Analysis of WAIS-IV index score scatter using significant deviation from the mean index score

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) does not include verbal IQ and performance IQ scores, as provided in previous editions of the scale; rather, this edition provides comparisons among four index scores, allowing analysis of an individual's WAIS-IV performance in more discrete domains of cognitive ability. To supplement the pairwise index score comparisons included in the WAIS-IV manuals, this article describes the use of the mean of the four index scores (the average index score) as a baseline for analyzing index score variability and as a method for identifying strengths and weaknesses within an individual's index score pattern. Davis's formula was used to calculate critical values for the identification of index scores with a statistically significant difference from the average index score. Subsequent analysis of the WAIS-IV normative sample indicates that variability in performance at the index score level is not uncommon in the general population. More than 70% of individuals in the normative sample have at least one index score that differs significantly from their mean index score. This variability in index score performance appears to have little relationship to age or gender, but it is strongly related to the full-scale IQ.     

Caveats on a process-tracing measure and a remedy

In process-tracing studies, a frequently used index describes whether information selection behavior is attribute — or alternativewise. The performance of this index is investigated under the assumption that subjects select information in a random fashion. The results show that the index may lead to inaccurate conclusions regarding the information-acquisition strategy of a subject. In addition, a Monte Carlo study is conducted that examines the sensitivity of the index to strategy changes. An alternative index is derived and a latent-class model is proposed for a parsimonious representation of individual differences in information acquisition.     

Analyzing information search patterns to test the use of a two-phased decision strategy

This study compares three procedures, Payne's index, Van Raaij's index and the single Markov model, to test the hypothesis that subjects apply two decision strategies successively in making a choice. The information search patterns were gathered for 72 subjects by means of an information display board. The decision tasks varied in complexity (3, 5, 8 alternatives and 4, 6, 8 attributes). The number of tests which resulted in a significant difference (p < 0.05) were respectively, six out of eighteen t-tests for Payne's index, fourteen out of eighteen t-tests regarding Van Raaij's index, and eight out of nine Chi-square tests for the single Markov model. The theoretical considerations as well as the results suggest that Payne's index is the least sensitive, and that Van Raaij's index, compared to the Markov model, is less sensitive to detect a difference in strategies used.     

The use of an untrained index response in a conditioned suppression paradigm

The need for extended training and motivational manipulations when using an instrumental index response in a conditioned suppression paradigm is often problematic. An index response requiring no prior training and no manipulation of motivational states is described. An experiment which exemplifies the use of this index response in a conditioned suppression paradigm is reported.     

Scientific productivity and Hirsch's h index of Spanish social psychology: convergence between productivity indexes and comparison with other areas

This article describes Hirsch's h index as a measure of researchers' scientific productivity and quality, examining its convergent validity with other productivity and quality measures (total citations, maximum citation, sexennials, years since earning Ph.D., and years as a full professor). It shows the distribution of the index among Spanish Social Psychology professors, and a comparison is made among the ten professors with highest h index of the six knowledge areas into which academic Psychology is divided in Spain. The results show that the index largely correlates with the citations but only very modestly with the number of sexennial investigations. The distributions by areas show that Psychobiology and Basic Psychology, as a whole, have a higher h index than the other areas, with Social Psychology in fourth place. Lastly, we discuss the implications of these results and we offer some recommendations for using the index in academic and research decision making.     

Comparing Idiothetic, Ipsative, and Normative Indices of Consistency

ABSTRACT Lamiell's (1981) “idiothetic” index has been praised for raising significant conceptual and methodological issues, but Paunonen and Jackson (1986a) indicated that it might not provide any unique information The current study demonstrates that the unique value of the idiothetic index relative to the ipsative, normative, and normative-ipsative indices is dependent in part upon what information is collected and how it is analyzed Subjects completed inventories on three occasions that assessed seven dispositional variables Interindividual analyses indicated a high correlation between the idiothetic method and two of the other models, whereas intra-individual analyses indicated a much lower degree of correlation Intra-individual analyses indicated that the idiothetic method produced higher temporal stability coefficients The idiothetic index provides information not contained in a normative index and it may be more useful to personality researchers for the assessment of temporal stability and for the assessment of traits with extreme base rates     

