Off task - just struck me as funny

Off task - Harry Potter and government?

I've never read a Harry Potter book, nor have I seen any of the movies. But I know HP is a huge success. The Social Science Research Network has recently published information about a review in a forthcomming issue of the Michigan Law Review regarding the view of governement presented in the books. Who woulda thunk?

Elderly and activitation of the frontal lobe - positive news

From over on the Science Blog an encouraging article on the ability of elderly to activate the frontal lobes when facing challenging cognitive tasks.

Latest Nature Neuroscience papers posted

The latest Nature Neuroscience papers have been posted to their new blog. Very specific and technical stuff that is a bit more than esoteric for the readers of my blog. However, the readers of this blog might be interested in the article about the "Neural correlates of actual and predicted memory performance." Warning....access to the abstracts is all that is provided, unless you want to subscibe to their full article text service.

Quote to note: What is "normal?"

Ellen Goodman

• "Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for - in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it."

Tech tidbit: Firefox vs Int Explorer

Last year I switched form Bill's (as in Bill Gates) Internet Explorer web browswer to Firefox. I love it. Less gunky, more secure, etc. If you want more information, check out a post re: "Kill Bill's Browser."

Cognitive efficiency and cognitive load theory instruction

As more and more of us CHC-types integrate CHC abilities within an information processing framework, it is becomming clear to me that recent developments in Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) may have particular importance to helping us design instructional methods to better match the CHC/information processing characteristics of learners. In particular, anecdotal reports on various clinical listervs, as well as empirical research I've completed (as well as others - click here 1; click here 2), suggests that a person's "cognitive efficiency" (the combination of Gs and Gsm-Wm [working memory]) may have a major bearing on learning efficiency.

As I read the CLT literature, I can't help but see a connection between individual assessment information regarding a person's cognitive efficiency and the development of instructional approaches/materials based on CLT. Click here to read a good overview of CLT (the article listed below).


vanMerrienboer, J. J. G., & Sweller, J. (2005). Cognitive load theory and complex learning: Recent developments and future directions. Educational Psychology Review, 17(2), 147-177.

Abstract

Traditionally, Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) has focused on instructional methods to decrease extraneous cognitive load so that available cognitive resources can be fully devoted to learning. This article strengthens the cognitive base of CLT by linking cognitive processes to the processes used by biological evolution. The article discusses recent developments in CLT related to the current view in instructional design that real-life tasks should be the driving force for complex learning. First, the complexity, or intrinsic cognitive load, of such tasks is often high so that new methods are needed to manage cognitive load. Second, complex learning is a lengthy process requiring learnersrsquo motivational states and levels of expertise development to be taken into account. Third, this perspective requires more advanced methods to measure expertise and cognitive load so that instruction can be flexibly adapted to individual learnersrsquo needs. Experimental studies are reviewed to illustrate these recent developments. Guidelines for future research are provided.

Variables predictive of "multitasking"

Finally a study that confirms why I have always had problems making coffee while people talk to me in the morning. Without exception, my working memory becomes "maxed out" and I end up forgetting the grounds, water, or fail to turn the machine on. My less than optimal working memory, and morning-fog attenuated attention, makes multitasking more difficult for me. At least now my suspicions are confirmed. Considerable research over the past decade is identifying working memory as important to performance on a wide variety of human tasks that require complex mental processing (where complexity does not always mean abstract - it can simply be complex in terms of attentional and resource sharing demands on working memory--i.e., a task requires lots of mental juggling of stuff).

König, C. (2005). Working Memory, Fluid Intelligence, and Attention Are Predictors of Multitasking Performance, but Polychronicity and Extraversion are not. Human Performance, 18(3), 243–266

Abstract

• This study explored predictors of multitasking performance. Based on cognitive psychology research, attention and working memory were assumed to be predictors. Fluid intelligence, polychronicity (as the preference for multitasking and the belief that their preference is the best way to handle things), and Extraversion were argued to be additional predictors. Multitasking performance was measured with the scenari “Simultaneous capacity/Multi-tasking (SIMKAP)” (n = 122). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that working memory (Gsm-MW) was the most important predictor in addition to attention and fluid intelligence (Gf). The latter two constructs contributed significantly to the explained variance, but to a lesser extent. Polychronicity was not a significant predictor, nor was Extraversion. Implications for personnel selection and for time management are discussed.

The authors suggest a couple of potential practical implications:

• In terms of personnel selection, it implies that working memory tests could be used to select people for jobs that require a high amount of multitasking (e.g., pilots; see Maschke & Goeters, 1999). Even though using general mental abilities as a predictor is useful, the incremental validity of working memory in predicting multitasking performance beyond fluid intelligence provided support for an enhanced selection procedure.

• A second implication concerns time management because multitasking is a time-management strategy (cf. Britton & Tesser, 1991; König & Kleinmann, 2004). Although multitasking has a positive connotation in Britton and Tesser’s (1991) time-management questionnaire, time-management practitioners often advise against multitasking. For example, Mackenzie (1997) wrote “one thing at a time is enough for anybody to beworking on” (p. 122). Our results can offer a solution to this controversy: Multitasking might only be an effective time-management strategy for people with a large working memory capacity. However, if people are not aware of the working memory capacity (which is most likely to be the case in standard time-management training), time-management trainers might stay on the safe side and caution against multitasking as a time-management strategy.
  

The main contribution of this study to this literature is the linking of basic and applied multitasking research by showing that working memory, a construct deeply rooted in experimental cognitive psychology, is an important predictor of performance in a complex multitasking scenario.

Structure of mental speed (Gs/Gt) and causal effect on fluid reasoning (Gf)

Danthiir, V., Wilhelm, O., Schulze, R., & Roberts, R. D. (2005). Factor structure and validity of paper-and-pencil measures of mental speed: Evidence for a higher-order model? Intelligence, 33(5), 491-514.

An interesting article in Intelligence regarding the possible higher-order structure of mental speed (Gs/Gt) and it’s relation to fluid intelligence (Gf). The contemporary structural research I recently reviewed regarding Gs and Gt provides for a slightly different conclusion (click here for a summary).

The strong reported Gs-to-Gf causal path continues to support the notion that cognitive processing speed, and possibly the larger domain of cognitive efficiency (Gs + Working memory), is important for higher-order thinking. See prior causal research summary that suggests the Gs-to-Gf relation may be more complex than simple Gs-to-Gf.

Abstract

• This study explored the structure of elementary cognitive tasks (ECTs) and relations between the corresponding construct(s) with processing speed (Gs) and fluid intelligence (Gf). Participants (N = 321) completed 14 ECTs, 3 Gs, and 6 Gf marker tests, all administered in paper-and-pencil format to reduce potential confounds evident when tasks are presented using different media. Factor analysis of the ECTs resulted in a general mental speed factor, along with several task-class specific factors. General mental speed was indistinguishable from Gs and highly correlated with Gf. Significant correlations were also found between Gf and variance specific to task-class speed factors. The findings point to the non-unitary nature of mental speed and the potentially important role of specific speed factors for examining the relationship between speed and fluid intelligence.

