Estimates of brain age for gray matter and white matter in younger and older adults: insights into human intelligence - ScienceDirect

 Estimates of brain age for gray matter and white matter in younger and older adults: insights into human intelligence - ScienceDirect 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006899321002882

Abstract

Aging entails a multifaceted complex of changes in macro- and micro-structural properties of human brain gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) tissues, as well as in intellectual abilities. To better capture tissue-specific brain aging, we combined volumetric and diffusivity properties to derive subject-specific age scores for each tissue. We compared age-related variance between WM and GM age scores in younger and older adults and tested whether tissue-specific age scores could explain different effects of aging on fluid (Gf) and crystalized (Gc) intelligence in younger and older adults. Chronological age was strongly associated with GM (R² = 0.73) and WM (R² = 0.57) age scores. The GM age score accounted for significantly more variance in chronological age in younger relative to older adults (p < 0.001), whereas the WM age score accounted for significantly more variance in chronological age in older compared to younger adults (p < 0.025). Consistent with existing literature, younger adults outperformed older adults in Gf while older adults outperformed younger adults in Gc. The GM age score was negatively associated with Gf in younger adults (p < 0.02), whereas the WM age score was negatively associated with Gc in older adults (p< 0.02). Our results provide evidence for differences in the effects of age on GM and WM in younger versus older adults that may contribute to age-related differences in Gf and Gc.

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Kevin S. McGrew, PhD
Educational & School Psychologist
Director
Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP)
https://www.themindhub.com
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Does reasoning training improve fluid reasoning and academic achievement for children and adolescents? A systematic review - ScienceDirect

 Does reasoning training improve fluid reasoning and academic achievement for children and adolescents? A systematic review - ScienceDirect 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211949321000053

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Studies of children and adolescents suggest that reasoning training may improve both reasoning and academic achievement, but evidence and systematic evaluation of this research is limited. Accordingly, this paper provides a systematic review of the literature on reasoning training in order to describe current methods and evaluate their efficacy.

METHOD
A systematic search identified eleven articles—published between 1996 and 2016—that reported findings from thirteen separate studies of reasoning training effects on fluid reasoning (Gf) and academic achievement in children and adolescents. Specific Gf outcomes examined were analogical, deductive, inductive, nonverbal, and/or relational reasoning ability. Specific academic achievement outcomes examined were math and reading achievement. This paper reviewed studies utilizing both computerized and non-computerized methods of Gftraining.

FINDINGS
Findings from the review show that reasoning training improves Gf (near transfer effects). Although less conclusive, when considered on balance, evidence suggests that reasoning training also improves academic achievement (far transfer effects).

CONCLUSIONS
Research is needed to parameterize the effects of Gftraining on academic achievement, and in particular to identify moderators of training efficacy on academic outcomes. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

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Kevin S. McGrew, PhD
Educational & School Psychologist
Director
Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP)
https://www.themindhub.com
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Student Motivation and Associated Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis From Self-Determination Theory

 APS Journals Access – Association for Psychological Science – APS 
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/sage?ru=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691620966789

Student Motivation and Associated Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis From Self-Determination Theory
Joshua L. Howard, Julien Bureau, Frédéric Guay, Jane X. Y. Chong, and Richard M. Ryan
Perspectives on Psychological ScienceIntrinsic motivation and behaving on the basis of perceived personal value and meaning appear to be key for school adjustment and student success. In this meta-analysis, Howard and colleagues examined how different types of motivation relate to 26 student outcomes, including performance and well-being. The researchers analyzed 344 samples of students and found that (a) intrinsic motivation was related to students' success and well-being, and (b) personal value (identified regulation) was related with persistence. Ego-involved motivation (introjected regulation) was related with persistence and performance but also with ill-being. Motivation to obtain rewards or avoid punishment was associated only with decreased well-being.

Theory Construction Methodology: A Practical Framework for Building Theories in Psychology

 APS Journals Access – Association for Psychological Science – APS 
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/sage?ru=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691620969647

Theory Construction Methodology: A Practical Framework for Building Theories in Psychology
Denny Borsboom, Han L. J. van der Maas, Jonas Dalege, Rogier A. Kievit, and Brian D. Haig
Perspectives on Psychological ScienceBorsboom and colleagues propose a five-step methodology for constructing explanatory theories: The theorist (a) identifies the empirical phenomena that become the target of explanation, (b) constructs a prototheory that putatively explains the target phenomena, (c) uses the prototheory to construct a formal model (a set of equations that encode explanatory principles), (d) assesses the explanatory adequacy of the model, and (e) studies the overall adequacy of the theory by evaluating whether the phenomena are reproducible and the explanatory principles are parsimonious and plausible. The authors explain this theory construction methodology using the mutualism model of intelligence.