Validity and Reliability of the TGMD-2 for Brazilian Children

ABSTRACT The Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2) is broadly used in research and clinical settings. The author aimed to translate and investigate the content, criteria, and construct validity and reliability of the TGMD-2 for Brazilian children. The study involved translators, experts, and 3,124 Brazilian children from several states of Brazil. Results confirmed language clarity and pertinence of the TGMD-2. Appropriate indices of the confirmatory factorial validity (root mean square error of approximation = .06; comparative fit index = .88; Tucker-Lewis index = .83; normed fit index = .09; goodness-of-fit index = .98; adjusted goodness-of-fit index = .95), test-retest (values from .83 to .91) and inter- and intrarater reliability were found. Concurrent validity between TGMD-2 and Movement Assessment Battery for Children was weak. The TGMD-2 is a validity and reliability instrument for Brazilian children.     

Priming index of the Spanish word fragments from the Dasí, Soler,and Ruiz (2004) database

Word-fragment completion is a frequently used test in implicit memory research. A database of 196 Spanish fragments was recently published (Dasí, Soler, & Ruiz, 2004) in which the fragments were described for indices, such as difficulty, familiarity, frequency, number of meanings, and so on (www.psychonomic.org/archive). In this work, a new index, the priming index, is described for the same 196 fragments. This index is calculated for each fragment by subtracting the difficulty index (the proportion of correct completion when the fragment is not studied) from the proportion of correct completion when the fragment is studied, and it means the capacity of an item to be primed. In order to determine whether the new index performs well, we have replicated some important experimental effects, such as priming, frequency, and difficulty. We consider that this index can help researchers to better select stimuli for fragment-completion tasks.     

A factor simplicity index

We propose an index for assessing the degree of factor simplicity in the context of principal components and exploratory factor analysis. The new index, which is called Loading Simplicity, is based on the idea that the communality of each variable should be related to few components, or factors, so that the loadings in each variable are either zero or as far from zero as possible. This index does not depend on the scale of the factors, and its maximum and minimum are only related to the degree of simplicity in the loading matrix. The aim of the index is to enable the degree of simplicity in loading matrices to be compared.The author would like to thank the review team for their insights and recommendations. This work was supported by a grant SEC2001-3821-C05-C02 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology.     

A proposed index of the conformity of one sociometric measurement to another

An index is proposed to measure the extent of agreement of the data of a sociometric test with another test made at an earlier time or on another test criterion. The index is used to define an index of concordancebetween the two tests. It is shown how the index may be used for either individuals or groups. Tests of the hypothesis that agreement is random are given for all cases and applied to an example.Work done under the sponsorship of the Office of Naval Research.     

Scale validation via quantifying item validity using the Dm index

While most validity indices are based on total test scores, this paper describes a method for quantifying the construct validity of items. The approach is based on the item selection technique originally described by Piazza in 1980. Unfortunately, Piazza's P2 index suffers from some substantial limitations. The Dm coefficient provides an alternative which can be used for item selection and provides a validity index for a set of items. The index is similar to that of traditional criterion-related validity indices. Criterion-related validity is used to demonstrate the accuracy of hypothesized relations of the measure with outcome variables of interest in research and practice. This method may be useful when the sample of items or persons is small, rendering more traditional approaches such as factor analysis or item response theory inappropriate. An example of how to use the technique is provided.     

Out-of-bag Prediction Error: A Cross Validation Index for Generalized Structured Component Analysis

Cross validation is a useful way of comparing predictive generalizability of theoretically plausible a priori models in structural equation modeling (SEM). A number of overall or local cross validation indices have been proposed for existing factor-based and component-based approaches to SEM, including covariance structure analysis and partial least squares path modeling. However, there is no such cross validation index available for generalized structured component analysis (GSCA) which is another component-based approach. We thus propose a cross validation index for GSCA, called Out-of-bag Prediction Error (OPE), which estimates the expected prediction error of a model over replications of so-called in-bag and out-of-bag samples constructed through the implementation of the bootstrap method. The calculation of this index is well-suited to the estimation procedure of GSCA, which uses the bootstrap method to obtain the standard errors or confidence intervals of parameter estimates. We empirically evaluate the performance of the proposed index through the analyses of both simulated and real data.     

