Math disabilities: JPA special issue

The current issue of the Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment focuses on math disabilities (often referred to as dyscalculia), an area less investigated than reading disabilities (aka, dyslexia).

Highlights from the issue are summarized in the guest editors introductory article:

• Grégoire, J. & Desoete, A. (2009). Mathematical Disabilities:  An Underestimated Topic?  Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 27, 171-174

According to the special issue editors, and well understood by most people, is the fact that math literacy is becoming increasing important in our technological and information-based society. Furthermore, "differences in mathematics skills and abilities between and within individuals are normal. Teachers are expected to cope with learning differences and to adjust their teaching style to the needs of all students. However, in some cases, these differences appear to be so severe or resistant that they can be considered as characteristics of “problems” or even “disabilities” (Desoete, 2008; Geary, 2004)."  The editors cite statistics that the prevalence of mathematical disabilities as been reported between 3% and 14% of children.  Despite a prevalance rate similar to reading disabilities, the research focusing on math disabilities is much less than that for reading disabilities.  According to the editors, "from 2000 to 2008, only 202 articles on mathematics disabilities and 211 articles on dyscalculia were cited in Web of Knowledge, whereas 302 articles on reading disabilities and 2,918 articles on dyslexia could be found, although the prevalence of both learning disabilities is about the same."

This JPA special issue "is devoted to the assessment of mathematical disabilities, the comorbidity with reading disability, the risk of underestimating potentials because of math anxiety, potential markers for mathematical learning disabilities, and the sensitivity and specificity of tests."

Below are a few highlights from the guest editors intro:

• One of the unresolved questions is the comorbidity rate with other disabilities.
• The comorbidity rate varies from 17% to 43%
• There can be little dispute that the presence of comorbidity poses a serious challenge to existing assessment and comprehension of mathematical disabilities.
• Mathematical learning disabilities are often associated with math anxiety. Moreover, math anxiety might lead to an underestimation of true ability. Ashcraft and Moore (2009) focus on risk factors for math anxiety and some factors that should be kept in mind when assessing math anxious students. Krinzinger, Kaufmann, and Willmes (2009) add to this body of knowledge by investigating the relationship between calculation ability, self reported evaluation of mathematics, and math anxiety in primary school children.
• The last decade, increased attention has been given to the assessment of early numeracy (e.g., Grégoire, 2005). The current interest in early predictors is stimulated by the fact that if predictors and core deficits can be assessed and addressed as key components in remediation programs, children might not fall farther behind. Moreover, during the past few years, a large body of empirical evidence suggested that the earlier we recognise vulnerable young children, the more likely we will be to support their subsequent development (Coleman, Buysse, & Neitzel, 2006). Therefore, this special issue is also focused on the assessment of individual differences in early numeracy and on the role of executive functions and subitizing (Kroesbergen, Van Luit, Van Lieshout, Van Loosbroek, & Van de Rijt, 2009), as well as on the role of preparatory arithmetic markers and intelligence (Stock, Desoete, & Roeyers, 2009) to add to our psychological understanding of initial development arithmetic skills and to help respond to young children who may be at risk for mathematical learning disabilities as early as possible.

Genetics and high cognitive ability: Behavior Genetics special issue

The most recent issue of Behavior Genetics is devoted to exploring the relations between genetics and high cognitive abilities.  The guest editors are Plomin and Haworth

• R. Plomin & C Haworth, (2009). INTRODUCTION: Genetics of High Cognitive Abilities.  INTRODUCTION: Genetics of High Cognitive Abilities.  Behavior Genetics, 39, 347–349

In their introduction to the special issue, the editors state that this is the "first-ever collection of papers focused on the genetics of high cognitive abilities."  The focus of the issue is to explore the hypothesis that the  etiology of high cognitive ability differs from the etiology of the normal distribution of cognitive ability (aka., Discontinuity Hypothesis; Petrill et al. 2009).

As stated in the intro, "three of the papers focus on general cognitive ability (g), two on reading, one on mathematics, one on a diverse set of intellectual, creative and sports abilities, and one is a multivariate genetic analysis of g, reading, mathematics and language."

Of particular interest is the article by Haworth et al. (2009b) as it "presents a mega-analysis of high g for 11,000 twin pairs across six studies from these four countries. This first adequately powered study of high g (top 15%) finds substantial genetic influence (heritability of 0.50 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.41–0.60) and moderate shared environmental influence (0.28, 0.19–0.37). These estimates are not significantly different from parameter estimates for the entire distribution."  The article by Petrill et al., 2009) presents similar findings from their study that investigated high math performance.   According to the editors reading of Petrill et al., "genetic and shared environmental estimates for high (top 15%) math ability were not significantly different from those obtained across the normal range of ability."   Further support for the Continuity Hypothesis were similar findings  by Vinkhuyzen et al. (2009) in their article "Heritability estimates for Music, Arts, Writing, Language, Chess, Mathematics, Sports, Memory and Knowledge."  Collectively these different studies are consistent with the Continuity Hypothesis (and not the Discontinuity Hypothesis), which is the view that "high cognitive ability is the quantitative extreme of the same genetic and environmental influences responsible for variation throughout the normal distribution."

