The complex issues in MR/ID Atkins death penalty cases: APA Div 33 Ad Hoc Committee on Mental Retardation 2006 list

As I continue to manage this blog, it has become increasingly clear that the psychological and legal issues involved in Atkins MR/ID death penalty cases are very lenghty and complex.  Last night I skimmed a Div 33 Newsletter article (Vol 31, Issue 2, 2006 - click here to find way to obtain copy) that had an article that described the role and function of the Ad Hoc Committee on Mental Retardation and the Death Penalty.  Although the list of issues was generated in 2006, most all still seem pertinent today.  I've reproduced the list of issues below.  Of course, the 1992 AAMR manual mentioned has since been replaced by the 2002 10th and just recently the 2009 11th edition.

Clearly there is much to address, discuss, research, resolve.  I get tired and overwhelmed just reading the list.  I can only hope that the ICDP blog contributes in some small way to the resolution of some of these issues:
 
Qualifications of experts

• Qualifications of psychologists (Licensure? Experience in mental retardation? Forensic training?)
• Qualifications of other experts (In the Atkins trial in Virginia, only a psychologist could testify regarding diagnosis, although other experts testified about other issues.)
• Use of lay experts (How do psychologists obtain and use information from lay persons who know the defendant?) with a background in mental retardation and little forensic experience.)
• Protection of raw test data and test protocols (Ethical principles 9.04 and 9.11)

Issues related to definition of mental retardation

• The Supreme Court used the 1992 American Association on Mental Retardation definition. Should a psychologist offer best interpretation and application of that definition or make suggestions to states for new definitions that are congruent with Atkins?
• Since the 1992 definition is widely used in Atkins hearings, is there consensus on the meaning of the 10 areas of adaptive behavior as they apply to forensic circumstances? (They are only briefly described in the 1992 AAMR manual.) Is a new manual needed that addresses forensic procedures?
• Use of terms: mild, moderate, severe, borderline
• Use of the mental age concept
• Times at which mental retardation must be determined: childhood, time of the crime, present (This question will be determined differently by different courts.)
• Issue of taking an isolated example of high skill to show no mental retardation (e.g., language use, driving a car)

Issues Related to Retrospective Diagnosis

• Role of archival information
• School records; missing or incomplete records; problems in interpretation of old school records
• Lack of Special Education documentation in some records (It is policy for some school systems to delete this information.)
• Interpretation of past testing reports
• Standards for interpretation of old tests (Are they interpreted by the norms of their time, or can they be re-interpreted based on more contemporary psychometric methods?)
• Proper methods to obtain information from informants
• Possible biases in the memories of informants Ethical/Professional Issues
• Independence of the evaluation vs. advocacy role (This is not unique to Atkins cases, but it may be a confusing issue for psychologists Measurement of Intelligence
• Choosing a proper test
• Qualifications of tester
• Firm IQ cutoffs vs. ranges (Law may make no mention of range or variability of scores.)
• Global IQ vs. subtest scores (Are subtest scores or Verbal or Performance IQs relevant?)
• Interpretation of group tests and short forms. Should they be considered at all?
• Attempts to alter or reinterpret IQ scores after the fact (e.g., He had higher potential. He could have done better. His “true” IQ is 5 points higher.). Invalid score vs. altered or reinterpreted score.
• Interpretation of variability of scores with repeated testing.
• Flynn effect (Does it apply to individual scores?)
• Practice effect Adaptive Behavior
• Is adaptive behavior measured solely by functioning, or can potential be considered?
• Interpretation of cultural factors
• Value of multiple respondents
• Value of multiple sources and types of information (e.g., archival, anecdotal, standardized instruments, direct observation)
• Is it valid to use the events of the crime to show adaptive behavior?
• Problems assessing adaptive behavior in prison.
• Role of clinical interview and observation in prison
• Is it valid to use maladaptive behavior as evidence of adequate adaptive behavior?
• Is it valid to argue against a diagnosis of mental retardation by interpreting low adaptive behavior as a behavior disorder, not retardation? (“It’s not mental retardation; it’s a conduct disorder.”)
• Is reliance on others or need for support a key characteristic of mental retardation in adults? (This factor is only indirectly assessed in tests of adaptive behavior.)
• Is naïveté or gullibility or susceptibility to undue influence of others a critical characteristic of mental retardation? This factor is emphasized in the literature on mental retardation (e.g., Greenspan, 1999) but not in tests of adaptive behavior.
• Role of standardized tests of adaptive behavior
• Can standardized tests of adaptive behavior (e.g., SIB-R, ABAS-II) be given retrospectively? What adaptations are acceptable?
• Is client self-report of adaptive behavior valid (either anecdotally or in response to the ABAS)?
• Is the Street Survival Skills Questionnaire a valid instrument for diagnosing mental retardation?
• Role of anecdotal information from informants
• Bias in information from informants (possible bias in either direction)
• Lack of visible stigmata
• Association with conditions of poverty
• Heritable component Responsibility of psychologist in educating the court about characteristics of mild mental retardation
• Variability in skills
• “Cloak of Competence” - influence of trying to look good
• Mental retardation vs. mental illness
• Mental retardation not defined by etiology but by functioning Assessing malingering
• Appropriate methods and instruments

Technorati Tags: psychology, APA, APA Division 33, Ad Hoc Committee on Mental Retardation and Death Penalty, forensic psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, clinical psychology, intellectual disability, MR, mental retardation, AAIDD, Atkins cases, death penalty, capital punishment, IQ, IQ tests, intelligence, Flynn Effect, malingering, adaptive behavior

APA Division 33: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Atkins related newsletter articles

In the past I mentioned (at ICDP sister blog) the importance of APA Divisions 33 (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) and 41 (American Psychology-Law Society) for psychologists and other professionals interested in Atkins cases. 

