David Dailey for creating such a response-rich stream of data for scoring…something that was not possible in the planned non-digital WJ III and WJ IV versions.

Research Byte: Positive #schoolclimate can make a difference in #reading, #mentalhealth and #coritical thinning - #schoolpsychology #SPED #EDPSY #cognition


Positive school climate boosts children’s reading achievement, mental health and cortical thinning.  

Brain and Cognition.  Sorry, not an open access article you can download.  ðŸ˜’


Abstract

Growing evidence underscores school climate as an important protective factor for children’s academic achievement and mental health. However, whether and how school climate impacts child development from behavioral to brain has remained largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the protective roles of school climate in children’s reading achievement, mental health, and cortical thickness. Behavioral and neuroimaging data were obtained from 400 children aged 6–12 years (mean age = 9.65 years). First, results showed that a positive school climate was significantly associated with better reading performance and reduced internalizing/externalizing problems. Notably, school climate compensated for disadvantaged family environments, particularly among children with less educated parents. Second, externalizing problems significantly mediated the link between school climate and reading achievement. Third, compared with their peers, children from schools with more positive climate showed accelerated cortical thinning in the lingual/ pericalcarine/ cuneus and postcentral regions, the hubs for visual processing and sensorimotor integration. Fourth, the cortical thickness of the lingual/ pericalcarine/cuneus and postcentral gyri significantly mediated the role of school climate in reading achievement. These results highlight school climate as a multi-level protective factor that fosters academic resilience via behavioral regulation and cortical thinning.

Research Byte: A longitudinal study of adolescent-to-young adult #executivefunction development in seven countries - #cognition #selfregulation #schoolpsychology #neuropsychology #developmental



A Longitudinal Study of Adolescent-to-Young Adult Executive Function Development in Seven Countries.  Developmental Science.  Sorry, this is not an open access article you can download

Abstract

Executive functioning (EF) is an important developing self-regulatory process that has implications for academic, social, and emotional outcomes. Most work in EF has focused on childhood, and less has examined the development of EF throughout adolescence and into emerging adulthood. The present study assessed longitudinal trajectories of EF from ages 10 to 21 in a diverse, international sample. 1093 adolescents (50.3% female) from eight locations in seven countries completed computerized EF tasks (Stroop, Tower of London [ToL], Working Memory [WM]) at ages 10, 14, 17, and 21. Latent growth curve models were estimated to understand the average performance at age 10 and the change in performance over time for each task. Meta-analytic techniques were used to assess the heterogeneity in estimates between study sites. On average, EF task performance improved across adolescence into young adulthood with substantial between-site heterogeneity. Additionally, significant individual differences in EF task performance at age 10 and change in EF task performance over time characterized the full sample. EF improves throughout adolescence into young adulthood, making it a potentially important time for intervention to improve self-regulation.

Friday, June 06, 2025

Research Byte: General Ability (#g) Level Moderates Cognitive–#Achievement Relations for #Mathematics (#WJIV)—#WJIV #WJV #schoolpsychology #mathematics #SPED #EDPSYCH

[Blogmaster comment:   First…COI info…I’m a coauthor of the WJ IV and WJ V.  Second, regular readers may have noticed that I’ve been MIA on my various social media outlets the past 2-3 months.  I needed a break after spending the last five years working on the WJ V.  I also needed to attend to some family issues.  I plan to restart my sharing of interesting new research and FYI opinion posts].

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New pub in Journal of Intelligence.  Click here to view and download (open access).

General Ability Level Moderates Cognitive–Achievement Relations for Mathematics 

by 
Christopher R. Niileksela
  
Jacob Robbins
 
Daniel B. Hajovsky
 
Abstract

Spearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns (SLODR) suggests general intelligence would be a stronger predictor of academic skills at lower general ability levels, and broad cognitive abilities would be stronger predictors of academic skills at higher general ability levels. Few studies have examined how cognitive–mathematics relations may vary for people with different levels of general cognitive ability. Multi-group structural equation modeling tested whether cognitive–mathematics relations differed by general ability levels for school-aged children (grades 1–5 and grades 6–12) using the Woodcock-Johnson Third Edition (n = 4470) and Fourth Edition (n = 3891) standardization samples. Results suggested that relationships between cognitive abilities and mathematics varied across general ability groups. General intelligence showed a stronger relative effect on mathematics for those with lower general ability compared to those with average or high general ability, and broad cognitive abilities showed a stronger relative effect on mathematics for those with average or high general ability compared to those with lower general ability. These findings provide a more nuanced understanding of cognitive–mathematics relations.