Other papers in this special issue report on investigations re: how genes and environment interact developmentally.  As summarized by the guest editors:

• Brant et al. (2009) show that shared environment decreases from infancy to adolescence, heritability increases, and genes largely account for age-to-age stability.
• Kirkpatrick et al. ( 2009) confirm in a study of adolescent twins that high cognitive ability shows significant shared environmental influence and then use the power of the adoption design to ask the extent to which parental education and occupation and disruptive life events can account for this shared environmental influence.
• Friend et al. ( 2009) report an interesting genotype– environment interaction between high reading ability and parental education: The heritability of high reading ability was higher for twins when parents were less well educated, which the authors interpret as indicating a genetic effect on resilience in the face of environmental disadvantage.
• Finally, a paper by Haworth et al. ( 2009a) for the first time tests the generalist genes hypothesis for high ability. A multivariate genetic analysis of general cognitive ability, reading, mathematics and language performance for the top 15% of the distribution yields genetic correlations just as high among these diverse cognitive abilities as has been found in unselected samples.

Brain Fitness Webinar with Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg and Alvaro Fernandez. Kindle Book. Twitter Discussion.

Interesting activities at SHARP BRAINS. 

Kevin McGrew PhD

Educational/School Psych. 

IAP (www.iapsych.com)

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Brain Fitness Webinar with Elkhonon Goldberg & Alvaro Fernandez. Kindle Book. Twitter Discussion. June 2009 Greetings! SharpBrains' new book continues to get excellent endorsements: "Kudos for an excellent resource! This SharpBrains Guide is full of top notch information, provides practical tips and helps separate hype from hope in the brain health arena." -- Elizabeth Edgerly, Ph.D., Chief Program Officer, Alzheimer's Association "The SharpBrains' Guide to Brain Fitness helped answer many of my questions on the importance of both physical and mental exercise to stay sharp as we age. This is an important book for anyone in the fitness industry, and, for that matter, for anyone with a brain." -- Robin Klaus, Chairman, Club One Fitness Centers "We're talking a short, sweet, entertaining read on a complex topic, with timely reviews of 21 top technology products, as well as informed and expert predictions of where this burgeoning brain-fitness field is headed. More importantly, after you read it, you'll have a good, detailed sense of where you, personally, can act to improve your own couch-potato brain - and how to keep it fit and flexible your whole life. The SharpBrains Guide To Brain Fitness reminds of us all why books (and not just googling a topic) can be well worth your time and money. Two Stethoscopes Up - check it out." -- Doc Gurley, Internist Physician and Robert Wood Johnson Fellow, full book review Here FREE Brain Fitness Webinar   Alvaro Fernandez and Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, co-authors of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness, will cover the main highlights from this new book and address the questions submitted by readers. When: Tuesday July 21st, 10am Pacific Time; 1pm Eastern Time How to Register: Click HERE for more information and to Register     Related Announcements - A Kindle edition is now available HERE. - The print edition of the book is available HERE. - Alvaro Fernandez will facilitate a twitter-based book club over the summer. If you have a twitter account, please follow alvarof for more instructions. - If your organization is interested in ordering the book in bulk at 40-60% discount depending on volume, please contact us HERE. Have a stimulating summer!, - The SharpBrains Team

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IQs Corner Recent Literature of Interest - 6-23-09

This weeks "recent literature of interest" is now available. Click here to view and/or download to your hardrive

Information regarding this feature, its basis, and the reasons for type of references included in each weekly installment can be found in a prior post.

Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, neuropsychology, research, recent literature, IQs Corner

Flynn Effect book review

Review of Flynn's latest book on the Flynn Effect in AMERICAN SCIENTIST.

http://www.americanscientist.org/bookshelf/pub/the-domestication-of-the-savage-mind

Kevin McGrew PhD
Educational/School Psych.
IAP (www.iapsych.com)

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WMF Press: Dean-Woodcock Neuropsych Report Software

The Woodcock-Munoz Foundation (WMF) Press has just made its first publication--- a piece of neuropsychological assessment report software.

The Dean-Woodcock Neuropsychological Report is a scoring and interpretive program that assists qualified evaluators and service providers in creating neuropsychological reports based on test results from the Dean-Woodcock^™ Neuropsychological Battery^™, the Woodcock-Johnson^® III, and the Batería III NU Woodcock-Muñoz^®. Click here to be taken to the page, which also lists requirements necessary to download the software for free.

[Conflict of interest - I'm the Research Director for WMF and am also a coauthor of the Woodcock-Johnson III.

Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, educational psychology, neuroscience, WJ III, Woodcock-Johnson, Dean Woodcock Neuropsychological Battery, BAT III, WJ III NU, report software, test software, intelligence, cognition, IQ, IQ tests

IQs Corner Recent Literature of Interest - 6-17-09

This weeks "recent literature of interest" is now available. Click here to view and/or download to your hardrive

Information regarding this feature, its basis, and the reasons for type of references included in each weekly installment can be found in a prior post.

Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, neuropsychology, research, recent literature, IQs Corner

WCST: Does it really measure frontal lobe executive functions?

Does the WCST measure executive functioning? There is little doubt that the WCST is one of the predominant tests used in neuropsychological assessment to assess executive functions. However, studies have recently questioned the validity of drawing inferences about the site of executive functions (the frontal lobes of the brain) from performance on the WCST. The following "in press" article, which presents a nice review of the literature, suggests that in it's current administration formats the WCST is not the sensitive measure of frontal lobe executive functioning as is often thought. Below I present the abstract, a few select passages, and the primary conclusion from this excellent review article.

Nyhus, E., & Barceló, F. (in press). The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the cognitive assessment of prefrontal executive functions: A critical update. Brain and Cogntion.

Abstract

For over four decades the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) has been one of the most distinctive tests of prefrontal function. Clinical research and recent brain imaging have brought into question the validity and specificity of this test as a marker of frontal dysfunction. Clinical studies with neurological patients have confirmed that, in its traditional form, the WCST fails to discriminate between frontal and non-frontal lesions. In addition, functional brain imaging studies show rapid and widespread activation across frontal and non-frontal brain regions during WCST performance. These studies suggest that the concept of an anatomically pure test of prefrontal function is not only empirically unattainable, but also theoretically inaccurate. The aim of the present review is to examine the causes of these criticisms and to resolve them by incorporating new methodological and conceptual advances in order to improve the construct validity of WCST scores and their relationship to prefrontal executive functions. We conclude that these objectives can be achieved by drawing on theory-guided experimental design, and on precise spatial and temporal sampling of brain activity, and then exemplify this using an integrative model of prefrontal function [i.e., Miller, E. K. (2000). The prefrontal cortex and cognitive control. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 1, 59–65.] combined with the formal information theoretical approach to cognitive control [Koechlin, E., & Summerfield, C. (2007). An information theoretical approach to prefrontal executive function. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 11, 229–235.].

According to the authors, there are at least two different systems of administration and scoring of the WCST. There is the "standard version by Grant and Berg (1948) with Milner´s (1963) correction criteria and the shortened version by Heaton (Heaton, 1981; Heaton, Chelune, Talley, Kay, & Curtis, 1993 ). Furthermore, the test has been administered in modified versions by Nelson (1976), Delis, Squire, Bihrle, and Massman (1992), and Barceló (1999, 2003)."

In the conventional administration:

the WCST consists of four key cards and 128 response cards with geometric figures that vary according to three perceptual dimensions (color, form, or number). The task requires subjects to find the correct classification principle by trial and error and examiner feedback. Once the subject chooses the correct rule they must maintain this sorting principle (or set) across changing stimulus conditions while ignoring the other – now irrelevant – stimulus dimensions. After ten consecutive correct matches, the classification principle changes without warning, demanding a flexible shift in set. The WCST is not timed and sorting continues until all cards are sorted or a maximum of six correct sorting criteria have been reached.

Conclusions

The present interest in prefrontal cortex function has renewed the use of the WCST in clinical and experimental settings. However, much criticism has questioned the utility of this test as a marker of prefrontal function. A critical review of clinical studies suggests that the original WCST does not distinguish between frontal and non-frontal lesions. Likewise, functional neuroimaging studies confirm that delivery of negative feedback during WCST rule transitions activates a widespread network of frontal and non-frontal regions within a split-second time scale. New methodological and conceptual advances from theory-guided experimental designs, precise spatial and temporal sampling of brain activity, and modern integrative models of prefrontal function (Miller, 2000) combined with a formal information theoretical approach to cognitive control (Koechlin & Summerfield, 2007) can improve our understanding of the WCST and its relationship to prefrontal executive functions. These advances suggest that simple modifications of the original version of the WCST may offer more valid and reliable measures of key component operations, such as the maintenance, shifting, and updating of task-set information over trials. Fast brain imaging techniques help us put into perspective the specificity of the test as a marker of prefrontal function as a key node within the widely distributed and tightly interconnected neural networks subserving human cognition.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, neuroscience, clinical psychology, intelliigence, cognition, executive functions, frontal lobes, Brain and Cognition, IQs Corner

Test linking

Interesting story regarding comparisons of international and US tests
via statistical linking---possible due to IRT psychometric methods

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/06/17/35international.h28.html?tkn=[LWFqkY8sAPA58V0To4t0Vv3UAToLF2VOeUC

Kevin McGrew PhD
Educational/School Psych.
IAP (www.iapsych.com)

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IQ, MR and death penalty: Special issue of Applied Neuropsychology

The journal Applied Neuropsychology just published a special issue that focuses on the issue of intellectual disabilities (mental retardation) and the death penalty. An advanced copy of the table of contents (that I received a while back) can be viewed here.

The formal listing of articles, authors, pages, and viewable abstracts are available at the Applied Neuropsychology web page for this issue.