I recently joined both (although I've yet not received confirmation of my secret decoder ring and handshake for Div 33).

Today I was rummaging around the Div 33 website and was looking at past editions of the newsletter.  I found  that a large number of recent newsletters contained articles related to intellectual disability and Atkins cases.  I downloaded them for some late-night reading.  Others may find them of interest.  Below is a list of articles in recent newsletters.  You can access them by clicking here, and then using the "Current Issue" menu to locate specific issues.  Enjoy

• Vol 31 (2), 2006 - Division 33 Ad Hoc Committee on Mental Retardation and the Death Penalty by J. Gregory Olley, Stephen Greenspan and Harvey Switzky
• Vol 32 (1), 2006 - The Assessment of Adaptive Behavior in Adult Forensic Cases: Part 1 by J. Gregory Olley
• Vol 32 (3), 2006 - The Assessment of Adaptive Behavior in Adult Forensic Cases: Part 2. The Importance of Adaptive Behavior by J. Gregory Olley
• Vol 32 (3), 2007 - Capital Offenders and the Death Sentence: A Scandal That Must Be Addressed by James R. Flynn
• Vol 32 (3), 2007 - Flynn-Adjustment is a Matter of Basic Fairness by Stephen Greenspan
• Vol 33 (1), 2007 - The Assessment of Adaptive Behavior in Adult Forensic Cases: Part 3. The Importance of Adaptive Behavior by J. Gregory Olley
• Vol 33 (2), 2007 - 2007 Edgar A. Doll Address: “Why Mental Retardation and Intellectual Disabilities Are Important and Why Nobody Cares by Douglas K. Detterman
• Vol 33 (3), 2006 - Issues in the Use of the “Flynn Effect” to Adjust IQ Scores When Diagnosing MR by Stephen Greenspan
• Vol 34 (1), 2008 - Linguistic Sensitivity Does Not Require One to Use Grossly Deficient Norms: Why US Norms Should Be Used With the Mexican WAIS-III in Capital Cases by Hoi K. Suen and Stephen Greenspan
• Vol 35 (1), 2009 - Update on the Committee on Mental Retardation and the Death Penalty by J. Gregory Olley

Technorati Tags: psychology, APA, American Psychological Assoication, developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, mental retardation, APA Div 33, APA Div 41, Psychology and Law, adaptive behavior, intelligence, IQ tests, Flynn Effect, WAIS-III, WAIS-III Mexican norms

NIMH tracking brain development study and database

Exciting brain development and associated database projects at NIMH

http://bit.ly/2KG5XJ

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

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Journal of Educational Psychology - Volume 101, Issue 4

A new issue is available for the following APA journal:

Journal of Educational Psychology

Volume 101, Issue 4

Predicting reading comprehension in early elementary school: The independent contributions of oral language and decoding skills.

Page 765-778

Kendeou, Panayiota; van den Broek, Paul; White, Mary Jane; Lynch, Julie S.

Improving classroom learning by collaboratively observing human tutoring videos while problem solving.

Page 779-789

Craig, Scotty D.; Chi, Michelene T. H.; VanLehn, Kurt

Practice enables successful learning under minimal guidance.

Page 790-802

Brunstein, Angela; Betts, Shawn; Anderson, John R.

Getting a handle on learning anatomy with interactive three-dimensional graphics.

Page 803-816

Stull, Andrew T.; Hegarty, Mary; Mayer, Richard E.

Spatial ability for STEM domains: Aligning over 50 years of cumulative psychological knowledge solidifies its importance.

Page 817-835

Wai, Jonathan; Lubinski, David; Benbow, Camilla P.

The importance of prior knowledge when comparing examples: Influences on conceptual and procedural knowledge of equation solving.

Page 836-852

Rittle-Johnson, Bethany; Star, Jon R.; Durkin, Kelley

Within-school social comparison: How students perceive the standing of their class predicts academic self-concept.

Page 853-866

Trautwein, Ulrich; Lüdtke, Oliver; Marsh, Herbert W.; Nagy, Gabriel

Intergenerational family predictors of the Black–White achievement gap.

Page 867-878

Mandara, Jelani; Varner, Fatima; Greene, Nereira; Richman, Scott

Age-related differences in achievement goal differentiation.

Page 879-896

Bong, Mimi

Pictures and words: Spanish and English vocabulary in classrooms.

Page 897-911

Branum-Martin, Lee; Mehta, Paras D.; Francis, David J.; Foorman, Barbara R.; Cirino, Paul T.; Miller, Jon F.; Iglesias, Aquiles

Teacher–child interactions and children's achievement trajectories across kindergarten and first grade.