Additional author comments from manuscript

• The first stated aim of the current study was to investigate the structure of cognitive speed, given there is no agreement in the literature as to whether cognitive speed is a unitary or a non-unitary construct.
• The current study does add support to the conceptualization of cognitive speed as a multi-dimensional construct.
• In confirmatory modeling of these tasks, a higher-order model incorporating a general mental speed factor and group factors specific to the Switching, OMO, Substitution, and Hick task classes fit the data well.
• Due to the preliminary and exploratory nature of this study, only some speculations regarding the substantive nature of the factors will be presented.
• One possibility is that the task-class specific variance reflects only method variance, as opposed to the speed of carrying out a particular cognitive process or processes not captured by the general speed factor.
• The second aim, as stated, was to assess the relation between general mental speed, as measured by the ECTs, and Gs. Of note regarding this aim is the very near perfect relationship found between the general mental speed factor of the ECTs and the Gs factor. As mentioned, in this study, Gs was assessed only by tests of Perceptual Speed, making it arguable as to whether this relationship holds in regard to the broad factor of Gs, or the narrower factor of Perceptual Speed.
• However, the structure of Gs is not well established, and as previously noted, Perceptual Speed is also considered to be a non-unitary factor (e.g., Ackerman et al., 2002; Ackerman & Cianciolo, 2000; French et al., 1963).
• The third aim of the current study was to examine the relationships between any mental speed factors which were identified and fluid intelligence. In the final structural model, the general mental speed factor was substantially correlated (r = 0.54) with Gf.
• One consideration that must be emphasized is that the size of the relationship between the speed factors and Gf may be overestimated in these results, due to the fact that time limits were imposed on the tasks used to assess fluid intelligence.

Quantoids corner - a note on g and the "method of correlated vectors"

FYI for the quantoid blogsters who do measurement and research with estimates of g (general intelligence). If any quantoid is up to it, please distill the essence of this article into a few sentences and post them to the "comments" section.

Ashtona, M. & Leeb,K.(2005). The problems with the method of correlated vectors. Intelligence, 33, 431–444

Ga, Glr, Gs and early reading - relative contributions and shared prediction variance

Although the conclusions of this study must be tempered by the small sample size, the study provides some interesting conclusions regarding the potential shared variance between some of the “hot” abilities that have been identified in the early reading literature. Of particular interest is the conclusion that the effect of RAN (Glr-NA) may be mediated via phonological processing (Ga-PC). The relative contribution of such CHC conceptualized abilities as Glr-NA, Gs, and Ga-PC to the prediction of reading are interesting to ponder.

Bowey, J., McGuigan, M. & Ruschena, A. (2005) On the association between serial naming speed for letters and digits and word-reading skill: Towards a developmental account Journal of Research in Reading, 28 (4) 400–422. [Click here to view entire article]

Abstract [Note - CHC ability codes inserted by blogmaster]

• The current study examined several alternative explanations of the association betwee serial naming speed within fourth-grade children by determining the extent to which the association between word reading [Grw-RD]and naming speed [Glr-NA]for letters and numbers is mediated by global processing speed (Gs], alphanumeric symbol processing efficiency and phonological processing ability [Ga-PC]. Children were given multiple measures of key constructs, i.e. word-level reading, serial naming of both alphanumeric and non-alphanumeric items, phonological processing ability, articulation rate and global processing speed. The robust association between alphanumeric naming speed and reading within fourth-grade children was largely mediated by phonological processing ability. Markedly different patterns of results were observed for naming speed for letters and digits and naming speed for colours and pictures in children of this age. Relative to the latter, alphanumeric naming speed better assesses an underlying phonological processing ability that is common to word-reading ability. We argue that item identification processes contribute little to individual differences in alphanumeric naming speed within relatively proficient readers and that the extent to which alphanumeric naming speed primarily reflects phonological processing is likely to vary with the level of overlearning of letters and numbers and their names.

Relative importance of Ga

• Overall, our findings suggest that phonological processing ability largely mediates the association between alphanumeric naming speed and reading within children who are beyond the earliest stages of reading acquisition. In our fourth graders, phonological processing ability explained 61% of variance in word reading. The major source of the variance shared by naming speed and word reading was phonological processing ability. Of the 21% of variance shared by alphanumeric naming speed and word reading, only 2% was independent of phonological processing ability; of the 8% of variance shared by non-symbol naming speed and word reading, only 2% was independent of phonological processing ability. However, alphanumeric naming speed shared 19% of variance with phonological processing ability but non-symbol naming speed shared only 6%. Given these findings, it follows that one or more components of the non-symbol naming task that contribute substantially to variance in naming speed are not shared with word reading, phonological processing ability or naming speed for letters and digits.

Relative importance of Gs

• Replicating previous work, we found that global processing speed was associated with word-reading ability. In our fourth-grade children, global processing speed explained 13% of variance inword reading However, although global processing speed largely mediated the association between non-symbol naming speed and word-reading skill, it did notmediate the association between word-reading skill and serial naming speed for lettersand digits; with global processing speed effects controlled, alphanumeric naming speed still explained 12% of additional variance in reading.

Relative importance of different Glr-NA measures/constructs

• Our findings revealed the clear need to distinguish between naming speed for letters and digits and naming speed for colours and pictures. Composite measures of alphanumeric and non-symbol naming speed were each significantly correlated with word-level reading, but the association was considerably stronger for alphanumeric naming speed. While naming speed for letters and digits shared 21% of variance with word reading, naming speed for colours and pictures of common objects shared only 8%. The tasks of rapidly naming letters and digits and colours and pictures obviously include the same sub-processes, and our composite measures of these tasks shared 41% of variance. Relative to rapidly naming non-symbol items, alphanumeric naming speed better assesses one or more underlying abilities or additional processing components common to word-reading skill. One candidate is some aspect of automatised orthographic processing (Bowers & Wolf, 1993). According to this view, alphanumeric naming speed predicts variation in word-reading skill independently of phonological processing ability. Indeed, this claim comprises a central argument in the rationale underlying the orthographic processing efficiency account (Bowers & Wolf, 1993; Bowers et al., 1994). Alphanumeric naming speed tasks require children to identify and name a continuous series of letters or single-digit numbers as fast as they can. Non-symbol naming speed tasks differ only in that children are required to name colour patches or pictures of familiar objects. Serial alphanumeric and non-symbol naming tasks thus differ primarily in the familiarity of the items to be identified and named. Letters and numbers are encountered far more frequently than line drawings of objects and within standard fonts are probably identified on the basis of a constrained set of features, making for automatised identification within children of this level of reading development. Our findings revealed quite different patterns of results for naming speed for letters and digits and naming speed for colours and pictures in children of this age. Relative to the latter, alphanumeric naming speed better assesses an underlying phonological processing ability that is common to word-reading ability. The variance shared by alphanumeric naming speed and word reading did not appear to reflect an independent orthographic processing ability. We argue that item identification processes contribute little to individual differences in alphanumeric naming speed within relatively proficient readers. The extent to which alphanumeric naming speed primarily reflects phonological processing is likely to vary with the level of over-learning of letters and numbers and their names, so that predictably different outcomes may be observed in beginning readers and within severely disabled readers.

Glr (tip of tongue) and ASL?

Interesting article on the tip-of-the-tongue phenomena and a similar finding in use of fingers in ASL (Thanks to the BPS blog)

Intelligence testing blog is taking off ?

The above graph shows the trend in blog readership of this blog. I'm happy to see that there has been a noticeable unpward trend in readership over the past few weeks. Can this mean that people are finding this blog useful? It does show that I've got some "regulars" (thanks to all of you).

This is reinforcing to an educational psychologist....concrete data-based feedback.

Please spread the word about this blog.....lets get more readers. If I can get a larger consistent regular readership I might then be able to rationalize spending even more time feeding the blog monster and possibly bringing on other contributors.

Spead the gospel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WISC-III WISC III

Gotchya.........I've noticed that the # one search phrase that directs people to my blog is "WISC-III." So...I've made this post just to try catch more traffic, in hopes that once people find this blog, they will become intrigued and will return with regularity.

Yep...the blogmaster can be sneaky :)

Meditation increases brain gray matter?

Hmmmm......fMRI research from prestigious universities suggests that meditation can increase gray matter in your brain. Caveat--n=20. Where the he___ am I going to find time to add meditation to my "aging slowly" strategy?????? It is hard enough to find time for recommended excercise.