Dr. Stephen Greenspan is the editor for the special issue. His introductory article, Assessment and Diagnosis of Mental Retardation in Death Penalty Cases: Introduction and Overview of the Special 'Atkins’ Issue, organizes the articles around three "prongs" used in the definition of mental retardation.

• Intellectual functioning
• Adaptive functioning
• Developmental onset

Most articles fall under one of these three prongs, but a few don't. According to Greenspan, "The final paper, by Olley, addresses the need for psychologists testifying in Atkins cases to have relevant training and experienceinvolving people with mild mental retardation functioning in community settings." Oiley's article articulates the need for experts, who testify or provide declarations for the court in Atkins cases, should have "an adequate understanding of mild mental retardation and, in particular, to avoid making intuitive-clinical judgments based on inappropriate stereotypes more appropriate to people with moderate or severe."

A few other tidbits gleaned from Dr. Greenspan's introductory article follow below:

• A major problem with Atkins cases is that the diagnostic criteria often vary across different state laws and court systems. Many states use an IQ cut-off score of 70 while others allow more flexibility based on psychometric principles such as measurement error (standard error of measurement - more on this in a later post). Thus, a 75 in one state may not meet the diagnostic criteria for MR...while in another it may be considered as a valid score for an individual with MR.
  

• Most states use either the MR criteria published by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM) or the so-called ‘‘red book’’ of the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR, recently changed to AAIDD).

• Two issues in intellectual assessment that are very common are the Flynn Effect and the determination of intellectual or adaptive malingering during assessments.
  

• Prong three (developmental criterion) is usually given the least amount of attention in Atkins proceedings.

Technorati Tags: psychology, forensice psychology, neuropsychology, intelligence, IQ tests, IQ scores, intellectual disability, mental retardation, adaptive behavior, capital punishment, death penalty, Applied Neuropsychology, psychometrics, Supreme Court

IQ Pipeline: Dependability of general (g)-factor loadings

The following article, which is a contemporary update (via more sophisticated statistical methodology) and extension of Thorndike's (1987) classic article on the "Stability of Factor Loadings", is now "in press" in the journal Intelligence.

Floyd, R., Shands, E., Rafaela, F., Bergeron, R & McGrew, K. (2009, in press). The dependability of general-factor loadings: The effects of factor-extraction methods, test battery composition, test battery size, and their interactions. Intelligence

Abstract

To understand the extent to which the general-factor loadings of tests are inherent in their characteristics or due to the sampling of tests, the number of tests in the correlation matrix, and the factor-extraction methods used to obtain them, test scores from a large sample of young adults were inserted into independent and overlapping batteries of varying sizes. Principal factors analysis, maximum-likelihood estimation, and principal components analysis yielded general-factor loadings for each test. Generalizability theory analyses revealed that the characteristics of the tests consistently contributed the largest percentage of variance. Variance attributable to the factor-extraction method and its interactions was sizeable when principal components analysis was included in the analysis but negligible when it was excluded. Psychometric sampling error produced sizeable variance components in some analyses, and its effects were magnified when test batteries diminished in size. When results from principal components analysis were excluded and when the effects of psychometric sampling error were reduced, general-factor loadings were highly dependable across varying conditions.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, cognition, neuropsychology, intelligence, IQ, IQ tests, g, g-loadings, general intelligence, factor analysis, generalizability

More on the Nisbett book controversy

As prior posts at this blog of the work of intelligence scholars has
raised serios issues about Nisbetts book, the author himself presents
his views, this time in an interview with SHARP BRAINS.

http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2009/06/12/can-you-outsmart-your-genes-an-interview-with-author-richard-nisbett/

Kevin McGrew PhD
Educational/School Psych.
IAP (www.iapsych.com)

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Art and Science of Test Development: Encyclopedia of Gv (visual-spatial) tests

Yesterday I blogged about my "Art and Science of Test Development" project.  Today I continue with another tidbit.

When trying to develop new tests to measure cognitive abilities, a test developer often looks at existing tests (whats been done before).  Many years ago I was given a Xeroxed copy of the large and out-of-print  International Directory of Spatial Tests", which is a godsend if you are thinking of developing a new measure in the domain of Gv (visual processing).  It includes images and brief descriptions of over 390 different visual-spatial tests grouped into 13 categories.  We (authors of the WJ III) used it to decide on what new Gv test we might add to the WJ III.  We ended up with WJ III Block Rotation test (in the WJ III Diagnostic Supplement).  Although dated, and thus not inclusive of Gv test innovations since 1983, it is tremndous resource.

If you are not looking to develop new Gv tests, reviewing at all the various tests (and permutations of common formats) is very interesting and you can often see the historical roots of individual tests in many contemporary intelligence batteries.

While searching the net yesterday I discovered that this publication is now available via download as a PDF file.  You can find it at the link above.  Be forwarned...it is a huge file (35 MB)...don't download from wifi connection is my advice.

Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, neuropsychology, cognition, intelligence, IQ tests, Gv, visual processing, visual-spatial, spatial, psychometrics

Art and science of test development: ETS Kit

I'm in the process of developing a four-hour course presentation on the "Art and Science of Test Development:  Theories, tools, tips and troubles" that I will unveil late July at a Brazil psychological assessment conference.  I'm very excited about putting this together.  There are many books on different aspects of test development and psychometrics, but nothing that is really "applied" test development or psychometrics.  I'm excited, but also am finding it a challenge to do within a four-hour time constraint.  When done, it may serve as the outline for a manuscript and PPT slides that may be available via the WMF.  Much of it is based on Dr. Woodock's approach to test development and he has graciously provided me access to many of his notes and documents.  If we do ever get this to a manuscript, he would likely be the first author.

I may make intermediate PPT modules available for review via Slideshare as they emerge...in hopes of eliciting feedback, comments, etc.

In the process of working on this presentation I refer to the ETS Kit of Factor-Referenced Cognitive Tests (1976 Edition) as a source I often review when trying to understand some old measures mentioned in studies and, more importantly, for ideas for possible new tests of narrow CHC abilities. The publication is a steal for the price....but you must be aware that the copies of the tests you will receive are very crude black-white copies of prototypes, often with free-hand drawings. 

It is a classic....and one that I think most instructors of cognitive/intellectual testing courses might consider purchasing for their library...as a teaching aid.  The tests use the CHC code system that is currently being using today in discussions of CHC abilities.  Thus, the tests, although not of high quality, might be good as illustrations of how to measure 23 different narrow CHC abilities.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, cognition, intelligence, IQ tests, cognitive abilities, ETS, factor analysis

PsycCRITIQUES - Volume 54, Issue 23 is now available online

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A new issue of PsycCRITIQUES is available online. If you would like subscription information, please go to http://www.apa.org/psyccritiques. If you have a subscription to the product and experience any access problems, please go to http://members1.apa.org/memhelp1.html. June 10, 2009 Volume 54, Issue 23 Book Reviews 1. Correcting Fallacies About Educational and Psychological Testing Author: Richard P. Phelps (Ed.) Reviewer: Christopher A. Was 2. The Neuropsychology of Women Author: Elaine Fletcher-Janzen (Ed.) Reviewer: Alejandra Suarez 3. Persuasive Messages: The Process of Influence Authors: William L. Benoit and Pamela J. Benoit Reviewer: Isidro Maya Jariego 4. The Others Within Us: Constructing Jewish-Israeli Identity Author: Dan Bar-On Reviewer: Jasmin Habib 5. Psychological Aspects of Cyberspace: Theory, Research, Applications Author: Azy Barak (Ed.) Reviewer: Matthew G. Hile 6. How Infants Know Minds Author: Vasudevi Reddy Reviewer: Barbara Y. Whitman 7. The Science of Compassionate Love: Theory, Research, and Applications Authors: Beverly Fehr, Susan Sprecher, and Lynn G. Underwood (Eds.) Reviewer: Jean Henry 8. Richard Rorty: The Making of an American Philosopher Author: Neil Gross Reviewer: Richard W. Bloom Film Review 9. Revolutionary Road Director: Sam Mendes Reviewer: Karen Conner

Ben017 guest comment on Nisbett's "Intelligence and how to get it"

Ben017 made a rather detailed comment on my first FYI posting of the NY Times Op-Ed piece on the controversial Nisbett book. I thought it deserved to be featured more prominently, so I've cut/pasted it here (with links embedded). Readers may also be interested in subsequent post made re: Rushton and Jensen's "work in progress" review.

-----------------------comment from Ben017--------------------------------------

Recent neurological studies show brain regions correlated with intelligence are significantly hereditary.

Personality appears to be significantly determined at birth too according to recent research.

Also, note that Nisbett omits a number of studies to avoid a Bell Curve type backlash. See this working paper review of the book.

Sandra Scarr, after conducting the Minnesota Transracial Adoption Study:

"Within the range of 'humane environments,'variations in family socioeconomic characteristics and in child-rearing practices have little or no effect on IQ measured in adolescence." P. 476

"There is simply no good evidence that social environmental factors have a large effect on IQ, particularly in adolescence and beyond, except in cases of extreme environmental deprivation." P. 476

By adulthood, all of the IQ correlation between biologically related persons is genetic. P. 178 Phenotypic g closely reflects the genetic g, but bears hardly any resemblance to the (shared) environmental g. P. 187

2. From that study the black children adopted by white families matured to have IQs that are consistent with their biological peers; Asian children adopted by white families mature to have IQs that are consistent with their biological peers and which are higher than their adoptive parents.