Page 912-925

Curby, Timothy W.; Rimm-Kaufman, Sara E.; Ponitz, Claire Cameron

Longitudinal impact of two universal preventive interventions in first grade on educational outcomes in high school.

Page 926-937

Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Zmuda, Jessika H.; Kellam, Sheppard G.; Ialongo, Nicholas S.

Syllable and letter knowledge in early Korean Hangul reading.

Page 938-947

Cho, Jeung-Ryeul

A longitudinal analysis of achievement goals: From affective antecedents to emotional effects and achievement outcomes.

Page 948-963

Daniels, Lia M.; Stupnisky, Robert H.; Pekrun, Reinhard; Haynes, Tara L.; Perry, Raymond P.; Newall, Nancy E.

Are SSATS and GPA enough? A theory-based approach to predicting academic success in secondary school.

Page 964-981

Grigorenko, Elena L.; Jarvin, Linda; Diffley III, Ray; Goodyear, Julie; Shanahan, Edward J.; Sternberg, Robert J.

Development and validation of a measure of academic entitlement: Individual differences in students' externalized responsibility and entitled expectations.

Page 982-997

Chowning, Karolyn; Campbell, Nicole Judice

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More on cognitive neuroenhancement issues

Thanks to BIOETHICS FORUM for this post

http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Bioethicsforum/Post.aspx?id=4046

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

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Importance of visual spatial Gv abilities and STEM

Journal of Educational Psychology - Vol 101, Iss 4

Spatial ability for STEM domains: Aligning over 50 years of cumulative psychological knowledge solidifies its importance. Mon, Nov 2 2009 10:50 PM  by Wai, Jonathan; Lubinski, David; Benbow, Camilla P. The importance of spatial ability in educational pursuits and the world of work was examined, with particular attention devoted to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) domains. Participants were drawn from a stratified random sample of U.S. high schools (Grades 9–12, N = 400,000) and were tracked for 11+ years; their longitudinal findings were aligned with pre-1957 findings and with contemporary data from the Graduate Record Examination and the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth. For decades, spatial ability assessed during adolescence has surfaced as a salient psychological attribute among those adolescents who subsequently go on to achieve advanced educational credentials and occupations in STEM. Results solidify the generalization that spatial ability plays a critical role in developing expertise in STEM and suggest, among other things, that including spatial ability in modern talent searches would identify many adolescents with potential for STEM who are currently being missed.

Kevin McGrew PhD

Educational/School Psych. 

IAP (www.iapsych.com)

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Numeracy (Gq) and medical decision making

Psychological Bulletin - Vol 135, Iss 6
Psychological Bulletin publishes evaluative and integrative research reviews and interpretations of issues in scientific psychology. Primary research is reported only for illustrative purposes. Integrative reviews or research syntheses focus on empirical studies and seek to summarize past research by drawing overall conclusions from many separate investigations that address related or identical hypotheses.

How numeracy influences risk comprehension and medical decision making.

Mon, Nov 2 2009 10:48 PM 
by Reyna, Valerie F.; Nelson, Wendy L.; Han, Paul K.; Dieckmann, Nathan F.

We review the growing literature on health numeracy, the ability to understand and use numerical information, and its relation to cognition, health behaviors, and medical outcomes. Despite the surfeit of health information from commercial and noncommercial sources, national and international surveys show that many people lack basic numerical skills that are essential to maintain their health and make informed medical decisions. Low numeracy distorts perceptions of risks and benefits of screening, reduces medication compliance, impedes access to treatments, impairs risk communication (limiting prevention efforts among the most vulnerable), and, based on the scant research conducted on outcomes, appears to adversely affect medical outcomes. Low numeracy is also associated with greater susceptibility to extraneous factors (i.e., factors that do not change the objective numerical information). That is, low numeracy increases susceptibility to effects of mood or how information is presented (e.g., as frequencies vs. percentages) and to biases in judgment and decision making (e.g., framing and ratio bias effects). Much of this research is not grounded in empirically supported theories of numeracy or mathematical cognition, which are crucial for designing evidence-based policies and interventions that are effective in reducing risk and improving medical decision making. To address this gap, we outline four theoretical approaches (psychophysical, computational, standard dual-process, and fuzzy trace theory), review their implications for numeracy, and point to avenues for future research. 

Kevin McGrew PhD

Educational/School Psych. 

IAP (www.iapsych.com)

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Dissertation dish: WJ III/KABC-II Gv and ach AND Gs, RAN, Ga, work mem and reading

Visual-spatial thinking and academic achievement: A concurrent and predictive validity study by Yazzie, Anslem, Ph.D., Northern Arizona University, 2009 , 92 pages; AAT 3370650

Abstract

Forty-eight students were administered the Spatial Relations and Picture Recognition subtests of Woodcock-Johnson III Visual-Spatial Thinking Cluster, Rover and Triangles subtests of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition Visual Processing Cluster, and Word Reading, Math Computation, and Spelling subtests of the Wide Range Achievement Test-Four Edition. According to previous research, several assumptions regarding visual-spatial thinking's correlation with achievement, concurrent validity with other measures, and differences in gender and ethnicity had been found to be variant. Mean differences were compared for significance of performance on overall clusters. Examination of cluster performances indicated that visual-spatial thinking ( Gv ) was equally measured on both cognitive measures. There was a notable relationship between cognitive Gv performances and achievement. When mean differences were made in terms of ethnicity, no statistical difference was found. In contrast, a significant difference was found when gender was examined. Results are discussed in terms of implications for school psychologists, researchers, and teachers.