Creativity (Glr) and biplor - "touched by fire" - what the blogmaster is reading

I've always been fascinated by the long-held belief that there is a link between 'creativity and madness" (I'm quoting others...don't jump on me for the PC-incorrect use of the word "madness"----just tagging off what has been said by others for years).

Over on the Science Blog is a post re: a new study that tends to support a link between bipolar and creativity. Interesting reading.

This post caught my eye as I'm currently in the middle of reading a book by one of my favorite mental health authors---Kay Redfield Jamison. Dr. Jamison is a psychiatarist who has bipolar disorder. She became well known with the publication of her biographical "The unquiet mind"...probably the best personal description I've read of the disorder from the inside. In addition to The Unquiet Mind, Dr. Jamison also has authored a book that explores the link between creativity and mental illness...."Touched by Fire."

The current book I'm reading is called "Exuberance: The Passion for Life." Reviews of the book have been great with the Washington Post Book World, Seattle Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Discover Magazine all describing it as "one of the best books of the year."

Dr. Jamison has a knack for exploring professional issues in a very readable and entertaining style.

Gender and dyslexia

Over on the Myomancy Blog is a post (and link to a complete 1998 Annals of Dyslexia article) re: dyslexia and gender.

Off task - the Blue Ball Machine

If you need a fun mental break, take a peak at the Blue Ball Machine. It is listed as the 19th top site (today) by Bloglines. It is fun.

CHC characteristics of neuropsychological tests

An interesting article by Schaie et al. (2005) in Aging, Neuropsychology & Cognition (click here to view and/or download...warning...it is close to 3 MB and might open/download slow if you are on a dial-up).

Of interest to quantoids who read this blog is the use of extension analysis to "project"the neuropsych measures into the factor space of well-known CHC factors (viz., factors defined by Thurstone's Primary Ability Tests). The figure posted in this note (double clicking on the figure will enlarge it for easier viewing) displays the factor loadings of the neuropsych measures (not the PAM/CHC measures used to define the factors) on the factors, which I have taken the liberty to label as per CHC terminology. Individuals using any of these neuropsych measures might find this information useful as traditionally neuropsych measures are typically not developed to measure pure latent constructs.

As would be expected, the authors concluded (and this is only one part of the purpose of the study) that most neuropsych measures are factorially complex...they measure more than one PAM/CHC ability. Of course, in their defense, the purpose of most neuropsych measures is not to measure pure latent constructs, but instead, is to help detect and describe brain-behavior relations.

Nature Neuroscience papers posted

The latest accepted Nature Neuroscience papers have been posted at the new Nature Neuroscience blog.

Quote to note - Science vs Poetry

Paul Dirac

"In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry, it's the exact opposite."

Off task - What does your birthday mean?

One of the top blogs today (as rated by Bloglines) is a site that allows you to enter your birtdate and get a description of your basic personality. Yes....this is horoscope material (aka....the Aunt Fanny effect.....if you write something general enough, it will even sound true for your Aunt Fanny).

Just for fun. According to this method, below is a description of you blogmaster :) Hmmmmm.

That is enough of a break...back to real science!

• You have a Type A personality so big it makes other Type A's shrink away in shame.
• You never shy away from adversity - and you love to tackle impossible problems.
• Failure is not an option for you, and more than a few people are put off by your ego.
• You tend to be controlling, and you hate leaving anything up to chance.
• Your strength: Your bold approach to life
• Your weakness: You don't accept help
• Your power color: Bronze
• Your power symbol: Pyramid
• Your power month: October

Statistics are useful - baseball and fantasy football

Who said statistics aren't useful! Check out a post at the Science blog re: prediction models for Cy Young winners in baseball. Now.....if only someone could help me predict the performance of the football players on my fantasy football team. I tried to develop prediction models many years ago for fantasy football...I could only predict, at a reasonable level, performance of kickers.

Simple math problems and Ga/executive function-research brief

Brief highlights from s journal article related to simple arithmetic (Gq) problems.

DeRammelaere, S., Stuyven, E., & Vandierendonck, A. (2001). Verifying simple arithmetic sums and products: Are the phonological loop and the central executive involved? Memory & Cognition, 29(2), 267-273.

• In two experiments, we investigated the role of the phonological loop and the central executive in the verification of the complete set of one-digit addition (Experiment 1) and multiplication (Experiment 2) problems. The focus of the present study was on the contradictory results concerning the contribution of the phonological loop in the verification of true problems (e.g., 8 + 4 a: 12 or 4 x 6 a: 24) reported until now. The results revealed that this slave system is not invoiced in verifying simple arithmetic problems, in contrast to the central executive. Furthermore, our results indicated that the split effect is due to the use of two different arithmetic strategies. 267

• Our data suggest that the phonological loop is not involved in the verification of false arithmetic problems or in the verification of true problems (e.g., 8 + 4 = 12 or 7 x 3 = 21). The latter finding is not in agreement with models that assume that basic arithmetic facts are stored in a language-dependent verbal form, like Dehaene's triple-code model (Dehaene, 1992; Dehaene & Cohen. 1995). 271

• The second conclusion concerns the contribution of central executive. Once more, it was found that a secondary task taxing executive processes interfered with the verification of simple arithmetic problems. 271

• Other studies also have shown that executive processes might be crucial in arithmetic. 271

Journal awareness - Lang Speech & Hearing Services in Schools

FYI. The professional literature in speech/language is increasing paying attention to Ga (auditory processing)-related disorders. In this case it is the journal - Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools. If you are a school psychologist you might want to visit with your speech/language colleagues re: the ability to borrow this journal with regularity.

If you visit the link above, you can view abstracts for past issues (current issue # 4 not yet posted) even if you are not an ASHA member. On-line copies of the full articles require ASHA membership


Record 1 of 8
Authors TP Hogan, HW Catts, TD Little
Title The relationship between phonological awareness and reading: Implications for the assessment of phonological awareness
Full source Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 2005, Vol 36, Iss 4, pp 285-293

Record 2 of 8
Authors D Sutherland, GT Gillon
Title Assessment of phonological representations in children with speech impairment
Full source Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 2005, Vol 36, Iss 4, pp 294-307

Record 3 of 8
Authors GT Gillon
Title Facilitating phoneme awareness development in 3-and 4-year-old children with speech impairment
Full source Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 2005, Vol 36, Iss 4, pp 308-324

Record 4 of 8
Authors A Nancollis, BA Lawrie, B Dodd
Title Phonological awareness intervention and the acquisition of literacy skills in children from deprived social backgrounds
Full source Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 2005, Vol 36, Iss 4, pp 325-335

Record 5 of 8
Authors TJ Swanson, BW Hodson, M SchommerAikins
Title An examination of phonological awareness treatment outcomes for seventh-grade poor readers from a bilingual community
Full source Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 2005, Vol 36, Iss 4, pp 336-345

Record 6 of 8
Authors BA Goldstein
Title From the editor
Full source Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 2005, Vol 36, Iss 4, pp 279

Record 7 of 8
Authors GT Gillon
Title Prologue - Phonological awareness: Evidence to influence assessment and intervention practices
Full source Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 2005, Vol 36, Iss 4, pp 281-284

Record 8 of 8
Authors GT Gillon
Title Clinical Forum - Epilogue - Phonological awareness: Effecting change through the integration of research findings
Full source Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 2005, Vol 36, Iss 4, pp 346-349

"Gut" feelings and Glr/memories

Interesting little study tidbit regarding "gut" feelings and accuracy of memory (Glr) retrieval from over at Cognitive Dailey.