Also, note more recent twin studies:

"Contrary to "culture" theory, the ethnic academic gaps are almost identical for transracially adopted children, and to the extent they are different they go in the opposite direction predicted by culture theory. The gap between whites and Asians fluctuated from 19 to .09 in the NAEP data while the gap in the adoption data is from 1/3 to 3 times larger. This is consistent with the Sue and Okazaki paper above which showed that contrary to popular anecdotes, the values that lead to higher academic grades are actually found more often in white homes. In other words Asian-Americans perform highly despite their Asian home cultural environment not because of it. And though the sample is meager, I find it interesting that the gap between the black and white adopted children was virtually identical (within just 4-6 points) to the gap between whites and blacks in the general population, just like in the Scarr adoption study."

http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/004064.html

Rushton and Jensen's response to Nisbett's "Intelligence and how to get it"

Yesterday I made an FYI post re: an op-ed piece in the NY Times (Rising Above IQ) regarding Richard Nisbett's book on race, culture, schooling and IQ. To say the least, Nisbett's publication has generated considerable response and criticism from intelligence scholars. Thanks to a comment posted to this blog, I was made aware of one of these scholarly responses at Philppe Rushton's web page. He, together with Aruthur Jensen, have a "working paper" in progress and welcome comments on the current draft. A copy can be found by clicking here. Below is the abstract.

Let the games begin.

Rushton, P. & Jensen, A. Race and IQ: A Theory-Based Review of the Research in Richard Nisbett’s Intelligence and How to Get It. Manuscript in preparation.

Abstract

We provide a detailed review of data from psychology, genetics, and neuroscience in a point-counterpoint format to enable readers to identify the merits and demerits of each side of the debate over whether the culture-only (0% genetic-100% environmental) or hereditarian (50% genetic-50% environmental) model best explains observed mean ethnic group differences in intelligence test scores: Jewish (mean IQ = 113), East Asian (106), White (100), Hispanic (90), South Asian (87), African American (85), and sub-Saharan African (70). We juxtapose Richard Nisbett’s position, expressed in his book Intelligence and How to Get It, with our own, to examine his thesis that cultural factors alone are sufficient to explain the differences and that the hereditarian model we have presented over the last 40 years is unnecessary. We review the evidence in 14 topics of contention: (1) data to be explained; (2) malleability of IQ test scores; (3) culture-loaded versus g-loaded tests; (4) stereotype threat, caste, and “X” factors; (5) reaction-time measures; (6) within-race heritability; (7) between-race heritability; (8) sub-Saharan African IQ scores; (9) race differences in brain size; (10) sex differences in brain size; (11) trans-racial adoption studies; (12) racial admixture studies; (13) regression to the mean effects; and (14) human origins research and life-history traits. We conclude that the preponderance of evidence demonstrates that in intelligence, brain size, and other life history traits, East Asians average higher than do Europeans who average higher do South Asians, African Americans, or sub-Saharan Africans. The group differences are between 50 and 80% heritable.

Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, cognition, intelligence, IQ, IQ tests, IQ scores, genetics, heredity, race, Nisbett, IQs Corner, ISIR

NYTimes: Rising Above I.Q.

From The New York Times:

OP-ED COLUMNIST: Rising Above I.Q.

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Three groups may help debunk the myth of success as a simple product of intrinsic intellect....

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/opinion/07kristof.html

Get The New York Times on your iPhone for free by visiting http://nytimes.com/iphoneinstaller

Kevin McGrew PhD

Educational/School Psych. 

IAP (www.iapsych.com)

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ISIR home page revisions and enhancements

The International Society for Intelligence Research (ISIR) home page has been undergoing significant revisions and enhancements.  I urge readers to check it out.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, cognition, intelligence, individual differences, psychometerics, IQ, IQ tests, ISIR

WMF Human Cognitive Abilities Project critical update: Carroll's EFA final solutions now being posted

The WMF Human Cognitive Abilities (HCA) project is pleased to announce the addition, to the WMF HCA Archive, the final hierarchical factor matrix solutions (produced by Jack Carroll) for each exploratory factor analysis included in his seminal 1993 Human Cognitive Abilities book.

When Carroll's (1993) book was first published, individuals could purchase (from Cambridge University Press), a set of two 5.25 disks. Many researchers were very excited when they heard this news and many purchased the disks. Much of our initial excitement was dampened when the disks arrived--- as they did not include the original correlation matrix input files. However, they did contain the hierarchical factor matrix final solution Carroll produced for each dataset he had analyzed.

Since Feb 2008 these disks can no longer be purchased from the publisher. Thus, researchers are now unable to examine the final output solutions from Carroll's methods (described in detail in Chapter 3, p. 73 - 114).

Also, if you happened to purchase the disks, the output could only be printed on old dot-matrix type printers (and not all such printers). Each file, when viewed in a text editor, is filled with all kinds of strange printer codes and characteristics that result in the output, when printed on today's printers, being a mess. Fortunately, when the HCA project was first started, I (Kevin McGrew) had someone write a small computer utility that cleaned the files of the strange code--thus making it possible to print the solutions. At that time we printed all the solutions and assembled them in three ring binders. The printed output was not perfectly formatted, but it was readable.

