Ppt 1/2 Flashcards
What is a construct
- Constructs are hypothetical, can’t be touched
- Variables that are not directly observable, they represent behavioral tendencies or complex patterns of behavior and internal processes
- We can’t see it but we can see evidence or symptoms of a construct
Ex of Constructs
intelligence, anxiety, color blindness, schizophrenia, border line personality disorder
Ex: depression
Can see sad affect, but not actual depression
Ex of NOT constructs
Emotional intelligence– not a distinct construct even though its really popular
Type A personality
These are useful/heuristics we can understand
Constructs- what we do
We sometimes create constructs where there are none.
- We lump things together and don’t see distinct constructs
Popper quote
Goal is to “carve nature at its joints”
-discerning what makes up intelligence
- To know is it ‘this’ or ‘that’
Testing Definition
“the process of measuring psychologically related variables by means of devices or_ procedures designed to obtain a sample of behavior”
Testing
Used to assess constructs
Key to testing: a sample of behavior
“Tests are tools. In the hands of a fool or an unscrupulous person they become pseudoscientific perversions” (Tyler, 1962)
Fundamental Attribution Error
an individual’s tendency to attribute another’s actions to their character or personality, while attributing their behavior to external situational factors outside of their control
Assessment Definition
gathering and integration of psychology-related data for the purpose of making a psychological evaluation.
accomplished through the use of tools such as tests, interviews, case studies, behavioral observation, and specially designed apparatuses and measurement procedures”
Assessment vs testing
Broader concept, not as focused on measuring but instead focuses on understanding ct
We do tests, behavioral observations, interviews to draw conclusion and try to understand
Why Do Assessment? 7 reasons
- Identify or clarify a problem
- Determine the best environment for a person
- Advance justice
- Aid in matching people to opportunities
- Help someone better understand themselves
- short term therapeutic intervention
- *To protect against bias / human thinking errors
Acronym for: why do assessment
Think: Juice drink during as assessment
Perry
Enjoys
Juice
On
Unusual
Saturday
Brunches
Problem
Environment
Justice
Opportunities
Understand
Short Term intervention
Bias
Thinking Error- Altering Information
We tend to alter information if it contradicts our beliefs
Find some way to hold onto underlying belief
Thinking Error - Confirmation Bias
Ask question that might confirm our assumption
How to manage thinking errors
*Mindfulness
*Self observation
*Willingness to have 6th Sense Experiences
*Nomothetic measures can be helpful/essential
Our best defense against inaccurate conclusions
Using valid & reliable measures
Guard against bias/blindspots
Using multiple methods of measuring
Blend the various strengths and weaknesses every instrument inevitably has
incremental validity (aka efficient use)
Incremental validity is a type of validity that is used to determine whether a new psychometric assessment will increase the predictive ability beyond that provided by an existing method of assessment
Attributes of a Good Test
CLEAR-V acronym
- CLear instructions for administering, scoring and interpreting
*Efficient use (incremental validity)
*Accurate
*Reliability–consistency
*Validity–measures what it purports to measure
Take Aways from Assessment
*Do no harm (non-malfeasance)
*Do good (beneficence)
*Promote autonomy (informed consent)
- Be just (be fair)
New Measures in Assessment
Wartegg Drawing Completion (CWS)
Adult Attachment Projective
Thurston Cradock Test of Shame
Domains of assessment
*Personality assessment (traits and states)
*Intellectual assessment
*Neuropsychological assessment
*Vocational assessment
How are assessment scores impacted by other variables??
Ex: anxiety, cooperativeness, level of distress, luck, etc
BUT
research shows that most of these influences usually account for only a small part of the score variance
What is a major goal of psych assessment
To reduce/eliminate errors, misattributions,
mistakes in characterizations, inaccurate conclusions, etc.
How to reduce error.misattributions/ mistakes/innacurate conclusions in a test? (14)
Use valid & reliable measure
Use multiple methods of measuring
Be aware of thinking errors: anticipate making mistakes
Consider nature of data- what does it mean: (strengths, weaknesses, peculiarities)
Integrate conflicting data
Consider motivations/env of testing
Be sure you can systematically identify characteristics of
condition under consideration
Test indicators & their absence should be directly linked to these characteristics
Reconcile testing results with history
Systematically revise your impressions by considering data that temper your hypothesis
Make predictions of rare events sparingly
Use empirically validated, statistically derived algorithms when available
Use validity scales and symptom validity measures for distortions
Consider and profit from client feedback
Assessment Feedback
now in code of ethics as mandatory
What is intelligence
a construct, but not a unitary construct
Open to misuse because it’s a construct
Intelligence definition
It is a general label for a group of processes that are
inferred from observable behaviors.