Friday, May 16, 2025

Research Byte: Suckers in Law

 
 
Suckers in Law 
 
 
 Abstract
 
The fear of being suckered is such a strong social and psychological phenomenon that political movements, and bodies of law, have been built around it. This review offers a framework for understanding how the psychology of feeling suckered affects legal decision-making. Feeling exploited or scammed is a core and widely shared aversion, and yet also a malleable construct, subject to framing effects and triggered (or untriggered) by subtle situational cues. The stakes for the sucker inference are high; people worried about being cheated predictably react by refusing to cooperate in prosocial activities, and by retaliating. The flight-or-fight response has deep implications for legal decision-making, undermining investment in cooperative enterprises, dispute settlement, and efficient social policy. Finally, the review considers the unique ambivalence toward suckers themselves—the competing feelings of sympathy and scorn—and how that ambivalence plays into underreporting of legal harms, misattributions of consent, and victim blaming. I conclude by suggesting that the ambivalence offers opportunities for productive legal interventions to reward trust.

Wednesday, May 07, 2025

New National Acadamies Report on ”The future of #youth #development: Building #Systems and Strengthening #Programs”

 Downloadable here.


Research Byte: A #hierarchical model of early #brain #functional #network development - excellent #review #cognition #cognitive #brain networks #schoolpsychology

Click on image to enlarge for easy viewing

A good overview/review article of the evolution of brain networks with an excellent visual-graphic summary (I love good visual summaries, which I label in my blog as being a Gv Figure Hall of Fame)

A hierarchical model of early brain functional network development 
Wei Gao, Open access (you can download and read) in Trends in Cognitive Science

Abstract 

Functional brain networks emerge prenatally, grow interactively during the first years of life, and optimize both within-network topology and between-network interactions as individuals age. This review summarizes research that has characterized this process over the past two decades, and aims to link functional network growth with emerging behaviors, thereby developing a more holistic understanding of the developing brain and behavior from a functional network perspective. This synthesis suggests that the development of the brain's functional networks follows an overlapping hierarchy, progressing from primary sensory/motor to socioemotional-centered development and finally to higher-order cognitive/executive control networks. Risk-related alterations, resilience factors, treatment effects, and novel therapeutic opportunities are also dis-cussed to encourage the consideration of future imaging-assisted methods for identifying risks and interventions.

Saturday, May 03, 2025

Book nook-chapter: Foundations of #AI in #Educational #Assessment

 


Abstract

This chapter explores the evolution and transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational assessment, highlighting its ability to enhance the evaluation of student learning through adaptive, personalized, and dynamic approaches. AI technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision are revolutionizing assessment design by enabling the measurement of higher-order skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. The chapter also addresses ethical and practical considerations, including algorithmic bias, data privacy, and equity in implementation, emphasizing the importance of responsible innovation. By examining historical assessment practices alongside contemporary AI applications, this chapter provides a comprehensive foundation for understanding how AI is reshaping education and establishing a roadmap for its equitable adoption.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

On #factoranalysis of #IQ tests—impact of software choice—plus comments about art+science of factor analysis in #intelligence test research—#schoolpsychology



Contributing to the reproducibility crisis in Psychology: The role of statistical software choice on factor analysis.  Journal of School Psychology.  Stefan C. Dombrowski.  Click here to view article source and abstract.

This is an important article for those who conduct (and also those who consume) factor analysis results of intelligence or cognitive ability tests.  

Abstract (note - bold font in abstract has been added by me)

A potentially overlooked contributor to the reproducibility crisis in psychology is the choice of statistical application software used for factor analysis. Although the open science movement promotes transparency by advocating for open access to data and statistical methods, this approach alone is insufficient to address the reproducibility crisis. It is commonly assumed that different statistical software applications produce equivalent results when conducting the same statistical analysis. However, this is not necessarily the case. Statistical programs often yield disparate outcomes, even when using identical data and factor analytic procedures, which can lead to inconsistent interpretation of results. This study examines this phenomenon by conducting exploratory factor analyses on two tests of cognitive ability—the WISC-V and the MEZURE—using four different statistical programs/applications. Factor analysis plays a critical role in determining the underlying theory of cognitive ability instruments, and guides how those instruments should be scored and interpreted. However, psychology is grappling with a reproducibility crisis in this area, as independent researchers and test publishers frequently report divergent factor analytic results. The outcome of this study revealed significant variations in structural outcomes among the statistical software programs/applications. These findings highlight the importance of using multiple statistical programs, ensuring transparency with analysis code, and recognizing the potential for varied outcomes when interpreting results from factor analytic procedures. Addressing these issues is important for advancing scientific integrity and mitigating the reproducibility crisis in psychology particularly in relation to cognitive ability structural validity.