The WMF HCA project is pleased to announce that we have scanned all these printed copies to PDF files. We are adding these PDF files to each dataset when they are posted to the WMF HCA archive. Unfortunately, some of the printed output files have been lost or were not originally printed. And, we can no longer find the software utility used to clean the files for printing on contemporary printers. Thus, we do not have all the Carroll EFA hierarchical matrix output solutions available at this time. We will attempt to have a similar file cleaning/printing utility developed to extract these final output files.

Why is this important?

In cases where we have archived the original correlation matrix, original publication, and Carroll's hierarchical output solution, it is now possible for independent researchers to conduct their own secondary analysis of the original matrix and compare it to Carroll's solution. More importantly, and following the recommendation of Carroll, these "final" EFA solutions can serve as input into contemporary CFA/SEM software to refine the solution. Many researchers were not aware that this was the procedure Jack Carroll was using near the end of his career. He was using his custom written EFA software (as explained in Chapter 3 of his book) to secure an initial factor structure for a dataset which he then used as the starting point for model generation, exploration and evaluation via CFA/SEM methods. An example of this can be seen in the last chapter Carroll published (click here to see a pre-pub version of this chapter)

We hope that the inclusion of the final Carroll hierarchical matrix output files will encourage researchers to revisit Carroll's analyses with an eye towards a fine-tuning of his work--something he encouraged in his 1993 book and subsequent writings. Individuals will need to read Chapter 3 in Carroll (1993) to understand and interpret the EFA hierarchical output files.

Finally, the availability of the EFA hierarchical matrix PDF output files is designated with a large red check mark on each datasets heading (or mindmap branch if you are viewing the archive in the visual-graphic map mode).

Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, cognition, intelligence, IQ, IQ tests, cognitive abilities, CHC theory, Cattell-Horn-Carroll, ISIR, WMF, HCA, Human Cognitive Abilities Project, IQs Corner

IQs Corner Recent Literature of Interest 6-4-09

This weeks "recent literature of interest" is now available. Click here to view and/or download to your hardrive

Information regarding this feature, its basis, and the reasons for type of references included in each weekly installment can be found in a prior post.

Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, neuropsychology, research, recent literature, IQs Corner

Is grey the new gold?

From SHARP BRAINS

http://m.beta.bloglines.com/items?mode=unread&subid=39777030&sort=desc

Kevin McGrew PhD
Educational/School Psych.
IAP (www.iapsych.com)

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double click on it to make larger-if hard to see)

Dissertation Dish: CHC prediction of third grade state reading

Use of Cattell-Horn-Carroll specific cognitive abilities to enhance prediction of reading on the third grade Pennsylvania System of State Assessment by Nicholson, Kathleen J., D.Ed., Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2009, 86 pages; AAT 3352434





Abstract

This correlational study examines three models of prediction with regard to 69 kindergarten and first grade students' later reading achievement on a third grade state assessment.

The first model of prediction analyzed sex, age and maternal level of education as predictors of reading performance on the third grade Pennsylvania System of State Assessment (PSSA). The second model of prediction examined the ability of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) measure to predict reading achievement on the PSSA. The third model analyzed the use of Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) specific cognitive abilities to enhance the prediction of PSF of reading achievement.

The results from the analysis (Kendall's Tau B) showed no significant correlation between the baseline predictor variables (sex, age, and maternal level of education) and student performance on the PSSA. Similarly, in the second model, student performance on the PSF measure of the DIBELS revealed no relationship with later reading achievement. In the third model, CHC specific cognitive abilities did not enhance the prediction of reading performance. Although there was one correlation of significance between fluid intelligence (Gf) and PSSA scores, the sample size was too low to allow for generalizability. Additionally, Gf is not one of the CHC factors linked to reading achievement in the literature.

Restriction of ranges may have affected the results in that the majority of the students were in special education, and half of the sample was not proficient on the PSSA.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, education, CHC, Cattell-Horn-Carroll, PSSA, DIBELS, dissertation dish, IQs Corner

Psychological Methods - Volume 14, Issue 2

A new issue is available for the following APA journal:

Psychological Methods

Volume 14, Issue 2

The seemingly quixotic pursuit of a cumulative psychological science: Introduction to the special issue.

Pages 77-80

Curran, Patrick J.

Integrative data analysis: The simultaneous analysis of multiple data sets.

Pages 81-100

Curran, Patrick J.; Hussong, Andrea M.

Psychometric approaches for developing commensurate measures across independent studies: Traditional and new models.

Pages 101-125

Bauer, Daniel J.; Hussong, Andrea M.

Modeling life-span growth curves of cognition using longitudinal data with multiple samples and changing scales of measurement.

Pages 126-149

McArdle, John J.; Grimm, Kevin J.; Hamagami, Fumiaki; Bowles, Ryan P.; Meredith, William

Integrative data analysis through coordination of measurement and analysis protocol across independent longitudinal studies.

Pages 150-164

Hofer, Scott M.; Piccinin, Andrea M.

The relative benefits of meta-analysis conducted with individual participant data versus aggregated data.

Pages 165-176

Cooper, Harris; Patall, Erika A.

Short and long views of integrative data analysis: Comments on contributions to the special issue.