Off task - Brain poem by Emily Dickinson

A little mental break for blog readers. A poem re: the brain by Emily Dickinson. Thanks to Mind Hacks for this post

Off task - email time capsules

If you need a break, check out the ability to create your own email time capsule.

Gender differences in driving-frontal lobes & estrogen?

Are women better drivers due to the infuence of estrogen on the frontal lobes? Inquiring minds want to know. This article would make for good cocktail chatter.

Dean Woodcock Sensory-Motor Battery

FYI for those doing neuropsychological clinical/research work.

I've been surprised how many folks are not aware of the Dean-Woodcock Sensory-Motor Battery. I'm not a neuropsychologist by training, but have tried to keep up with the assessment related literature. It has been my understanding that a major limitation of the typical sensory-motor tests (administered by neuropsych types) is that they typically represent an ad hoc collection of various tests developed by different folks, normed on different groups (often very small "normals"), etc. The DWSM battery seems to address some of these major measurement issues as the tests were based on a common sample. I would urge you folks to take a peak.

[Conflict of Interest Disclosure - I am a Riverside test author, namely, the Woodcock-Johnson III, and thus may benefit indirectly from sales of this battery. I do NOT receive any renumeration from DWSM battery sales]

Ga-PC/Glr-NA x Reading - significant aptitutde treatement interaction?

Don't the results of this study fall in the domain of a significant aptitude-treatment interaction(ATI)?

Allor, J. H., Fuchs, D., & Mathes, P. G. (2001). Do students with and without lexical retrieval weaknesses respond differently to instruction? Journal of Learning Disabilities, 34(3), 264-275.


Highlights from the article

[Note - adhoc translation to CHC terminology inserted by blogmaster]

• Two phonological processing variables that appear important in predicted future reading performance are phonetic awareness (Ga) nd lexical retrieval (Glr). 264

• Phonemic awareness (Ga-PC)refers to an understanding that words are made up of phonemes; lexical retrieval (Glr - NA?)is the retrieval of phonological codes from long-term memory. 264

• Both descriptive and experimental research suggests that students with deficits in lexical retrieval and phonemic awareness are at considerable risk for experiencing difficulty in learning to read. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness a phonemic awareness and decoding program for first-grade students demonstrating low phonemic awareness. Whereas all students demonstrated low phonemic awareness, their performance varied on lexical retrieval tasks. The reading development of students with relatively high lexical retrieval skill was compared to that of students with relatively low lexical retrieval skill. These comparisons were made to explore the hypothesis that students with weaknesses in both phonemic awareness and lexical retrieval experience greater difficulty in developing phonemic awareness and reading skill than do students who are weak in phonemic awareness alone. 265

• This study analyzed the effects of First-Grade PALS, a phonemic awareness decoding treatment. At the beginning of the study, all students demonstrated relatively low phonemic awareness. Approximately one half of these students also demonstrated relatively low lexical retrieval skill; about half demonstrated relatively high lexical retrieval skill. It was hypothesized that students with a higher level lexical retrieval would respond more favorably to treatment on measures of reading ability than students kith a lower level of lexical retrieval. 270

• We offer two provisional conclusions. First, lexical retrieval seems to influence the development of beginning reading independently of the influence phonemic awareness. This conclusion is consistent with the double deficit hypothesis proposed by several researchers (Blachman, 1994; Bowers & Wolf, 1993; Torgesen et al., 1994)-to wit, students weak in both phonemic awareness and lexical retrieval are at greatest risk for reading difficulty. 273

• Second, students stronger in lexical retrieval skill may respond more favorably to phonemic awareness and decoding training than those weaker in retrieval skills. 273

• In sum, our ESs suggest that the treatment may have helped those with higher levels of lexical retrieval increase their reading ability to a greater degree than it helped those with lower levels of lexical retrieval. A more intensive treatment might have made a stronger impact on students with lower levels of lexical retrieval. 273

• Second, because lexical retrieval appears to provide unique predictive information about the development of beginning reading subskills, precisely how it affects reading needs to studied. The existing evidence is equivocal. Lexical retrieval may differentially affect various reading subkills, or it may simply delay general reading development. Longitudinal information is needed. 274

Neuroscience databases site

For those with an interest in the neruosciences. I recently stumbled across a site (Society for Neurosciences - Brain Information Group) that provides a comprehensive listing (with URL links) to a ton of major neuroscience databases.

Vocabulary (Gc-VL) development in children

An informative article summarized (abstract and select material from intro and discussion) below re: cognitive abilities related to vocabulary (Gc-VL) development in children.

McBrideChang, C., Wagner, R. K., Muse, A., Chow, B. W. Y., & Shu, H. (2005). The role of morphological awareness in children's vocabulary acquisition in English. Applied Psycholinguistics, 26(3), 415-435.

Abstract (NOTE - the blogmaster has excercised his CHC editorial prerogative and has inserted relevant CHC ability notation were appropriate

• Tasks of speeded naming [Glr-NA), phonological awareness [Ga-PC], word identification (Grw-RD), nonsense word repetition (Grw-RD), and vocabulary (Gc-VL), along with two measures of morphological awareness (morphological structure awareness and morpheme identification), were administered to 115 kindergartners and 105 second graders. In the combined sample, 48% of the variance in vocabulary knowledge was predicted by the phonological processing and reading variables. Morphological structure awareness and morpheme identification together predicted an additional unique 10% of variance in vocabulary knowledge, for a total of 58% of the variance explained; both measures of morphological awareness were uniquely associated with vocabulary knowledge. Results underscore the potential importance of different facets of morphological awareness, as distinct from phonological processing skills, for understanding variability in early vocabulary acquisition.

Additional information from article

• Our working definition of morphological awareness is awareness of and access to the meaning and structure of morphemes in relation to words. Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in language. Carlisle (1995, p. 194) similarly defines morphological awareness as, “children’s conscious awareness of the morphemic structure of words and their ability to reflect on and manipulate that structure.” Our focus is on children’s abilities to distinguish and manipulate morphemes at the word level. This broad definition allows us, theoretically, to consider children’s knowledge of both derivations and inflections in language simultaneously. Derivational morphology includes knowledge of prefixes (e.g., the un in undisciplined or the pre in preoperational), suffixes (e.g., the ation in graduation or simulation), and compounding (e.g., cowboy and sunlight are both compound words). Inflectional morphology focuses primarily on indicating grammatical changes in words (e.g., the s in dogs or the ed in acted are both grammatical inflections).

• Like phonological processing, morphological awareness is likely comprised of multiple dimensions.

• We focused on two such dimensions that might ultimately be useful for understanding vocabulary growth because they can be assessed in very young children without using print.

• Morpheme identification is the ability to distinguish different meanings across homophones. This skill is demonstrated when a child understands that the flower in flowerpot is represented by a plant with petals as opposed to a sack of white powder (flour).
  

• A second aspect of morphological awareness, morphological structure awareness is the ability to create new meanings by making use of familiar morphemes. A child who understands that the famous concept of greater than one wug is represented by the word wugs, involving two morphemes, demonstrates morphological structure awareness skill.
  

• Across both groups of children, the combined tasks of morphological awareness were good predictors of vocabulary knowledge, even once phonological processing, word reading skill, and age were statistically controlled. These results have two interesting implications for future research. First, morphological awareness is a cognitive construct separable from phonological processing and reading skills and important for vocabulary acquisition. Second, both morpheme identification and morphological structure awareness are potentially unique features of vocabulary development.

Developmental aspects of children's attention & executive functioning

Over on the Eide Neurolearning blog is a post (and link to the actual article) re: an fMFRI study of the development of attention/executive control in children. Thanks to the EN blog---one of my favorites.