It is framed in different
philosophical assumptions, political agendas, social
issues, and legal restriction
Italics: Weschler definition of intelligence
“a global concept that involves an
individual’s ability to act purposefully,
think rationally, and deal effectively
with the environment.”
Italics: Sternberg definition of intelligence
“the mental abilities necessary for adaption to, as well as shaping and selection of, any environmental
context.”
Italics: Gottfredson definition of intelligence
“Intelligence involves the ability to reason, plan,
solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend
complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from
experience. It is not merely book learning, a narrow
academic skill, or test-taking smarts. Rather it
reflects a broader and deeper capability for
comprehending our surroundings– ”catching on,” “making sense”, of things, or “figuring out” what to do (p. 13).
Common definitional aspects of intelligence
- Abstract thinking
- Learning from experience
- Solving problems through insight
- Adjusting to new situations
- Focusing and sustaining one’s abilities to achieve a desired goal
Intelligence quotient calculation
Mental Age= MA
Chronological age= CA
MA-CA= intelligence
Binet- Italics
originally made score for placing kids in appropriate level classes
Stanford Binet– when he developed another test with Turman at Stanford University
Terman reconceptualized the marker
IQ = MA/CA x 100
» still a problem (MA levels off)
Are intellectual disabilities/genius realities?
Yes
intelligence is complicated
intelligence is a viable construct– intellectual disabilities and genius are realities
is intelligence a viable construct?
Yes
why is it important for psychologists to know about intelligence?
Important to know the state of knowledge in order to not misuse cognitive testing
What are the domains of psych assessment
Personality assessment (traits and states)
Personality assessment (traits and states)
Intellectual assessment
Neuropsychological assessment
Vocational assessment
True ability or characteristics in scores can be influenced by which factors (12)
Test anxiety
Willingness to cooperate
Level of distress
Depression or psychosis
Hunger
Bathroom needs
Sleep deprivation
Tendency to agree or disagree
Prior experience with the test or coaching
Luck
Examiner Skills
Interaction between examiner/ test-taker
(personal characteristics of examiner influence interaction)
Why is it important to minimize other factors that can impact scores
to maximize the influence of the intended construct
What are the 4 major traditions in approaching intelligence?
psychometric approaches
information processing approaches
Neuro biological Approaches
Developmental Approaches
What is the value of theories?
Allows us to discuss aspects of a construct not previously accessible
depth and breadth of understanding
Useful in certain predictions
Motivate effort to operationalize theory
what do the 4 major traditions of measuring intelligence represent?
different aspects of investigation– think of elephant metaphor
To understand how each tradition understands intelligence differently and what each tradition has to add??
psychometric approach to intelligence
assumes intelligence is a trait in which there are individual differences that are normally distributed
it all started with Alfred Binet
Two factor theory of intelligence
G of intelligence
Who introduced g of intelligence
Spearman
What is the G and S in intelligence
G= general factor common toall types of intellectual activity
S= specific factors to each task
Positive Manifold
the idea that all the variables are positively correlated
Some portion of the variance of scores on each test attributed to each test attributed to “g”
What kind of test is the WAIS IV?
Hierarchical model (both unitary, large, and small specific abilities)
Psychometric Models
Three Stratum Model
Cattell Horn Carroll Model
5 factor model
Three Stratum Model
by Horn/Cattell
G
gF: Fluid Intelligence– processing ability
gC: Crystallized Intelligence-stored information
gF
Fluid Intelligence
Dependent on brains efficiency and intactness
Enables problem solving, perceiving relationships
Primarily non-verbal, culture free
Increases until age 14, levels off until 20, then gradually declines after 20
gC
Crystallized Intelligence
Largely environmentally determined
Content oriented (Vocabulary, Information)
Relatively permanent and not as susceptible to brain damage
Develops from interaction of Gf environment
Grows until age 40 then gradually declines
CHC model
Merging of two systems (Wechsler and C & H)
incorporated several more specialized functions
5 Factor Model
Keith factors
Verbal Comprehension Index
Working Memory Index
Visual Spatial Index
Fluid Reasoning Index
Processing Speed Index
Keith Factors- not sure if we need to know this…
5 factor model
Gc- crystallized intelligence
SI, VC, and CO subtests
Gv: visual processing
BD and SS subtests
Gf: fluid reasoning
PCn and MR subtests
Gsm: short-term memory
DS and LS subtests
Gs: processing speed (Gs)
SS and CD subtests.