The relationships among cognitive ability measures and irregular word, non-word, and word reading by Abu-Hamour, Bashir, Ph.D., The University of Arizona, 2009 , 160 pages; AAT 3369670

Abstract

This study examined the relationships between and among: (a) Processing Speed (PS) Cluster and Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) Total to reading ability; (b) measures of RAN and PS to irregular word, non-word, and word reading; and (c) the relationships among irregular word, non-word, and word reading. The word reading measures were predicted by using multiple cognitive abilities including Phonological Awareness (PA), RAN, PS, and Working Memory (WM). Sixty participants, 39 students who were average readers and 21 students with reading difficulties in Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 were recruited.

Correlational designs testing predictive relationships were used to conduct this study. The results indicated that the PS Cluster had the strongest correlation with irregular word reading, whereas the RAN Total had the strongest correlation with both word reading and non-word reading ability. Reading performance was best predicted by RAN-Letters. In addition, the Woodcock-Johnson III Visual Matching test had the strongest predictive power of reading ability among all of the PS measures.

High correlations were found among the reading variables within normally distributed data, whereas there was no significant correlation between irregular and nonword reading within the group of students with Reading Difficulties. These findings provide support for the dual-route theory. Among the 21 students with RD, 10 students presented problems in both non-word reading and irregular word reading; 9 students presented problems just in non-word reading; and 2 students presented problems just in irregular word reading.

A model consisting of RAN, PA, and PS, as included in the study measures, provided the most powerful prediction of all reading skills. These findings also lend more support to the double-deficit model and indicate that PA and naming speed problems contribute independently to variance in reading.

This study provides direction for the assessment of specific reading disability and the cognitive underpinnings of this disorder. These findings support the need to assess PA, RAN, and PS, as well as various types of word reading skills, when making a reading disability diagnosis. Further research may cross validate the results of this study, or add other aspects of reading (eg., reading fluency or comprehension) to this line of research.

Technorati Tags: psychology, education, special education, learning disabilities, school psychology, educational psychology, learning, reading, math, visual spatial, working memory, RAN, rapid automatic naming, processing speed, Gs, Gsm, Ga, Glr, reading, math, dyslexia, dyscalculia, IQs Corner

Brain injury conferences

Thanks to BI BLOG for this conference list

http://braininjury.blogs.com/braininjury/2009/11/november-brain-injury-conferences.html

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

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Disability stats source

Thanks to BRAIN INJURY BLOG for the fyi post http://braininjury.blogs.com/braininjury/2009/10/finding-statistics-on-disabilities.html

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

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IQs Corner Recent Literature of Interest 10-30-09

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

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

Intelligence theory and testing posts in the "pipeline"

Future posts at either ICDP or IQs Corner blogs.

• What does the WAIS-IV measure per CHC theory?
• School psychologist potential role in Atkins MR proceedings (with actual case example from court records)
• Can a person with mild MR achieve above their IQ? (remember Forrest Gump)
• Courts struggle with establishing adaptive behavior functioning during childhood
• Why IQ scores may differ - scoring errors are potentially more of a problem than we acknowledge
• Description/overview of major IQ tests
• CHC analysis of major IQ tests, with emphasis on composite scores (since these are what are paid attention to in court proceedings)
• Hopefully clear definitions of "standard error of measurement" and "standardized tests" some misunderstandings need clarification
• Why you can't average standard scores...a psychometric "no no"
• plus other stuff

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, forensic psychology, neuropsychology, clinical psychology, IQ, IQ tests, IQ scores, SEM, psychometris, MR, mental retardation, intellectual disability, Atkins cases, Forrest Gump, death penalty, capital punishment, standard scores, school achievement, WAIS-IV, CHC theory

iAbstrac: Orthographic working memory related research

Double click image to enlarge

Brief history of neuroscience

Thanks to MOUSE TRAP for the link

http://the-mouse-trap.com/2009/10/29/a-brief-history-of-neuroscience/

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

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Importance of following standardized IQ test directions: Another Atkins MR/IQ decision

Another Atkins MR/IQ court decision revolving around IQ score issues, this time the Stanford-Binet V.  Affidavit provided by SB5 test author.  Oral arguments available to listen to.  The decision should remind all psychologist re: the importance of following standardized testing procedures when administering an intelligence test.  More information at ICDP sister blog.

Technorati Tags: psychology, forensic psychology, criminal psychology, criminal justice, psychology and law, Atkins case, MR, mental retardation, intellectual disability, SB5, SB V, Stanford Binet Intelligence test, standardized testing, death penalty, capital punishment

Cup(s) of Joe good for your brain?