International Society for Intelligence Research (ISIR 2005) program now available

The conference program (including abstracts) for the 2005 ISIR conference (Dec 1-3 in Albequrque, NM) is now available for viewing. Once at the URL page link provided above, click on the 2005 program.

New NCSPM Progress Monitor newsletter posted

The latest issue of the NCSPM Progress Monitor newsletter is now available.

Visual system (Gv) information bottleneck research review

I just skimmed an interesting review article in Trends in Cognitive Sciences on the information processing bottleneck of the visual system (Gv?).

The abstract is posted below, plus some clarifying information from the introduction. The figure in this post represents the author neat attempt to summarize the research literature re: the areas of the brain associated with the three primary sources of the bottleneck (I like the way they graphically show the areas of the brain via the overlay of research study citations). If you double click on the image, your browser should present you with a larger more readable version.

Marois, R. & Ivanoff, J. (2005). Capacity limits of information processing in the brain Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 9(6), 296-305.

Abstract

• Despite the impressive complexity and processing power of the human brain, it is severely capacity limited. Behavioral research has highlighted three major bottlenecks of information processing that can cripple our ability to consciously perceive, hold in mind, and act upon the visual world, illustrated by the attentional blink (AB), visual short-term memory (VSTM), and psychological refractory period (PRP) phenomena, respectively. A review of the neurobiological literature suggests that the capacity limit of VSTM storage is primarily localized to the posterior parietal and occipital cortex, whereas the AB and PRP are associated with partly overlapping fronto-parietal networks. The convergence of these two networks in the lateral frontal cortex points to this brain region as a putative neural locus of a common processing bottleneck for perception and action.

Additional information from the introduction

• A rich history of cognitive research has highlighted three major processing limitations during the flow of information from sensation to action, each exemplified by a specific experimental paradigm. The first limitation concerns the time it takes to consciously identify and consolidate a visual stimulus in visual short-term memory (VSTM), as revealed by the attentional blink paradigm.This process can take more than half a second before it is free to identify a second stimulus.
• A second, severely limited capacity is the restricted number of stimuli that can be held in VSTM, as exemplified by the change detection paradigm.
• A third bottleneck arises when one must choose an appropriate response to each stimulus. Selecting an appropriate response for one stimulus delays by several hundred milliseconds the ability to select a response for a second stimulus (the‘psychological refractory period’).

g (general intelligence)-mania research

Still more hot debate on the topic of g (general intelligence) - click here for prior recent post that will direct you to recent postings on this blog.

Werner Wittman has joined the recent g-mania listserv chatter by offering up a 1997 paper he authored with Heinz-Martin SuB.

A copy can be viewed/downloaded by clicking here. The title is "Challening g-mania in intelligence research: Answers not given due to questions not asked."

To g or not to g ?

g (general intelligence) is a hot topic

It is interesting that during the past week (on the IAP CHC listerv) there has been an extended thread regarding the construct of g (general intelligence) and how it is operationalized in different intelligence batteries (click here for post re: this thread and a link to an important set of comments made by John Horn in 1999).

Today there has also been a focus on g on the NASP listserv, this thread dealing with the often reported finding that Gf maybe isomporphic with g.

Given the above, I realized that I've been remiss in reminding people of John "Jack" Carroll's final thoughts regarding the Gf-g relationship and Horn's anti-g position.

Jack's last formal publication (2003) was his chapter (The higher-stratum structure of cognitive abilities: Current evidence supports g and about ten broad factors) in Helmuth Nyborg (Ed.), The scientific study of general intelligence: Tribute to Arthur R. Jensen. Elsevier Science/Pergamon Press. In this chapter he analyzed various correlations matrices from the WJ-R.

Before his death and the publication of this chapter, Jack Carroll distributed a pre-publication copy of his chapter and allowed me to post it to the IAPCHC listserv archive folders. I'm now (click here) providing a link to a copy of the pre-pub draft for readers who do not have copies of Nyborg's text.

Of interest to the recent listserv threads are the following g-related comments by Jack Carroll (emphasis in italic added by this blogmaster). I do not pretend to speak for Dr. Carroll, but his last publishedchapter provides fairly specific statements regarding his g-thoughts at the time.

• "The results show that there is indeed a factor Gf (Fluid Reasoning) that is significantly separate and different from factor g, tending to disconfirm any view that Gf is identical to g."(p. 11 of pdf pre-pub chapter).

• Horn's comment suggests that he conveniently forgets a fundamental principle on which factor analysis is based (a principle of which he is undoubtedly aware)--that the nature of a single factor discovered to account for a table of intercorrelations does not necessarily relate to special characteristics of the variables involved in the correlation matrix; it relates only to characteristics or underlying measurements (latent variables) that are common to those variables. I cannot regard Horn's comment as a sound basis for denying the existence of afactor g, yet he succeeded in persuading himself and many others to do exactly this for an extended period of years." P.16-17 of pdf pre-pub chapter).
  

Resources for psych/cognitive science students

Some very good URL links for students (and faculty) in the areas of psychology and the cognitive sciences (e.g., 100 most influential cognitive science publications; classics in the history of psychology) over on the Mind Hacks. As stated in the BB post:

• "As the new academic year is in full flow, students might find themselves with a raft of information and little to paddle with. Mind Hacks has collected a list of favourite internet resources for mind and brain sciences students to help with getting yourselves ashore"

Keywords: Teaching tools

Executive function and autism

Over on the MyomancyBlog is a post about executive function and autism.

John Horn's comments on general intelligence (g)

Over on the IAP-CHC listserv there has been a spirited exchange on the existence of g and the strengths and weaknesses of different test g-scores. During the exchange, my friend and colleague, Dr. Sam Ortiz, resurrected (thanks Sam...youdaman!) two long comments made by John Horn (yes, the "H" in CHC theory) to an early version of the IAP-CHC listserv (in June of 1999).

I've taken that resurrected post, converted it to a pdf file, and have posted a link to this file (click here). This is an important informal communication from John Horn regarding his postion on g.

Mental time keeping

A very interesting post on the Science Blog re: the importance of mental/interval time keeping abilities in human performance. Why do I find this sooooo interesting?

Recently, Dr. Gordon Taub, Dr. Tim Keith and I received funding (yes...this means a potential $ conflict of interest....reader beware) to conduct an independent evaluation of the effects of a synchronized metronome tapping (SMT) intervention (Interactive Metronome) on academic performance. I was very skeptical of the potential benefits of a non-academic intervention on school achievement. However, the results were hard to dismiss.

When our positive findings were combined with the finding that SMT (IM in particular) has demonstrated significant effects across a very diverse array of human performance domains, we set out to review the literature to determine if a unified cognitive causal explanation might account for such findings (in a paper currently under review - Taub, McGrew & Keith - Improvements in Interval Time Tracking and Effects on Academic Achievement).

Low and behold...what literature did we identify as having the greatest chance to account for the positive intervention effects of SMT?- yep....mental/interval time keeping models research....ddodododododdodo (Twilight Zone music)!

A few tantilizing excerpts from our paper:

• From Abstract - This paper examines the effect of improvements in timing/rhythmicity on students’ reading and mathematics achievement. A total of 86 participants...completed pre- and post-test measures of reading and mathematics achievement from the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement, Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, Test of Word Reading Efficiency, , and Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency....Students in the experimental group participated in a 4 week intervention designed to improve their timing/rhythmicity by reducing the latency in their response to a synchronized metronome beat, referred to as a synchronized metronome tapping (SMT) intervention. The intervention required, on average, 15 daily 50 minute sessions, The results from this non-academic intervention indicate the experimental group’s post-test scores on select measures of reading and mathematics were significantly higher than the non-treatment control group’s scores at the end of 4 weeks.
  