My additional comments

The recommendation that multiple factor analysis software programs be used when analyzing the structural validity of cognitive abilities tests makes sense.  Kudos to Dr. Dombrowski for demonstrating this need.

Along these lines, it is also important to recognize that the use and interpretation of any factor analysis software is highly dependent on the statistical and substantive expertise and skills of the researcher.  I made these points (based on the writings and personal conversations with Jack Carroll) in a recent article (McGrew, 2023; open access so you can download and read) in the Journal of Intelligence.  The salient material is reproduced below.  This article can be accessed either a the journal website or via the Research and Reports section of my MindHub web page (McGrew, 2023)


(Note - Bold font in text below, extracted from McGrew (2023), is not in the original published article)

“I was fortunate to learn important tacit EFA and CFA knowledge during my 17 years of interactions with Carroll, and particularly my private one-to-one tutelage with Carroll in May 2003. Anyone who reads Chapter 3 (Survey and Analysis of Correlational and Factor-Analytic Research on Cognitive Abilities: Methodology) of Carroll's 1993 book, as well as his self-critique of his seminal work (Carroll 1998) and other select method-focused post-1993 publications (Carroll 1995, 1997), should conclude what is obvious—to Carroll, factor analyses were a blend of art and science. As articulated by some of his peers (see footnote #2), his research reflected the work of an expert with broad and deep substantive knowledge of research and theories in intelligence, cognitive psychology, and factor analysis methods. 

In 2003, after Carroll had been using CFA to augment his initial EFA analyses for at least a decade, Carroll expressed (to me during our May 2003 work week) that he was often concerned with the quality of some reported factor analyses (both EFA and CFA) of popular clinical IQ tests or other collections of cognitive ability measures (Carroll 1978, 1991, 1995, 2003). Carroll's characteristic positive skepticism regarding certain reported factor analyses was first articulated (as far as I know) in the late 1970's, when he stated “despite its many virtues, factor analysis is a very tricky technique; in some ways it depends more on art than science, that is, more on intuition and judgment than on formal rules of procedure. People who do factor analysis by uncritical use of programs in computer packages run the risk of making fools of themselves” (Carroll 1978, p. 91; emphasis added). It is my opinion that Carroll would still be dismayed by some of the EFA and CFA studies of intelligence tests published during the past two decades that often used narrow or restricted forms of factor analysis methods and rigid formal statistical rules for decision-making, with little attempt to integrate contemporary substantive research or theory to guide the analysis and interpretation of the results (e.g., see Decker 2021; Decker et al. 2021; McGrew et al. 2023). 

Carroll's unease was prescient of recently articulated concerns regarding two aspects of the theory crises in structural psychological research—the conflation of statistical (primarily factor analysis) models with theoretical models and the use of narrow forms of factor analysis methods (Fried 2020; McGrew et al. 2023). First, many intelligence test batteries only report CFA studies in their technical manuals. EFA results, which often produce findings that vary from CFA findings, are frequently omitted. This often leads to debates between independent researchers and test authors (or test publishers) regarding the validity of the interpretation of composite or cluster scores, leaving test users confused regarding the psychometric integrity of composite score interpretations. McGrew et al. (2023) recently recommended that intelligence test manuals, as well as research reports by independent researchers, include both EFA and CFA (viz., bifactor g, hierarchical g, and Horn no-g models), as well as psychometric network analysis (PNA) and possibly multidimensional scaling analyses (MDSs; McGrew et al. 2014; Meyer and Reynolds 2022). As stated by McGrew et al. (2023), “such an ecumenical approach would require researchers to present results from the major classes of IQ test structural research methods (including PNA) and clearly articulate the theoretical basis for the model(s) the author's support. Such an approach would also gently nudge IQ test structural researchers to minimize the frequent conflation of theoretical and psychometric g constructs. Such multiple-methods research in test manuals and journal publications can better inform users of the strengths and limitations of IQ test interpretations based on whatever conceptualization of psychometric general intelligence (including models with no such construct) underlies each type of dimensional analysis” (p. 24).”


Friday, April 18, 2025

#ITC #webinar: Test #adaptation reporting #standards - May 8, 2025

 Additional information regarding the Interntional Test Commission (ITC) and registration info can be found here.


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Research Byte: Understanding #Adaptive Skills in #Borderline #IntellectualFunctioning: A Systematic #Review - #schoolpsychology #DD #intelligence #developmentaldisabilities #SPED


 Click on image to enlarge for easy reading

Understanding Adaptive Skills in Borderline Intellectual Functioning: A Systematic Review

Open access copy available by clicking here.

