Criterion-referenced and norm-referenced assessment of minority group children

A variety of problems have been experienced with psychological assessment of minority children. Traditional norm-referenced measurement has repeatedly received criticism concerning cultural unfairness or bias. Responses to such accusations primarily have been in the form of new instrumentation aimed at attaining a culture fair assessment. Little response has been evident from a conceptual standpoint addressing the issues of purpose and use of test results Although many have turned to criterion-referenced measurement as an answer to the problems of norm-referenced evaluation, cultural bias is not necessarily avoided in this framework either. Issues of who determines criteria and what those criteria include must be addressed if criterion-referenced measurement is to meet adequately the challenge of multicultural evaluation.     

Early predictors of middle school fraction knowledge

Recent findings that earlier fraction knowledge predicts later mathematics achievement raise the question of what predicts later fraction knowledge. Analyses of longitudinal data indicated that whole number magnitude knowledge in first grade predicted knowledge of fraction magnitudes in middle school, controlling for whole number arithmetic proficiency, domain general cognitive abilities, parental income and education, race, and gender. Similarly, knowledge of whole number arithmetic in first grade predicted knowledge of fraction arithmetic in middle school, controlling for whole number magnitude knowledge in first grade and the other control variables. In contrast, neither type of early whole number knowledge uniquely predicted middle school reading achievement. We discuss the implications of these findings for theories of numerical development and for improving mathematics learning.     

Working memory capacity predicts search accuracy for novel as well as repeated targets

Visual search behaviour is guided by mental representations of targets that direct attention toward relevant features in the environment. Electrophysiological data suggests these target templates are maintained by visual working memory during search for novel targets and rapidly transfer to long term memory with target repetition. If this account is correct, an individual’s working memory capacity should be more predictive of search performance for novel targets than repeated targets. Across six experiments, we tested this hypothesis using both single (Experiments 5 and 6) and multiple (Experiments 1–4) target search tasks with three different types of stimuli (real world objects, letters, and triple conjunction shapes). Each target set was repeated for six consecutive trials. In addition, we estimated visual working memory capacity using a change detection working memory task. Overall, working memory capacity did not predict response time or efficiency in the visual search task. However, working memory capacity was equally predictive of search accuracy for both novel and repeated targets. These results suggest that working memory requirements do not substantially differ between novel and repeated target search, and working memory capacity may continue to play an important role in the encoding or maintenance of target representations after they are presumed to be in long term memory.     

The effects of a wisdom intervention in a Christian congregation*

Psychological research on the topic of wisdom is limited in its incorporation of religion and spirituality. This gap in psychological literature may serve to limit a thorough understanding of wisdom. Positive psychology may allow for some rapprochement in wisdom and spirituality. In collaboration with leaders of a local Friends (Quaker) congregation, two studies investigated the effects of a spiritually informed wisdom intervention delivered in the context of a faith community. Participants for Study 1 consisted of 27 young adults (24 completed both the pre and post questionnaire) and a comparison group consisting of 32 young adults. The intervention was designed to increase participants’ abilities in cognitive, affective and moral domains. Significant group by time interaction effects were found among measurements of practical wisdom, post-formal thinking and subjective well-being, with those in the experimental group showing changes in the expected direction. Study 2 involved qualitative analyses of interviews with 15 of the wisdom participants regarding their changing views of wisdom. Themes emerging from the interviews included a multiple-perspectives view of wisdom, the relational nature of learning wisdom, the importance of taking a reflective perspective, and congruence between what one knows and how one lives. Implications for studying wisdom alongside religion and spirituality are considered.