Thanks to SHARP BRAINS for making ne feel good about my love for coffee

http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2009/10/24/does-coffee-boost-brain-cognitive-functions-over-time/

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

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Kaufman intelligent approach to IQ testing

Excellent overview of Alan Kaufmans Intelligent intelligence test
approach to interp. Includes an interview with Alan Kaufman. Check it
out at BEAUTIFUL MINDS

http://ow.ly/15XdS8

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

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Research Bytes 10-23-08: RIAS/WAIS-III,Gv,imagery,neuropsychology,test norms

Articles that caught my eye during my weekly search of a wide range of professional literature.

Smith, B. L., McChristian, C. L., Smith, T. D., & Meaux, J. (2009). The relationshipo of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 109(1), 30-40.

The purpose of this study was to compare scores on the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS) with scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III) in a group of college students diagnosed with a Learning Disability, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or a combination of the two. The RIAS Composite Index score was significantly higher than the WAIS-III Full Scale IQ, although scores on both tests were in the average range. Correlations between the two tests were significant on all measures. Male students were significantly higher than female students on both the RIAS Composite Index and on the WAIS-III Full Scale IQ. Although the ADHD group was higher on IQ than the Learning Disabled and combined disorder groups on all IQ measures, no significant differences were found.

Heilbronner, R. L., Sweet, J. J., Morgan, J. E., Larrabee, G. J., & Millis, S. R. (2009). American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology Consensus Conference Statement on the Neuropsychological Assessment of Effort, Response Bias, and Malingering. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 23(7), 1093-1129.

During the past two decades clinical and research efforts have led to increasingly sophisticated and effective methods and instruments designed to detect exaggeration or fabrication of neuropsychological dysfunction, as well as somatic and psychological symptom complaints. A vast literature based on relevant research has emerged and substantial portions of professional meetings attended by clinical neuropsychologists have addressed topics related to malingering (Sweet, King, Malina, Bergman, & Simmons, 2002). Yet, despite these extensive activities, understanding the need for methods of detecting problematic effort and response bias and addressing the presence or absence of malingering has proven challenging for practitioners. A consensus conference, comprised of national and international experts in clinical neuropsychology, was held at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) for the purposes of refinement of critical issues in this area. This consensus statement documents the current state of knowledge and recommendations of expert clinical neuropsychologists and is intended to assist clinicians and researchers with regard to the neuropsychological assessment of effort, response bias, and malingering.

Thompson, W. L., Slotnick, S. D., Burrage, M. S., & Kosslyn, S. M. (2009). Two Forms of Spatial Imagery: Neuroimaging Evidence. Psychological Science, 20(10), 1245-1253

Spatial imagery may be useful in such tasks as interpreting graphs and solving geometry problems, and even in performing surgery. This study provides evidence that spatial imagery is not a single faculty; rather, visualizing spatial location and mentally transforming location rely on distinct neural networks. Using 3-T functional magnetic resonance imaging, we tested 16 participants (8 male, 8 female) in each of two spatial imagery tasks—one that required visualizing location and one that required mentally rotating stimuli. The same stimuli were used in the two tasks. The location-based task engendered more activation near the occipito-parietal sulcus, medial posterior cingulate, and precuneus, whereas the transformation task engendered more activation in superior portions of the parietal lobe and in the postcentral gyrus. These differences in activation provide evidence that there are at least two different types of spatial imagery.

Dellatolas, G., Watier, L., LeNormand, M. T., Lubart, T., & ChevrieMuller, C. (2009). Rhythm Reproduction in Kindergarten, Reading Performance at Second Grade, and Developmental Dyslexia Theories. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 24(6), 555-563.

Temporal processing deficit could be associated with a specific difficulty in learning to read. In 1951, Stambak provided preliminary evidence that children with dyslexia performed less well than good readers in reproduction of 21 rhythmic patterns. Stambak's task was administered to 1,028 French children aged 5–6 years. The score distribution (from 0 to 21) was quasi-normal, with some children failing completely and other performing perfectly. In second grade, reading was assessed in 695 of these children. Kindergarten variables explained 26% of the variance of the reading score at second grade. The Stambak score was strongly and linearly related to reading performance in second grade, after partialling out performance on other tasks (oral repetition, attention, and visuo-spatial tasks) and socio-cultural level. Findings are discussed in relation to perceptual, cerebellar, intermodal, and attention-related theories of developmental dyslexia. It is concluded that simple rhythm reproduction tasks in kindergarten are predictive of later reading performance.

Crawford, J. R., Garthwaite, P. H., & Slick, D. J. (2009). On percentile norms in neuropsychology: Proposed reporting standards and methods for quantifying the uncertainty over the percentile ranks of test scores. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 23(7), 1173-1195.

Normative data for neuropsychological tests are often presented in the form of percentiles. One problem when using percentile norms stems from uncertainty over the definitional formula for a percentile. (There are three co-existing definitions and these can produce substantially different results.) A second uncertainty stems from the use of a normative sample to estimate the standing of a raw score in the normative population. This uncertainty is unavoidable but its extent can be captured using methods developed in the present paper. A set of reporting standards for the presentation of percentile norms in neuropsychology is proposed. An accompanying computer program (available to download) implements these standards and generates tables of point and interval estimates of percentile ranks for new or existing normative data.