Abstract

Borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) is characterized by an IQ typically ranging from 70 to 85, combined with deficits in adaptive functioning. Despite its prevalence, individuals with BIF are often excluded from diagnostic and support systems, which traditionally focus on strictly defined intellectual disabilities. This article presents a systematic review conducted across the ProQuest, WoS, SCOPUS, and EBSCOhost databases, aiming to develop a profile of the adaptive functioning in individuals with BIF. A total of 64 documents published from 2012 to the present were included, all of them addressing BIF and adaptive functioning skills, and quality was assessed using the SSAHS tool. The findings presented are synthesized according to conceptual, social, and practical domains and reveal that individuals with BIF experience widespread difficulties across the conceptual, social, and practical domains. Additionally, societal barriers, primarily limiting access to support services, persist. However, there are emerging resources aimed at supporting this population, such as legislative efforts to facilitate their integration into the labor market. The implications and limitations of the findings are discussed, highlighting the need to consider the adaptive functioning skills of individuals with BIF. 


Wednesday, April 09, 2025

Research Byte: Development of #Arithmetic Across the #Lifespan: A Registered Report. - #Gq #CHC #Gwm #EF #Gs #schoolpsychology #SPED #SLD


Click on image to enlarge for easy viewing

Development of Arithmetic Across the Lifespan: A Registered Report.  


Open access paper available at Developmental Psychology journal.  Click here to access

Abstract
 
Arithmetic skills are needed at any age. In everyday life, children to older adults calculate and deal with numbers. The processes underlying arithmetic seem to change with age. From childhood to younger adulthood, children get better in domain-specific numerical skills such as place-value processing. From younger to older adulthood, domain-general cognitive skills such as working memory decline. These skills are needed for complex arithmetic such as addition with carrying and subtraction with borrowing. This study investigates how the domain-specific (number magnitude, place-value processing) and domain-general (working memory, processing speed, inhibition) processes of arithmetic change across the lifespan. Thereby, arithmetic effects (carry and borrow effects), numerical effects (distance and compatibility effects), and cognitive skills were assessed in children, younger and older adolescents, and younger, middle-aged and older adults. The results showed that numerical and arithmetic skills improve from childhood to young adulthood and remain relatively stable throughout adulthood, even though domain-general pro-cesses, particularly working memory and processing speed, decline with age. While number magnitude and place-value processing both develop until adulthood, number magnitude processing shows deficits during aging, whereas place-value processing remains intact even in old age. The carry effect shifts from a categorical all-or-none decision (whether or not a carry operation is needed) to a more continuous magnitude process in adulthood, reflecting increasing reliance on domain-specific skills. In contrast, the borrow effect remains largely categorical across all age groups, depending on general cognitive processes. These results provide critical insights into how arithmetic skills change over the lifespan, relying on both domain-specific and domain-general processes.

Public Significance Statement 

Numerical and arithmetic skills improve significantly during school and are mostly preserved throughout adulthood—despite a decline in cognitive skills such as working memory and processing speed during aging. When facing complex arithmetic, all—from children up to older adults—need longer to calculate, but lifelong experience helps in dealing with arithmetic complexity. Throughout the lifespan, arithmetic requires both cognitive skills as well as numeric skills.

Tuesday, April 08, 2025

Research Byte: Conjectures and refutations in #cognitive ability #structuralvalidity research [with #WISC-V]: Insights from Bayesian structural equation modeling - #schoolpsychology #IQ #intelligence #Wechslers #WISC-V

Conjectures and refutations in cognitive ability structural validity research [with #WISC-V]: Insights from Bayesian structural equation modeling

Click here to view Journal of Psychology of School Psychology source of publication - not open access.

Abstract

The use of Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM) provided additional insight into the WISC–V theoretical structure beyond that offered by traditional factor analytic approaches (e.g., exploratory factor analysis and maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis) through the specification of all cross loadings and correlated residual terms. The results indicated that a five-factor higher-order model with a correlated residual between the Visual-Spatial and Fluid Reasoning group factors provided a superior fit to the four bifactor model that has been preferred in prior research. There were no other statistically significant correlated residual terms or cross loadings in the measurement model. The results further suggest that the WISC–V ten subtest primary battery readily attains simple structure and its index level scores may be interpreted as suggested in the WISC–V's scoring and interpretive manual. Moreover, BSEM may help to advance IQ theory by providing contemporary intelligence researchers with a novel tool to explore complex interrelationships among cognitive abilities—relationships that traditional structural equation modeling methods may overlook. It can also help attenuate the replication crises in school psychology within the area of cognitive assessment structural validity research through systematic evaluation of complex structural relationships obviating the need for CFA based post hoc specification searches which can be prone to confirmation bias and capitalization on chance.