• Many jobs and tasks require a critical sense of knowing how much time events or activities should take or how to internally judge intervals of time. This mental operation is often referred to as mental time keeping or interval timing. For example, proficient short-order cooks are master mental time/interval timers as they must prepare several different foods concurrently, each of which typically requires a different cooking time interval.


• Cognitive psychology’s interest in mental time-keeping has spanned decades. For example, cognitive differential psychologists first reported the identification of a temporal tracking.

• More recently, researchers in cognitive psychology studied the phenomenon of interval timing through the use of research paradigms that require individuals to maintain synchrony with auditory tones (e.g., from a metronome), also known as Synchronized Metronome Tapping (SMT).

• Recent mental time-keeper research studies have suggested a number of potentially useful applied applications across a diverse array of performance domains.

Ok....that's enough for now. I'm still a bit skeptical of the explanation for our findings, but I now have what might be called a healthy degree of positive skepticism. The article referenced in the Science Blog post leads me to believe that something important may lie in better understanding mental time keeping and related interventions. The original article can be viewed by clicking here.

Possibly more on this in the future.

Metacognition, Glr, and prefrontal lateral cortex

Also over on the Eide Neurolearning Blog - more information on the use of metacognitive strategies (e.g., chunking; organizing) in facilitating bettter Glr for acquired domains of knowledge (Grw, Gq, Gc, Gkn). At the bottom of the post are a number of links - the fMRI article, which implicates the prefrontal lateral cortex in the organization of memory, was particularly interesting (IMHO).

Some info on abilities of the gifted

For those interested in gifted individuals, the Eide Neurolearning Blog posted some information on the "evenness" of cognitive abilities in gifted individuals. A number of links to some related articles are included at the bottom of the post.

Expertise and Glr

Over on Cognitive Dailey is an interesting post about experts and memory that might relate to understanding the CHC domains of Glr (long-term storage and retrieval - getting stuff stored and later retrieved) and well-developed domain-specific knowledge (Gkn) and how it can improve performance.

American Academy of School Psychology - assessment position papers

FYI. For the school psychology readers of this blog.

If you are not yet aware of the important work of the American Academy of School Psychology, I would suggest you give their site a visit. Of particular interest, given all the NASP listserv chatter re: IDEA, RTI, the future of cognitive assessment, etc., are the following two position papers of the academy.

• ASPP Response to Report of the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education(Acrobat format) 9/17/02

• ASPP Statement on Comprehensive Evaluation for Learning Disabilities (Acrobat format) 2/21/04

Test accommodations workshop - for kids with disabilities

FYI. I just receieved notice regarding the following assessment related conference on March 19-21, 2006.

• "Accommodating Students with Disabilities on State Assessments: What Works?" in Charleston, SC. Conference co-sponsored by ETS, the College Board, Council for Exceptional Children, and the National Institute for Urban School Improvement.

No registration information is currently available. If you are interested, monitor the ETS Conference Calendar page.

WJ III CHC test classifications - revised & updated

I just posted a new document that provides my revised/updated CHC classifications of the WJ III cognitive and achievement tests. The document also includes the most current working list of CHC abilitiy definitions as outlined in a chapter in Flanagan and Harrison's CIA 2nd edition (online version of the chapter is availble here).

Left click to view online and right click to download to your hard drive. Enjoy.

CHC, intelligence, neuropsychology, clinical diagnosis research reports available

The following 13 brief research reports have been posted to the Woodcock-Munoz Foundation (WMF) Programs of Research/Bulletin Board. More will follow. Reports can either be viewed online or downloaded to your hard drive.

Conflict of interest disclosure: I, the blogmaster of this blog, am employed by the WMF as Research Director. None of the opinions expressed on this blog reflect the position of the WMF.

• Children with Mild Mental Retardation: Characteristics of Performance on Measures of CHC Broad Cognitive Abilities (2003)

• Ability Profiles of Children with Low and High Reading Comprehension Ability: The Importance of General and Specific Aptitudes (2004(

• Explaining Reading Comprehension Across Childhood, Adolescence, and Early Adulthood is Somewhat Simple (2004)

• Joint Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System and the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (2004)

• Relations Between Executive Function Measures and Measures of the g Factor (2004)

• Woodcock-Johnson III Factor Clusters: g Loadings and Specificity (2005)

• Confirmatory Factor Analysis of CHC Theory with a Neurologically Impaired Sample (2005)

• Are Similar Achievement Deficits Caused by Different Cognitive Processing Profiles for Individuals with ADHD and TBI? (2005)

• Can Sensory and Motor Skills Successfully Differentiate Patients with CVA's from Patients with TBI's? (2005)

• Sensory Motor Differences in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury (2005)

• Classification and Regression Tree Analysis of Individuals with ADHD (2005)

• Predicting Cognitive Processing Abilities Using Construction Tasks from a Neurologically Impaired Sample (2005)

• Differential Cognitive Processing Performance of Children with ADHD and Learning Disabilities (2005)

Predictive validity of cognitive tests in the UK - job performance

As reported on the British Psychological Society (BPS) Research Digest Blog. Meta-analytic support for the value of cognitive tests in predicting job performance

As reported at the blog:

• "The researchers found cognitive tests strongly predicted employees’ work and training performance, across all different job types investigated: clerical, engineer, professional, driver, operator, manager and sales. Both general mental ability tests and more specific tests (e.g. perceptual tests) predicted job performance. There was a tendency for the tests to be stronger predictors of performance for more complex jobs. The authors said: “Practitioners may believe, and indeed may have experienced, that such tests are less popular for senior appointments due to a misbelieve that they lack job-related validity; the results of our meta-analysis on a large sample of UK occupational groups strongly refutes this erroneous belief”.

Texas Hold'em and CHC cognitive abilities

It was inevitable given the popularity of Texas Hold'em poker. Someone is now attempting to hypothesize about the importance of g (general intelligence) and specific broad CHC abilities (e.g., Gf and Gc) in poker aptitude.

Maybe I should develop a poker aptitude battery based on CHC theory and make a bundle on money selecting Texas Hold'em prodigies.

Keywords: CHC teaching tool Gf Gc

Mandatory intelligence testing in schools ?

I never thought I'd see the day where a person (Thomas Bixler) running for political office (Congress in South Dakota) has suggested mandatory intelligence testing for all children in schools! As noted at the South Dakota War College Blog, Bixler's position is presented as:

• Children should learn on certain grade levels based on personal intellect, therefore we should have mandatory intelligence testing for all students.

Didn't we try this decades ago with group IQ tests and tracking? Even I, a scholar of intelligence research and a coauthor of an intelligence battery (WJ III; Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability--Third Edition) do not believe that intelligence tests are that powerful and accurate (see my prior Forrest Gump post and report).

Can anyone say "South Dakota School Psychologists Full Employment Act?"

Gf (Induction) rule learning and brain function

Thanks to the Eide Neurolearning blog for a post (and link to pdf copy of original article) regarding new fMRI research that sheds possible light on regions of the brain possibly involved in rule-learning (aka., Gf-Induction in the land of CHC theory)

Executive function card game? Set?

Interesting post on the Brain Blog (thanks) regarding the game "Set" which, according to the Brain Blog, seems to call for a good dose of healthy frontal lobe functioning.

Tech tidbit: Google base - free online database

I haven't checked it out yet, but the blogsphere is buzzing about a new on-line free database service from Google. If any blog readers try it, please check back and make report via the comment box.

Autism, executive functioning and fMRI research

As seen over on the Science Blog - new fMRI research on the relations between autism and executive functioning.