McGee, C. L., Delis, D. C., & Holdnack, J. A. (2009). Cognitive Discrepancies in Children at the Ends of the Bell Curve: A Note of Caution for Clinical Interpretation. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 23(7), 1160-1172.

Discrepancies between IQ scores on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) and scores from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) were examined at different levels of intellectual functioning in 470 normal-functioning youths (aged 8-19) from the co-standardization sample of the WASI and D-KEFS. Results demonstrated that children with lower IQ scores often had significantly higher D-KEFS scores, whereas children with higher IQ scores often had significantly lower D-KEFS scores. Similar patterns were identified for discrepancies between Verbal and Performance IQ indices. These findings are similar to those found in the adult literature. Clinicians are advised to be cautious when weighing the clinical significance of cognitive discrepancies at the ends of the bell-curve and should avoid interpreting discrepancies in isolation.

Technorati Tags: psychology, neuropsychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuroscience, RIAS, WAIS-III, Wechsler, test norms, IQ tests, IQ, IQ scores, intelligence, IQs Corner, Research Bytes, malingering, Gv, visual-spatial, spatial imagery

IQs Corner Recent Literature of Interest 10-22-09

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

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

Intelligence test "practice effects": New review overview article

New overview article of intellectual testing "practice effects" over at sister blog--ICDP

Technorati Tags: psychology, forensic psychology, criminal psychology, criminal justice, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, Atkins case, MR, mental retardation, death penalty, capital punishment, IQ tests, IQ scores, IQ, intelligence tests, measurement, intelligence, practice effects, Wechsler batteries, WAIS, WAIS-R, WAIS-III, Stanford-Binet, SB5, psychometrics

Another Atkins MR death penalty case mired in a psychometric quagmire of issues

Yet another psychometric quagmire of issues in a recent (October 7, 2009) Atkins MR death penalty case.  Many IQ-related issues raised, as well as assessment of adaptive behavior.  See extended post at sister blog--ICDP.

Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, neuropsychology, forensic psychology, Atkins case, MR, mental retardation, intellectual disability, IQ tests, IQ scores, intelligence, adaptive behavior, AAIDD, SSSQ, CAST-MR, death penalty, capital punishment, psychometrics

Florida Supreme Courts has its psychometric head in the sand re: precision of IQ scores in Atkins death penatly cases

More crazy stuff on psychometric ignorance re: IQ scores (this time standard error of measurement) in life-and-death MR death penalty decisions.  Supreme Court in the State of Florida has its psychometric head in the sand.


Technorati Tags: psychology, forensic psychology, criminal psychology, criminal justice, neuropsychology, school psychology, educational psychology, statistics, psychometrics, IQ, IQ tests, IQ scores, intelligence, MR, mental retardation, intellectual disability, Atkins case, death penalty, capital punishment, SCOUTS, SEM, standard error of measurment, Florida Supreme Court

Genetic influence in intelligence increases from early to middle childhood

Thanks to the MIND BLOG for the post re large scale longitudinal study
of heritability of general intelligence.

http://mindblog.dericbownds.net/2009/10/genetic-influences-increase-between.html

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

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New APA book on educational and psychological testing.

Just learned of this book.  Do not yet have copy.  If any one reads and has opinions, please consider a guest post.

Lilienfeld, S. O., & Thames, A. D. (2009). Correcting Fallacies About Educational and Psychological Testing, by R.P. Phelps. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 24(6), 631+.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, psychological testing, APA, books

Judge plays psychologist in part vs full scale IQ use in death penalty case

Judge plays psychologist re: part vs full scale IQ scores in Atkins IQ MR death penalty case.  Check out guest post, at ICDP blog, by Kevin Foley.

Technorati Tags: psychology, forensice psychology, criminal psychology, ABA, American Bar Association, school psychology, educational psychology, neuropsychology, clinical psychology, intelligence, IQ, IQ tests, IQ scores, part v full scale IQ, Atkins case, MR, mental retardation, intellectual disability, developmental disability, death penalty, capital punishment

CHC intelligence theory and testing: Quotes to note from intelligence giants

Regular readers of this blog know that I  frequently reference the need for the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities to be used as the organizational framework for intelligence testing.  I typically provide links to two sources (one a pre-pub version of a book chapter that was eventually published; the other an invited 2009 editorial in the journal Intelligence). 

If readers take time to read these sources, they will learn that CHC theory is the combination of Cattell-Horn Gf-Gc theory and Carroll's three-stratum Gf-Gc theory [Carroll, J. B. (1993). Human cognitive abilities:  A survey of factor analytic studies. New York: Cambridge University Press].  I cannot stress enough the importance of the development of CHC theory for evidence-based intelligence theories and test development and interpretation.

To add external credibility to my professional opinion, I suggest skeptical readers read the words of major intelligence scholars as they rendered judgment on the Carroll portion of the CHC model.  Below are a few select quotes.  The conclusion should be obvious. Top notch intelligence scholars recognize the seminal work of Carroll, which is a major cornerstone of CHC theory.  I'll let the words of these giants speak for themselves.

Richard Snow (1993; back cover jacket of Carroll's, 1993 book):

 “John Carroll has done a magnificent thing. He has reviewed and reanalyzed the world’s literature on individual differences in cognitive abilities…no one else could have done it… it defines the taxonomy of cognitive differential psychology for many years to come.”