Pages 177-181

Shrout, Patrick E.

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To edit your profile or discontinue receiving table of contents alerts, visit http://psycalert.apa.org or your MyPsycNET page on APA PsycNET.

GLASCOW comma scale prediction research

Thanks to BRAIN INJURY blog foe this post.

http://braininjury.blogs.com/braininjury/2009/06/glasgow-coma-scale-not-best-predictor-of-long-term-outcome-following-traumatic-brain-injury.html

Kevin McGrew PhD
Educational/School Psych.
IAP (www.iapsych.com)

Sent from KMcGrew iPhone (IQMobile). (If message includes an image-
double click on it to make larger-if hard to see)

Bilingual homes = younger kids with better self control?

Interesting post via BPS blog

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2009/06/babies-raised-in-bilingual-home-show.html

Kevin McGrew PhD
Educational/School Psych.
IAP (www.iapsych.com)

Sent from KMcGrew iPhone (IQMobile). (If message includes an image-
double click on it to make larger-if hard to see)

Cool brain fitness graphic

From SHARP BRAINS

The State of the Brain Fitness Market: one picture, more than a
thousand words. http://twitgoo.com/d4e9

http://twitter.com/AlvaroF/status/1980586083

Kevin McGrew PhD
Educational/School Psych.
IAP (www.iapsych.com)

Sent from KMcGrew iPhone (IQMobile). (If message includes an image-
double click on it to make larger-if hard to see)

IQs Corner Recent Literature of Interest 5-28-09

This weeks "recent literature of interest" is now available. Click here to view and/or download to your hardrive

Information regarding this feature, its basis, and the reasons for type of references included in each weekly installment can be found in a prior post.

Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, neuropsychology, research, recent literature, IQs Corner

On the road again traveling - blogging lite

I'm on the road again, this time for personal business. I'm in Gainesville, Fl helping my daughter and son-in-law deal with the first week of out-patient chemo for Ezra's (their two year old) just diagnosed ALL (leukemia). My role is to be older bro's (Rowan) playmate while they are off doing hospital visits and other errands.

I anticipate the 4 year old toddler will run me ragged. I return home this Saturday.

If you want to learn more about their adventure, my daughter has a very nice professional blog called Manic Mother. She is a chip of the old blog :)

I don't expect much time to blog...except for possible "push" type FYI posts re: content posted at other blogs.....or...mobile blogging (check out the link.....it is very cool...but, of course, I tend to be a tech nerd)......with pictures of activities, people, etc. at the conference.


I shall return.

CHC intelligence dissertation updates

A feature some of my readers may not be aware of is what I call "Dissertation Dish" posts. You can view all the DD posts I've made to date by clicking here. What are these?

Simple. I have a series of "alerts" set with ProQuest Digital Dissertation services that notifies me when any new dissertation is available via their service that touches on the topics of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities and assessment instruments related to the their. I receive email alerts of new dissertations. I then check the abstracts. If the abstract looks of interest to my readers, I then will make a DD post of the abstract at IQs Corner blog. You can always find all of these by clicking on the "dissertation dish" category label.

More importantly, as part of my roles as Research Director with WMF, I often purchase a PDF copy of the dissertations and share them with Barb Wendling, Education Director of WMF. She then puts together an WMF asbstract brief as part of the WMF Doctoral Dissertation Asbstract Project.

I hope this little service helps researchers and assessment professionals keep in touch with unpublished research.....research that hopefully will eventually reach a journal somewhere.


Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, ISIR, dissertation dish, neuropsychology, intelligence, CHC, Cattell-Horn-Carroll, IQ, IQ tests

European Journal of Psych Assessment V25(2)

A new issue is available for the following Hogrefe & Huber journal:

European Journal of Psychological Assessment

Volume 25, Issue 2

Assessing cognitive failures.

Pages 69-72

Efklides, Anastasia; Sideridis, Georgios D.

FACT-2—The Frankfurt Adaptive Concentration Test: Convergent validity with self-reported cognitive failures.

Pages 73-82

Goldhammer, Frank; Moosbrugger, Helfried; Krawietz, Sabine A.

The Real Animal Size Test (RAST): A new measure of inhibitory control for young children.

Pages 83-91

Catale, Corinne; Meulemans, Thierry

Working memory, but not IQ, predicts subsequent learning in children with learning difficulties.

Pages 92-98

Alloway, Tracy Packiam

Assessing cognitive interference using the Emotional Stroop Task in students with and without attention problems.

Pages 99-106

Sideridis, Georgios D.

Situational variability of experiential and rational information-processing styles in stressful situations.

Pages 107-114

Claes, Laurence; Witteman, Cilia; van den Bercken, John

The Blank in the Mind Questionnaire (BIMQ).

Pages 115-122

Moraitou, Despina; Efklides, Anastasia

Realism of confidence judgments.

Pages 123-130

Stankov, Lazar; Lee, Jihyun; Paek, Insu

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, intelliigence, cognition, IQ, IQ tests, assessment, testing, European Journal of Psychological Assessment