In defense of psychological testing

Another "blast from the past" article that I'd like to share, as one who has spent much of his career developing, administering, interpreting, or investigating psychological tests (esp. intelligence tests). All emphasis added by this blog's (benevolent) dictator :)

Meyer, G. J., Finn, S. E., Eyde, L. D., Kay, G. G., Moreland, K. L., Dies, R. R., Eisman, E. J., Kubiszyn, T. W., & Reed, G. M. (2001). Psychological testing and psychological assessment: A review of evidence and issues. American Psychologist, 56(2), 128-165.

In 1996 the American Psychological Association's (APA) Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) established a Psychological Assessment Work Group (PAWG) to (a) evaluate contemporary threats to psychological and neuropsychological assessment services and (b) assemble evidence on the efficacy of assessment in clinical practice. Based on the review of this group, it was concluded that “there substantial evidence to support psychological testing and assessment.”
The group put the strength of psychological testing correlations into perspective via comparisions with other correlations (e.g., in medicine) that have resulted in signficant policy and health decisions. A few examples from the paper:

• Taking aspirin on a regular basis helps to reduce the risk of dying from a heart attack (r = 0.02)
• Impact of chemotherapy on breast cancer survival (r = .03)
• The association between a major league baseball player's batting average and his success in obtaining a hit in a particular instance at bat (r = .06)
• The value of antihistamines for reducing sneezes and a runny nose (r = .11)
• The impact of Viagra on improved sexual functioning (r = .38)

The APA PAWG group further concluded:

• In many respects, these findings highlight how challenging it is to consistently achieve uncorrected univariate correlations that are much above .30.

• For those who may be inclined to square the values and feel discouraged, we recommend an alternative, which is to re-conceptualize effect size magnitudes.

• Instead of relying on unrealistic benchmarks to evaluate the findings…it seems that psychologists studying highly complex human behavior should be rather satisfied when they can identify replicated univariate correlations among independently measured constructs that of the magnitude observed for antihistamine effectiveness (r = .11: Table 1, Entry 16), college grades and job performance (r = 16; Table 1, Entry 24), or criminal History and recidivism (r= .18; Table 1, Entry 29). Furthermore, it appears that psychologists generally should be pleased when they can attain replicated univariate correlations among independently measured constructs that approximate the magnitude seen for gender and weight (r = .26; Table 1, Entry 39), reliability and validity (r = .33; Table 1, Entry 47), or elevation above sea level and daily temperature (r = .34; Table 1, Entry 48). Finally, psychologists probably should rejoice when they find replicated evidence that uncorrected univariate correlations are of the same magnitude as those observed for gender and arm strength (r = .55. Table 1, Entry 58) or for latitude and and daily temperature (r = .60; Table 1, Entry 59).
  

• The validity coefficients found for psychological tests frequently exceed the coefficients found for many of the medical and psychological interventions. Taken together, the extensive array of findings offers compelling support for the value of psychological testing and assessment

More importantly, the APA PAWG group stated (emphasis added by blogmaster)

• Although psychological tests can assist clinicians with case formulation and treatment recommendations, they are only tools. Tests do not think for themselves, nor do they directly communicate with patients. Like a stethoscope, a blood pressure gauge, or an MRI scan, a psychological test is a dumb tool, and the worth of the tool cannot be separated from the sophistication of the clinician who draws inferences from it and then communicates with patients and other professionals

• Formal assessment is a vital element in psychology's professional heritage and a central part of professional practice today. This review has documented the very strong and positive evidence that already exists on the value of psychological testing and assessment for clinical practice. We have demonstrated that the validity of psychological tests is comparable to the validity of medical tests and indicated that differential limits on reimbursement for psychological medical tests cannot be justified on the basis of the evidence.

Importance of crystallized intelligence (Gc)

I've started strolling through my e-notes for articles I have read over the past few years and thought I'd post some of the more interesting tidbits and quotes. Here is one I enjoyed from Earl Hunt re: the neglect of Gc (crystallized intelligence; comprehension-knowledge) as an active area of research by many intelligence scholars. I liked the metaphor.

Hunt, E. (2000). Let's hear it for crystallized intelligence. Learning and Individual Differences, 12(1), 123-129.

• Gc is the wallflower of the intellectual trio. Researchers want to go dancing (or to be less lyrical) to understand Gf and Gv. After all, is it not more important to study things that are fluid and dynamic than to study something that is crystallized and just sits there in memory? Besides, if Gf and g are identical, studying Gf kills two birds with one stone. Studies of Gv can be justified by dramatic examples of its importance in glamorous situations (e.g., aviation) or because of its fairly close ties to biology, and especially male-female differences. Like the wallflower it is, Gc languishes in the corner. How can you start a controversy about who acquires and uses culturally defined problem-solving methods? Who, but a few educators, are interested in such nearsighted, bookish behavior?

• Offering the wallflower metaphor for the very last time in this paper, I think that it is time for researchers to ask Gc to put away the horn-rimmed glasses, put on a party dress, and take turn on the dance floor. Understanding the nature of Gc is as important to the study of intelligence as finding Cinderella was to the Prince.

Free software - OpenOffice 2.0 ready for download

Tech break.

If you are tired of paying for Windows software and want to try a free open source suite of programs, you may want to know the OpenOffice 2.0 has been officially released and is available for download. When I can find the time I plan to try some of the modules.

Have any readers of this blog tried this open-source suite of programs? If you have, please share your reactions via the "comment" feature.

Brain-Mind Institute and IBM to build virtual brain

Thanks to the Neurodes for the FYI post regarding a collaborative effort between the Brain Mind Institute and IBM (and their Blue Gene Super Computer) to build a computer-based model of the circuitry of the neocortex. Here is a brief explanatory blurb from the IBM Press room

• "Over the next two years scientists from both organizations will work together using the huge computational capacity of IBM's eServer Blue Gene supercomputer to create a detailed model of the circuitry in the neocortex -- the largest and most complex part of the human brain. By expanding the project to model other areas of the brain, scientists hope to eventually build an accurate, computer-based model of the entire brain."

Neruo knowledge management software

Interesting post on the Brain Blog about a post by the Neurodudes regarding knowledge management software for neuroscientists.

Off task - pleasure reading: Top 100 novels

If you are looking for some pleasure reading in the form of a "top 100" English-speaking novel (since 1923), as designated by NY Times critics Lev Grossman and Richard Lacayo, check out this link.

Neurobiology of Intelligence review article

Thanks to the Eide Neurolearning blog for posting information re: an interesting review article on the Neurobiology of Intelligence. According to the ENL blog post:

• "Here's a review which seeks to reconcile current information about the biology intelligence with the extensive psychological literature that precedes it. Intelligence appears to be influenced by nature (genetics) as well as nurture (environment)"

At the bottom of the blog post they provide a link to a pdf copy of the article for those who want to read it. The colorful graphics are worth a peak.

Growth of the blogosphere- doubles every 5 months

An interesting report (with a number of interesting graphs....for those with a Gv preference) on the growth of blogging over at Sifry's Alerts.

Here is a snippet from the complete report:

• "Well, first, the basics. The chart below (above in this blog post) shows the continued growth of the blogosphere. Technorati is now tracking 19.6 Million weblogs, and the total number of weblogs tracked continues to double about every 5 months. This trend has been consistent for at least the last 36 months. In other words, the blogosphere has doubled at least 5 times in the last 3 years. Another way of looking at it is that the blogosphere is now over 30 times as big as it was 3 years ago"

Webblog usability - if you want to start blogging

Some interesting and useful information on how to design useful webblogs from Jackob Nielsen. I think I need to read and follow some of these ideas in this blog.

Continuous math progress monitoring materials from NCSPM

The National Center on Student Progress Monitoring just posted the training materials (PPT slides, handouts, manuals) form the 2005 Summer Institute on Student Progress Monitoring (July 7-8, 2005). The following descriptions come from their web page.