Burns, R. B. (1994). Surveying the cognitive terrain. Educational Researcher, 35-37.

Carroll’s book “is simply the finest work of research and scholarship I have read and is destined to be the classic study and reference work on human abilities for decades to come” (p. 35).

Horn, J. (1998). A basis for research on age differences in cognitive abilities. In J.J. McArdle, & R.W. Woodcock (Eds.), Human Cognitive Abilities in Theory and Practice (pp. 57-92). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

A “tour de force summary and integration” that is the “definitive foundation for current theory” (p. 58).  Horn compared Carroll’s summary to “Mendelyev’s first presentation of a periodic table of elements in chemistry” (p. 58). 

Jensen, A. R. (2004). Obituary - John Bissell Carroll. Intelligence, 32(1), 1-5.

“…on my first reading this tome, in 1993, I was reminded of the conductor Hans von Bülow’s exclamation on first reading the full orchestral score of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger, ‘‘It’s impossible, but there it is!’’

“Carroll’s magnum opus thus distills and synthesizes the results of a century of factor analyses of mental tests. It is virtually the grand finale of the era of psychometric description and taxonomy of human cognitive abilities. It is unlikely that his monumental feat will ever be attempted again by anyone, or that it could be much improved on. It will long be the key reference point and a solid foundation for the explanatory era of differential psychology that we now see burgeoning in genetics and the brain sciences” (p. 5).

Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, forensic psychology, criminal psychology, cognition, clinical psychology, neuropsychology, mental retardation, MR, developmental disabilities, CHC theory, Cattell-Horn-Carroll, Gf-Gc, intelligence, IQ, IQ tests, IQ scores, capital punishment, death penalty, Arthur Jensen, Richard Snow, John Horn, Jack Carroll

AP101 Brief #1: g or not to g: IQ part vs full scale IQ scores in determining general intelligence

IQs Corner readers may find the Applied Psychometrics 101 Brief #1:  g or not to g in Atkins MR death penalty cases (post at sister blog) of interest.  Briefly, the two-post AP101 Brief presents and disucsses the relative g-loadings (g-ness) of composite scores from the WAIS-III, WJ III, and KAIT in a university adult sample. Questions are raised, based on analysis of data from a sample of 200 young adults, regarding the use of different composite scores from intelligence batteries in place of the total (full scale) IQ score when considerable variability exists in an IQ batteries composite scores.

Disseration Dish: Preschool inhibitory control and kindergarten academic achievement

Inhibitory control in preschool children: Does it predict academic achievement in kindergarten? by Gonik, Ilana, Ph.D., Illinois Institute of Technology, 2008 , 108 pages; AAT 3370855

Abstract

Inhibitory control is a self-regulatory, prefrontal cognitive function which begins to develop during the first year of life and continues developing rapidly through the preschool years. Children's cognitive development has also been shown to increase rapidly in the preschool years. Additionally, early childhood is a sensitive period for the development of important academic skills such as literacy, mathematics, and language skills. This study examined the relationship between different types of inhibitory control abilities in preschool-age children and academic achievement, including both reading and math skills. Participants included 347 4- and 5-year-old children who were given a battery of tasks which tapped into three domains of inhibitory control (delaying gratification, slowing down/inhibiting motor activity, and initiating and suppressing a response to signal). Academic achievement was assessed using three subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement including the Letter-Word Identification, Passage Comprehension, and Quantitative Concepts subtest. Using structural equation modeling, the results indicated that the observed inhibitory control measures at ages 4 and 5 were not measuring common latent factors and the individual variables were substantially different. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that suppressing/initiating a response to signal tasks (Tower at age 4 and Knock and Tap at age 5) and the delay of gratification task at age 5 (Gift Delay) were significantly related to math achievement at age 5. Additionally, the Knock and Tap task at age 5 partially mediated the relationship between the Tower task at age 4 and math achievement. Implications of these findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, developmental psychology, preschool, kindergarten, achievement, learning, executive function, inhibitory control, neuropsychology, intelligence

More voodoo psychometrics in Atkins MR death penalty cases? This time adaptive behavior

Voodoo psychometrics strikes again!  The target----adaptive behavior scores in Atkins MR death penaly cases.  Check it out at sister blog

Technorati Tags: psychology, forensic psychology, criminal psychology, criminal justice, neuropsychology, adaptive behavior, ABS-II, MR, mental retardation, developmental disabilities, Atkins cases, capital punishment, death penalty

IQ profile variability and MR Dx: Life or death issues

Readers of IQs Corner will likely find the guest post, by Dr. Dale Watson, a clinical forensic neuropsychologist, regarding the intelligence test interpretation issues in a recent Atkins IQ MR death penalty decision of interest. It can be viewed at IQs Corner sister blog - Intellectual Competence and the Death Penalty

Technorati Tags: psychology, forensic psychology, criminal psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, MR, mental retardation, Atkins cases, death penalty, capital punishment, IQ, IQ tests, intelligence, general intelligence

Personal post: Life is GRAND in MN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It does not get any better.  I may die a happy blogmaster. 

Click here for explanation.