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Kevin S. McGrew, PhD
Educational & School Psychologist
Director
Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP)
https://www.themindhub.com
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What We Know, Are Still Getting Wrong, and Have Yet to Learn about the Relationships among the SAT, Intelligence and Achievement

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/7/4/26/htm

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Kevin S. McGrew, PhD
Educational & School Psychologist
Director
Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP)
https://www.themindhub.com
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Navigating the link between processing speed and network communication in the human brain | SpringerLink

 Navigating the link between processing speed and network communication in the human brain | SpringerLink 
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00429-021-02241-8

Abstract
Processing speed on cognitive tasks relies upon efficient communication between widespread regions of the brain. Recently, novel methods of quantifying network communication like 'navigation efficiency' have emerged, which aim to be more biologically plausible compared to traditional shortest path length-based measures. However, it is still unclear whether there is a direct link between these communication measures and processing speed. We tested this relationship in forty-five healthy adults (27 females), where processing speed was defined as decision-making time and measured using drift rate from the hierarchical drift diffusion model. Communication measures were calculated from a graph theoretical analysis of the whole-brain structural connectome and of a task-relevant fronto-parietal structural subnetwork, using the large-scale Desikan–Killiany atlas. We found that faster processing speed on trials that require greater cognitive control are correlated with higher navigation efficiency (of both the whole-brain and the task-relevant subnetwork). In contrast, faster processing speed on trials that require more automatic processing are correlated with shorter path length within the task-relevant subnetwork. Our findings reveal that differences in the way communication is modelled between shortest path length and navigation may be sensitive to processing of automatic and controlled responses, respectively. Further, our findings suggest that there is a relationship between the speed of cognitive processing and the structural constraints of the human brain network.

Twice-Exceptional Students: Review of Implications for Special and Inclusive Education - ProQuest

Twice-Exceptional Students: Review of Implications for Special and Inclusive Education - ProQuest
https://search.proquest.com/openview/d0866e35149e71cf9484c9e2cc0f35b9/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2032405

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Kevin S. McGrew, PhD
Educational & School Psychologist
Director
Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP)
https://www.themindhub.com
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Rationale and Design of the National Neuropsychology Network | Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society | Cambridge Core

Rationale and Design of the National Neuropsychology Network | Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society | Cambridge Core
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-neuropsychological-society/article/abs/rationale-and-design-of-the-national-neuropsychology-network/FC3E4709E208CA3FA52E08D8FD05D799

Testing (quizzing) boosts classroom learning: A systematic and meta-analytic review. - PsycNET

 Testing (quizzing) boosts classroom learning: A systematic and meta-analytic review. - PsycNET 
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-24563-001

Abstract
Over the last century hundreds of studies have demonstrated that testing is an effective intervention to enhance long-term retention of studied knowledge and facilitate mastery of new information, compared with restudying and many other learning strategies (e.g., concept mapping), a phenomenon termed the testing effect. How robust is this effect in applied settings beyond the laboratory? The current review integrated 48,478 students' data, extracted from 222 independent studies, to investigate the magnitude, boundary conditions, and psychological underpinnings of test-enhanced learning in the classroom. The results show that overall testing (quizzing) raises student academic achievement to a medium extent (g = 0.499). The magnitude of the effect is modulated by a variety of factors, including learning strategy in the control condition, test format consistency, material matching, provision of corrective feedback, number of test repetitions, test administration location and timepoint, treatment duration, and experimental design. The documented findings support 3 theories to account for the classroom testing effect: additional exposure, transfer-appropriate processing, and motivation. In addition to their implications for theory development, these results have practical significance for enhancing teaching practice and guiding education policy and highlight important directions for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Open Access Files - THE STANDARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

https://www.testingstandards.net/open-access-files.html

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Kevin S. McGrew,  PhD
Educational Psychologist
Director
Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP)
www.themindhub.com
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Executive function-related functional connectomes predict intellectual abilities - ScienceDirect

 Executive function-related functional connectomes predict intellectual abilities - ScienceDirect 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160289621000118

Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) refer to a range of cognitive control and regulation processes that coordinate thoughts and actions in a goal-directed way and are regarded as a hallmark of intellectual abilities. However, most studies have used a single measurement to explore the relationship between EFs and intelligence, and there is a lack of robust evidence to demonstrate the link between EF-related neural substrates and intelligence under an integrative framework. To address this issue, we employed a large sample (primary dataset, n = 881; hold-out dataset, n = 181) from the Human Connectome Project, which included high-quality MRI data and multiple EF and intelligence measurements. Based on a machine learning framework, we examined the predictive effect of EF-related functional connectivity(FC) on fluid intelligence (Gf) and crystallized intelligence (Gc) using a connectome-based predictive model. The results showed that all types of EF-related FCs (i.e., EF-common, updating-, shifting-, and inhibition-specific FCs) predicted novel subjects' Gf and Gc in the primary dataset and successfully generalized to the hold-out dataset. Additionally, EF-related FCs appeared to demonstrate better performance in predicting Gc. Identified predictive FCs revealed the domain-general and domain-specific connectivity patterns of EFs, and the network hubs were mainly located in the default mode, cognitive control, salience, and visual networks. These findings facilitate our understanding of the relation between multiple EF domains and intelligence from the perspective of network neuroscience, suggesting that different intellectual abilities and EFs share similar neural bases to some extent, which allows the link between EFs and intelligence to be revisited.

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Kevin S. McGrew, PhD
Educational & School Psychologist
Director
Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP)
https://www.themindhub.com
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The structure of working memory during childhood: a systematic review: Journal of Cognitive Psychology: Vol 0, No 0

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20445911.2021.1887199

ABSTRACT
There are many working memory (WM) models, generally formulated and developed in adults. Controversies arise as to whether such models are adequate conceptualizations of WM in children. The aim of the present study is to perform a systematic review of studies that evaluate the structure of WM during childhood. Databases (PubMed, Scopus) and article reference lists were reviewed, identifying 264 studies and including 14 in the review. These include participants between 4 and 15 years of age, with typical development, and they evaluated the structure of WM using confirmatory factor analysis. Results show that from 4 to 6 years onwards a structure composed of a domain-general executive component together with two domain-specific storage components (verbal, visuospatial) is identified, generally being the best fitting model. Limitations and potential contributions of the reported results are discussed.

Dr. Farmers CPA remote assessment slides

Ryan Farmer just tweeted a link to the set of slides he used for a remote assessment seminar last week sponsored by CPA.   I watched the seminar and found it very informative and balanced.  

	Ryan 🧑‍🌾 ⁦‪@rfarmer27‬⁩ For anyone who wants (what I think is) a balanced take on remote assessment, my slides from my talk with the ⁦‪@CPA_SCP‬⁩ are osf.io/ujdnf/   2/22/21, 3:53 PM

Download the Twitter app

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Kevin McGrew, PhD

Educational Psychologist

Director, Institute for Applied Psychometrics

IAP

www.themindhub.com

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Long-term stability of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–fifth edition scores in a clinical sample: Applied Neuropsychology: Child: Vol 0, No 0

 Long-term stability of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–fifth edition scores in a clinical sample: Applied Neuropsychology: Child: Vol 0, No 0 
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21622965.2021.1875827

Abstract
This study investigated the stability of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition (WISC-V) scores for 225 children and adolescents from an outpatient neuropsychological clinic across, on average, a 2.6 year test-retest interval. WISC-V mean scores were relatively constant but subtest stability score coefficients were all below 0.80 (M = 0.66) and only the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Visual Spatial Index (VSI), and omnibus Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) stability coefficients exceeded 0.80. Neither intraindividual subtest difference scores nor intraindividual composite difference scores were stable across time (M = 0.26 and 0.36, respectively). Rare and unusual subtest and composite score differences as well as subtest and index scatter at initial testing were unlikely to be repeated at retest (kappa = 0.03 to 0.49). It was concluded that VCI, VSI, and FSIQ scores might be sufficiently stable to support normative comparisons but that none of the intraindividual (i.e. idiographic, ipsative, or person-relative) measures were stable enough for confident clinical decision making.