The second annual Summer Institute focused on using Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) in mathematics. A full day was dedicated to learning how to implement, score, and graph probes in mathematics, as well as how to interpret the data for decision making purposes. In addition, breakout sessions on the following topics were held: administrative issues relating to CBM implementation; introduction to using CBM in reading; and advanced applications of using CBM in reading. All presentation materials from the 2005 Summer Institute follow below.


Using Curriculum-Based Measurement for Progress Monitoring in Mathematics

• Lynn S. Fuchs and Douglas Fuchs, Tracey Hall, John Hintze, Michelle Hosp, Erica Lembke, Laura Sáenz, & Pamela Stecker

• This inclusive package contains an instruction manual on how to implement CBM in Mathematics. The handouts contain examples that are referenced in the manual. A companion PowerPoint presentation is included to help you share this information with others in your state, district, or school.

Monitoring Student Progress: Administrative Issues History of Using Progress Monitoring in Minneapolis Schools

• Doug Marston & John Hintze

• This session discusses issues related to successfully implementing CBM at the school or district level, including administrative leadership and support for staff. In addition, you will learn how CBM can be used in early intervention and response-to-intervention models, and how it can help you keep your school or district on track for achieving Adequate Yearly Progress.

Introduction to CBM in Reading

• Michelle K. Hosp & Laura Sáenz

• This session will provide hands-on training in CBM Reading. You will learn how to administer, score, and interpret CBM probes for grade levels K-5, including letter sound fluency, word identification fluency, passage reading fluency, and maze fluency.

Advanced Applications of CBM in Reading: Instructional Decision-Making Strategies

• Pamela M. Stecker, Ph.D. & Erica S. Lembke, Ph.D.

• This session is intended for those who participated in the 2004 Summer Institute on CBM Reading, those who have been trained in CBM Reading, or those who are currently implementing CBM Reading. Advanced issues to be covered include interpreting CBM reading data, and using the data to inform instructional decisions and select appropriate interventions.

Blood test for brain injury?

As posted on the Science blog....possible blood test for detecting brain injury

Quote to note: Facts and hypotheses

Edward Teller

• "A fact is a simple statement that everyone believes. It is innocent, unless found guilty. A hypothesis is a novel suggestion that no one wants to believe. It is guilty, until found effective."

There is a god (g)

There is a god (g)!!!!

How else can I explain the fact, that on the same day, I received my five "I'm an IAPCHC Listserv Lurker" shirts AND a complimentary copy of Tim Keith's (bound to be a classic and soon to be added to Oprah's book club) new "Muliple Regression and Beyond."

Life is good.

Prefontal lobe & executive function webcast

Thanks to the Brain Blog for the tip about a Webcast by Dr. Daniel Weinberger about COMT, Prefrontal Lobe, and Executive Function

Ind. differences in reading rate development - JEP fyi

Development of Individual Differences in Reading: Results From Longitudinal Studies in English and Finnish. by Parrila, Rauno; Aunola, Kaisa; Leskinen, Esko; Nurmi, Jari-Erik; Kirby, John R. from Journal of Educational Psychology. 2005 Aug Vol 97(3) 299-319

• The authors examined individual differences in reading development in English and Finnish. English-speaking Canadian children were assessed once per year in Grades 1-5, and Finnish children were assessed twice per year in Grades 1-2. Results from latent growth curve and simplex analyses showed that initial status was generally negatively associated with subsequent growth and that, although stable, individual differences were more likely to significantly decrease than to increase across the measurement points. Growth mixture models identified multiple groups of children whose reading development followed distinct patterns. The results indicate that it is possible for educational systems to significantly reduce individual differences in basic reading skills during early reading development.

ISIR Intelligence Conf - Dec 1-3, 2005

The Sixth Annual Conference of the International Society for Intelligence Research (ISISR) is being held Dec1-3, 2004, In Albuquerque, MN. Follow link to ISIR page where you can download a pdf file with registration information.

Components of executive function in TBI

Over on the Brain Blog is an abstract of an article dealing with the components of executive functioning in TBI.

Executive function in early childhood - journal issue

Recent Developmental Neuropsychology journal devoted to executive functioning in early childhood.

Record 1 of 7
Authors C Blair, PD Zelazo, MT Greenberg
Title The measurement of executive function in early childhood
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 561-571

Record 2 of 7
Authors MR Rueda, MI Posner, MK Rothbart
Title The development of executive attention: Contributions to the emergence of self-regulation
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 573-594

Record 3 of 7
Authors SA Carlson
Title Developmentally sensitive measures of executive function in preschool children
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 595-616

Record 4 of 7
Authors C Hughes, R Ensor
Title Executive function and theory of mind in 2 year olds: A family affair?
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 645-668

Record 5 of 7
Authors KA Espy, R Bull
Title Inhibitory processes in young children and individual variation in short-term memory
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 669-688

Record 6 of 7
Authors D Hongwanishkul, KR Happaney, WSC Lee, PD Zelazo
Title Assessment of hot and cool executive function in young children: Age-related changes and individual differences
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 617-644

Record 7 of 7
Authors A Diamond, SM Carlson, DM Beck
Title Preschool children's performance in task switching on the dimensional change card sort task: Separating the dimensions aids the ability to switch
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 689-729

Ga selective attention and the brain

Over on the Science blog is an interesting article related to audtiory selective attention (cocktail party phenomena).

If I can throw a CHC lens on the article, the findings may relate to the Ga narrow ability of Resistance to Auditory Stimulus Distortion (UR) [Ability to overcome the effects of distortion or distraction when listening to and understanding speech and language].

Brain's needed

Want your brain to keep on contributing once you pass away? Not quite "on target" for the main focus of this blog, but interesting.

National Center Student Progress Monitoring - monthly newsletter

The National Center on Student Progress Monitoring has published its first monthly on-line newsletter. Interested readers should check out the site for each new newsletter.

Conflict of interest discloure. I am a member on NCSPM National Advisory Committee.

Scientific American's Science & Technology Web Awards 2005

Thanks to the Brain Blog for pointing to Scientific American's Science and Technology Web 2005 Awards. I have recently started monitoring one that is mentioned....Mind Hacks and plan to add a few more to those on my blogline feeds. For some cool fMRI stuff, take a peak at the Harvard Whole Brain Atlas site. I'll send out FYI's to my blog when I find things of interest.

Glr and computer passwords - Glr overload?

As found on the Brain Blog - an interesting article about Glr overload due to increasing number of passwords we all need to remember.

A bit off-task: Non-invasive neuroprosthetics

Over on Mind Hacks is a brief note regarding an article in Nature that "reports that by simply recording the brain's electrical signals from electrodes on the scalp, researchers have enabled trained participants to reliably control computer equipment, a feat normally associated with physical implants in the brain."

More information at the MH site.

Quote to note: Million monkeys and the internet

Robert Wilensky

• "We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true."

MIT tackles autism

FYI. From the Science Blog. MIT tackles autism.

Gender differences and Raven's test - in press article

Mackintosh, N. & Bennett, T. (in press) What do Raven’s Matrices measure? An analysis in terms of sex differences, Intelligence.

Abstract

• Although it is sometimes claimed that Raven's Matrices provide an almost pure measure of that the easier items in the Standard Progressive Matrices and in Set I of the Advanced Matrices measure a perceptual or Gestalt factor distinct from the more analytic items in the rest of the tests. What one intelligence test measures: A theoretical account of the processing in the Raven's Progressive Matrices Test. published data suggests a new source of evidence for this further distinction: males do better than females on items requiring an addition/subtraction or distribution of two rule, but there is no sex difference on items requiring pairwise progression or distribution of three rules. A specially designed experiment confirmed this pattern of results.

Off task - just struck me as funny