Technorati Tags: Minnesota, Vikings, Twins

Dissertation Dish: Memory abilities in high functioning autism

Memory abilities in children with high functioning autism spectrum disorders by Gansle, Mary Ann Thamaravelil, Ph.D., Texas Woman's University, 2009 , 112 pages; AAT 3367231

Abstract

In the present study, demographic and intellectual performance data previously collected on groups of children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and high functioning autism (HFA) were analyzed. It was hypothesized that children and adolescents with HFA or AS would exhibit lower scores on measures of visual memory as compared to auditory memory. It was also hypothesized that participants would display lower scores on visual memory tasks that contain a social component as compared to visual memory tasks without a social component. It was also hypothesized that this group would have difficulty with the Memory for Faces task on the NEPSY as compared to other visual tasks. Another hypothesis stated that the Symbolic Memory task on the UNIT may yield lower mean scores when compared to the other visual tasks. Additionally, it was hypothesized that these children and adolescents would demonstrate lower mean scores on tasks involving auditory working memory as compared to auditory memory tasks alone. Instruments used included the NEPSY, the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT), and the Woodcock Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition (WJ-III Cog).

Participants included child and adolescent volunteers (47 males and 7 females) ranging in age from 8 years to 17 years with a mean age of 11 years. All participants had a full scale IQ of 85 or above. Repeated measures ANOVAs were performed using diagnosis (HFA, AS) as a between subjects effect on the dependent variables. The results failed to reveal significant differences for diagnosis on any of the dependent measures; therefore, the between subjects factor diagnosis (HFA, AS) was collapsed across groups to create one sample of children with autism for subsequent analyses.

Repeated measures analysis of variance, pairwise multiple comparisons using Fisher's Least Significant Difference (LSD), and correlations were performed to analyze performance of the sample group across the various subtests included in the hypotheses. With regard to hypothesis one, results revealed that children's standardized mean responses on visual memory measures were not significantly different from each other. With respect to hypothesis two, scores on the Symbolic Memory Subtest were not significantly lower than other visual tasks.

Results for hypothesis three indicated the standardized mean scores on auditory measures and visual memory measures were not significantly different from each other. Hypothesis four analysis indicated that the standardized mean scores on the auditory memory measures and auditory working memory measures were not significantly different from each other. Overall, four hypotheses failed to show significance. There was some suggested overlap in skills measured by the various subtests. The implications of these results for the development of effective classroom interventions for use with students with AS or HFA were discussed.

Technorati Tags: psychology, school psychology, educational psychology, developmental psychology, developmenal disabilities, neuropsychology, autism, aspergers, autism spectrum disorders, Gsm, memory, disseration, dissertation dish, IQs Corner

IQs Corner Recent Literature of Interest 10-05-09

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

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

Quantoids corner: Data mining

Double click image to enlarge

Intelligence theory and test progress continuum: Updated and revised

 [Double click on image to enlarge]

Intelligence theory and tests have evolved significantly over the past two decades.  This progress is reflected in the above progress continuum.  I will likely be referencing this figure in future posts.

Additional historical information is available via IQs Corner CHC Timeline project.

Interesting questions re: a potential Atkins/MR/death penalty IQ test-intelligence theory gap are noted at IQs Corner sister blog.

School psychology blogs

Thanks to TECHPSYCH for organizing this blog list

http://bit.ly/kTZgk

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

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Personal choice and ethical/moral issues in self-cognitive enhancement

Interesting topic (personal choice, ethics, and moral issues in self-cognitive enhacement) discussed in a new Neuroethics article (Automony and coercion in academic "cognitive enhancement" using methlphenidate:  Perspective of key stakeholders)

Abstract

There is mounting evidence that methylphenidate (MPH; Ritalin) is being used by healthy college students to improve concentration, alertness, and academic performance. One of the key concerns associated with such use of pharmaceuticals is the degree of freedom individuals have to engage in or abstain from cognitive enhancement (CE). From a pragmatic perspective, careful examination of the ethics of acts and contexts in which they arise includes considering coercion and social pressures to enhance cognition. We were interested in understanding how university students, parents of university students, and healthcare providers viewed autonomy and coercion in CE using MPH. We found that perspectives converged on the belief that CE is a matter of personal and individual choice. Perspectives also converged on the existence of tremendous social pressures to perform and succeed. Parents emphasized personal responsibility and accountability for CE choices, and expressed feelings of worry, sadness and fear about CE. Students emphasized the importance of personal integrity in CE, expressed tolerance for personal choices of others, and highlighted the challenge that CE poses to maintaining one’s personal integrity. Healthcare providers emphasized the health consequences of CE. These results illustrate: (1) the importance of understanding how context is viewed in relation to perspectives on autonomous choice; (2) the limitations of individualistic libertarian approaches that do not consider social context; and (3) the ethical implications of public health interventions in a value-laden debate where perspectives diverge.

Technorati Tags: psychology, neuropsychology, neurotechnology, neurosicence, neurology, cognition, intelligence, brain fitness, cognitive enhancement

WJ III Braille Adapted achievement tests now available

Technical problems with this earlier post have been resolved.  Information re: the braille adapted version of the WJ III tests is now available from the American Printing House for the Blind.  Click here for more information.