Heritibility Estimates in intelligence– TWIN STUDIES
Heritability estimates range .30 to .50 (and higher)
The heritability estimates increase as people get older
VCI
Verbal Comprehension
- Vocabulary (VO)
-Similarities (SI)
-Information (IN)
Supp- Comprehension (CO)
PRI
Perceptual Reasoning
PICTURES
- Block Design (BD)
- Matrix Reasoning (MR)
- Visual Puzzles (VP)
Supp: Figure Weights (FW)
Supp: Picture Completion (PC)
WMI
Working Memory
MATH
- Digit Span (DS)
-Arithmetic (AR)
Supp: Letter Number Sequ. (LN)
PSI
Processing Speed Index
SUPPLEMENTAL PACKETS
- Symbol Search (SS)
-Coding (CO)
Supp: Cancellation (CA)
WAIS IV setup
4 factor model
VCI: Verbal Comprehension
- Vocabulary (VC)
-Similarities (SI)
-Information (IN)
Supp- Comprehension (CO)
PRI: Perceptual Reasoning
- Block Design
- Matrix Reasoning
- Visual Puzzles
Supp: Figure Weights
Supp: Picture Completion
WMI: Working Memory
- Digit Span
-Arithmetic
Supp: Letter Number Sequ.
PSI: Processing Speed Index
- Symbol Search
-Coding
Supp: Cancellation
what is G
general factors common to all types of intellectual activity
Information Processing Approaches
Focuses on processes rather than content
How information is received, stored, manipulated, transformed
- both structural and functional
Structural (sensory reception, STM/LTM
Functional- manipulations and transformations
What is IQ associated with in regards to processing speed and correlations?
speed of apprehension, scanning, retrieving, and responding to stimuli
correlations increase as tasks become more complex
Choice Reaction time
correlates -0.4 w/ IQ
Who created Triarchic theory?
Sternberg
Triathic Theory
Sternberg
Triarchic Theory
Intelligence involves:
1. Metacomponents–planning, monitoring, evaluating
- Performance components–administering instructions of metacomponents
- Knowledge-acquisition components–learning how to do something in the first place
Neurological/Biological Approaches
anatomical and physiological underpinnings for intelligence
Thorndike
Neurological/Biological Approach
“g”= total # of modifiable neural connections
Wondered if g depends on neural efficiency of brain
Thorndike G questions
Is the “quality of protoplasm” effect IQ?
Does neural efficiency promote IQ
OR
does IQ help people find faster ways
OR
both?
Luria
Neurological/Biological Approach
PASS System
Brain is differentiated into systems of functional units that form an integrated whole.
3 main units
Arousal (brain stem and midbrain)
Sensory input
(temporal, parietal, occipital)
Executive (frontal)
Luria Pass system
Cognitive functions involve:
Planning
Attention
Successive processing Simultaneous processing
Naglieri
Naglieri et al have worked to develop a measure of intelligence based on these fundamental brain functions
PASS
Planning
Attention
Successive processing
Simultaneous Processing
Future directions of neuro-biological approaches
Epigenetics
Epigenetics
Neuro-Biological approach
DNA and environmental factors both important for intelligence
portions of DNA are deactivated or activated by experience
gene activity is modified by this chemical process without changing the genetic info
A type of “long term memory”, preserving environmental effects/cues on genes long after those cues have disappeared
This is effectively how stem cells are guided to develop into different types of tissue—by having only a portion of the DNA active.
Each type of tissue has characteristic methylation patterns
What does epigentics tell us about nature vs nurture
its both. Environmental factors can influence which parts of our genetic propensities are activated or deactivated.
Developmental Approaches
Concerned with the quality of response or reasoning behind answers.
Piaget -(1950) studied children
Not concerned so much with right or wrong as why right or wrong
Noticed patterns of responses related to different age groups (as did Binet)
Piaget 4 conclusions
Developmental Approach
- Mental growth follows definite patterns and is non-random
- There are qualitative differences in thinking among ages
- Development leads to new cognitive structures and abilities
- Mental growth completes in late adolescence
Piaget view on intelligence
Intelligence is a developmental phenomenon of adaptation in which we construct reality in increasingly symbolic terms (Four stages of cognitive development)
Piaget- what do people do to reorganize structures to adapt to their environments?
assimilation/accomodation
assimilation: fitting things into our schema
Accommodation: adjusting our schema to accommodate facts
Vygosky
Developmental Approach
Vygotsky’s Theory– Argued all intellectual abilities are social in origin.
”Zone of proximal development”
– Static testing –
**Dynamic testing-
Zone of proximal development
Vygotsky
level of performance attainable with help from adult
Dynamic Testing
Vygotsky
examiner provides guided and graded feedback – Indicates child’s latent potential
ability to profit from guided instruction could serve as a measure of one’s “zone of proximal development” (difference between their developed abilities and their latent capacities)
May reveal cognitive skills not revealed by static testing
dynamic testing process
Children are given feedback to help them improve their performance [scaffolding], so testing and teaching are treated as continuous
Thus, directly measuring one’s ability to learn, not the product of past learning
Especially important when unequal opportunity to learn in the past
BUT dynamic testing is very labor intensive and has not made much progress in the last 40 years
what does therapeutic assessment use?
Scaffolding