Valuing Educational Measurement - Sireci - - Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice - Wiley Online Library

 Valuing Educational Measurement - Sireci - - Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice - Wiley Online Library 
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/emip.12415

Abstract

 The community  of educational measurement researchers and practitioners has made many positive contributions to education, but has also become complacent and lost the public trust. In this article, reasons for the lack of public trust in educational testing are described, and core values for educational measurement are proposed. Reasons for distrust of educational measurement include hypocritical practices that conflict with our professional standards, a biased and selected presentation of the history of testing, and inattention to social problems associated with educational measurement. The five core values proposed to help educational measurement serve education are: (a) everyone is capable of learning; (b) there are no differences in the capacity to learn across groups defined by race, ethnicity, or sex; (c) all educational tests are fallible to some degree; (d) educational tests can provide valuable information to improve student learning and certify competence; and (e) all uses of educational test scores must be sufficiently justified by validity evidence. The importance of these core values for improving the science and practice of educational measurement to benefit society is discussed.

Age-related nuances in knowledge assessment - ScienceDirect

 Age-related nuances in knowledge assessment - ScienceDirect 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289621000106?dgcid=author

Interesting hierarchy of knowledge (Gc)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289621000106?dgcid=author

Essentials of Psychological Tele-Assessment | Wiley

First book I've seen on this new topic. Looking forward to reading it.

https://www.wiley.com/en-cx/Essentials+of+Psychological+Tele+Assessment-p-9781119771890

Age and ability differentiation in children: A review and empirical investigation. - PsycNET

 Age and ability differentiation in children: A review and empirical investigation. - PsycNET 
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-14006-001

Abstract
Differentiation hypotheses concern changes in the structural organization of cognitive abilities that depend on the level of general intelligence (ability differentiation) or age (developmental differentiation). Part 1 of this article presents a review of the literature on ability and developmental differentiation effects in children, revealing the need for studies that examine both effects simultaneously in this age group with appropriate statistical methods. Part 2 presents an empirical study in which nonlinear factor analytic models were applied to the standardization sample (N= 2,619 German elementary schoolchildren; 48% female; age: M = 8.8 years, SD = 1.2, range 6–12 years) of the THINK 1–4 intelligence test to investigate ability differentiation, developmental differentiation, and their interaction. The sample was nationally representative regarding age, gender, urbanization, and geographic location of residence but not regarding parents' education and migration background (overrepresentation of children with more educated parents, underrepresentation of children with migration background). The results showed no consistent evidence for the presence of differentiation effects or their interaction. Instead, different patterns were observed for figural, numerical, and verbal reasoning. Implications for the construction of intelligence tests, the assessment of intelligence in children, and for theories of cognitive development are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Retest Reliability of Integrated Speed–Accuracy Measures - Tamar Bakun Emesh, Dror Garbi, Alon Kaplan, Hila Zelicha, Anat Yaskolka Meir, Gal Tsaban, Ehud Rinott, Nachshon Meiran, 2021

Retest Reliability of Integrated Speed–Accuracy Measures - Tamar Bakun Emesh, Dror Garbi, Alon Kaplan, Hila Zelicha, Anat Yaskolka Meir, Gal Tsaban, Ehud Rinott, Nachshon Meiran, 2021
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1073191120985609

Education and training guidelines for psychological assessment in health service psychology. - PsycNET

https://psycnet-apa-org.ezp2.lib.umn.edu/record/2020-85072-001

Abstract 

While recent survey findings suggest graduate programs in health service psychology (HSP) are allocating the same or increased time to education and training in psychological assessment over the last two decades, there is a lack of clear guidance for programs to implement practices associated with quality education and training. These Guidelines (found in full at https://www .apa.org/about/policy/guidelines-assessment-health-service.pdf) were developed to address this critical need. Developed by a task force of the American Psychological Association Board of Educational Affairs in 2018 and 2019, the Guidelines serve to inform faculty/supervisors, students, and the public as to quality practices associated with graduate education and training in psychological assessment. They are organized around seven domains: theory; psychological assessment process; psychometrics; tests and methods; ethics, legal issues, and professionalism; diversity; and supervision. These domains are drawn from a review of the scholarly literature on psychological assessment, as well as graduate psychology education and training. The domains and their associated Guidelines are interdependent, and, while some overlap exists among them, they should be considered in their entirety. While a summary of each section is provided in the present article, the full explanation of each domain is presented in the actual Guidelines document.

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Kevin S. McGrew, PhD
Educational & School Psychologist
Director
Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP)
https://www.themindhub.com
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