A ROTATIONAL PROCEDURE FOR SEPARATION OF TRAIT,METHOD AND INTERACTION FACTORS IN MULTTTRAIT-MULTIMETHOD MATRICES

Cluster recovery indices are more important than ever, because of the necessity for comparing the large number of clustering procedures available today. Of the cluster recovery indices prominent in contemporary literature, the Hubert and Arabie (1985) adjustment to the Rand index (1971) has been demonstrated to have the most desirable properties (Milligan &; Cooper, 1986). However, use of the Hubert and Arabie adjustment to the Rand index is limited to cluster solutions involving non-overlapping, or disjoint, clusters. The present paper introduces a generalization of the Hubert and Arabie adjusted Rand index. This generalization, called the Omega index, can be applied to situations where both, one, or neither of the solutions being compared is non-disjoint. In the special case where both solutions are disjoint, the Omega index is equivalent to the Hubert and Arabie adjusted Rand index.     

On the generalization of the G index of agreement, Go, for use with ordinal scores

Abstract.— Presents a G index generalization for items where each has a predetermined number of response alternatives on an ordinal level. Shows that G_o is equal to the G index based on another set of dichotomous data. The problem that items with many response levels will be given more weight than those with few response levels is pointed out. An alternative index, G _0e, which does not have such characteristics, is presented and also proves to be equal to the G index based on a set of equivalent dichotomies.     

On the centrality in a graph

Abstract.— The paper considers the concept of centrality in an undirected graph. A system of axioms and an index for centrality satisfying the axioms are presented. The index is based on the degrees of the vertices in a given undirected graph, and it will enlarge the class of comparable graphs with respect to a centrality measure.     

The counseling assignment problem

A disposition index, DI, which provides information about each possible placement to be considered in a personnel classification situation is discussed. The index is readily computed by machine methods and can be used by counselors required to make assignments. The use of the disposition index provides an adequate approximation to optimal solutions obtained by other methods.This report is based on work done under ARDC Project No. 7702, Task No. 17051, in support of the research and development program of the Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Permission is granted for reproduction, translation, publication, use, and disposal in whole and in part by or for the United States Government.     

Reaction time and index of difficulty in target-striking tasks with changes in direction

Reaction time (RT) for two three-segment target-striking responses involving changes in direction of movement was studied as a function of differences in their additive index . . . index of difficulty (A-ID). In one condition the A-ID was 9.96 and in the other, 6.76. For 16 right-handed university students, mean RT was significantly faster for the condition in which the index was 6.76. Movement times were consistent with Fitts' Law. The data support Sidaway, Christina, and Shea's 1988 prediction that for target-striking movements with changes of direction, RT is a function of the cumulative series of movement constraints.     

The information theoretic entropy function as a total expected participation index for communication network experiments

This paper shows how the concept of an incidence matrix of communications can be used to define the entropy of a finite scheme. The properties of the entropy function are examined and the function is found to be best interpreted as a total expected participation index. Data is presented showing the relationship between structural centrality and the new total expected participation index. In general, as the network becomes more centralized the smaller the value of the participation index and as the network becomes more structurally decentralized the greater the participation index.This research was supported in part by Ford Foundation Grant 1-40055 to the Graduate School of Industrial Administration at Carnegie Institute of Technology for Research in Organizational Behavior.The author wishes to acknowledge the aid of Terry B. Marbach in the preparation of data.     

Development of precision grips in chimpanzees

Although chimpanzees generally grasp small objects imprecisely between the knuckle joint of the index finger and thumb, they are capable of a true precision grip, which resembles the human pincer grip. They also grip small objects between the index and middle finger. The development of these precision grips takes place over several years into adulthood and they are not frequent before 8 years of age. Precision grips and imprecise grips are equally likely to be selected for objects of small size. Thus, not only is precise prehension relatively delayed in chimpanzees but also there is lack of consistency in selecting the distal parts of the index finger for thumb opposition. This is a qualitatively different developmental pattern than occurs in human infants who systematically select precision grips for small objects by 15 months.