A theoretical distribution for mental test scores

The negative hypergeometric distribution of raw scores on mental tests is derived from certain assumptions relating to test theory. This result is checked empirically in a number of examples. Further derivations lead to the bivariate distribution of parallel tests which is also verified with actual data. The bivariate distribution of raw score and true score is also derived from a further assumption. This distribution is used to set confidence limits for true scores for persons with a given raw score.This work was supported in part by contract Nonr-2752(00) between the Office of Naval Research and Educational Testing Service. Reproduction in whole or in part for any purpose of the United States Government is permitted.     

Cutting scores and errors of measurement

Arguments for using multiple cutting scores are theoretically inapplicable when the selection measures are fallible. The effect of errors of measurement in altering the shape of some optimum selection regions is here investigated mathematically, with numerical illustrations, for the case of two selection variables.This work was supported by contract Nonr-2752(00) between the Office of Naval Research and Educational Testing Service. Reproduction in whole or in part for any purpose of the United States Government is permitted.     

Estimating true-score distributions in psychological testing (an empirical bayes estimation problem)

The following problem is considered: Given that the frequency distribution of the errors of measurement is known, determine or estimate the distribution of true scores from the distribution of observed scores for a group of examinees. Typically this problem does not have a unique solution. However, if the true-score distribution is smooth, then any two smooth solutions to the problem will differ little from each other. Methods for finding smooth solutions are developed a) for a population and b) for a sample of examinees. The results of a number of tryouts on actual test data are summarized.The writer wishes to thank Diana Lees and Virginia Lennon, who wrote the computer programs, carried out some of the mathematical derivations, and helped with other important aspects of the work. This work was supported in part by contract Nonr-2752(00) between the Office of Naval Research and Educational Testing Service. Reproduction, translation, use and disposal in whole or in part by or for the United States Government is permitted.     

Justifying Partiality

It’s an undeniable fact about our moral lives that we are partial towards certain people and projects. Despite this, it has traditionally been very hard to justify partiality. In this paper I defend a novel partialist theory. The context of the paper is the debate between three different views of how partiality is justified. According to the first view, partiality is justified by facts about our ground projects. According to the second view, partiality is justified by facts about our relationships with the things that we are partial towards. And according to the third view, partiality is justified by facts about the things that we are partial towards. I argue that all three views contain part of the truth. We can see this by adopting a more sophisticated view of the weight of reasons. Once we do this, it will be clear that both facts about individuals and facts about relationships play a role in explaining why we often have stronger reason to act well towards those things we are partial towards. Further, I argue, facts about projects help explain why facts about relationships play the role that they do in determining the strength of our reasons.     

Using the ADI-R to diagnose autism in preschool children

The use of an investigator-based interview (Autism Diagnostic Interview—Revised; ADI-R) in the diagnosis of 51 autistic and 43 nonautistic mentally handicapped preschool children of equivalent mental and chronological age is described. Significant differences occurred between the groups on every diagnostic subdomain from the DSM-IV/ICD-10 draft criteria, except specific aspects of stereotyped language, still relatively rare in these young children. All but one of the 51 children judged to be autistic by clinical observation and only two of the 30 nonautistic mentally handicapped children with mental ages of 18 months or higher met criteria for autism on an algorithm to DSM-IV/ICD-10 draft criteria. However, discrimination using domain totals between autistic and the 13 nonautistic, nonverbal mentally handicapped children with mental ages under 18 months was poor. Quality of social overtures to adults and peers, play, and unusual sensory behaviors and mannerisms continued to differentiate these two groups. The relevance of these findings to the diagnosis of autism in preschool children is discussed.     

Fundamentalism,Radicalization and Terrorism. Part 2: fundamentalism,regression and repair

Prior to the watershed events of 11 September 2001, terrorism was generally seen simply as politically motivated, criminal violence. Since then the phenomena of religious fundamentalism, political radicalization and terrorism have become fused in the public mind, partly under the influence of the political and military reaction described as the ‘War on Terror’ and its successors. While there is clearly an important overlap in the religious thinking of some fundamentalists, the radical agenda of political Islamist groups and the violent activities of those who currently use the tactics of terrorism, these are not identical phenomena, and treating everyone who falls into one of these groups as the same as all the others has exacerbated rather than improved global security. In the second of two papers based on his work with terrorist organizations and areas of the world embroiled in entrenched conflict, Lord Alderdice develops a different approach informed by psychoanalytical principles and systems and complexity theories to clarify some of the boundaries and overlapping elements of these three phenomena. This approach not only provides a more evidence-based analysis, but also permits a more reflective and constructive response to these clear and present dangers.     

Effects of Directed Thinking on Intentions to Engage in Beneficial Activities: Idea Generation or Mental Simulation?

How might people best persuade themselves to engage in beneficial activities, such as dieting, exercise, and studying? One strategy is to think about actions. Another strategy is to think about reasons. In previous research, students who were directed to think about actions increased their study intentions more than did students who were directed to think about reasons. The present experiment tested whether thinking about actions was effective because of idea generation (coming up with the thoughts) or because of mental simulation (imagining the scenarios). In immediate and delayed measures, directed thinking about actions (but not reasons) proved generally more effective when students focused on mental simulation than when they focused on idea generation. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed.     

Characteristics of Role Models for Young African-American Men: An Exploratory Survey

Recognized leaders of African-American communities were surveyed with 24 items developed by the investigators to aid in the identification of pertinent characteristics common to successful and positive role models for young African-American men.     

Termination of parental rights: A neglected side effect of infant intervention programs

A significant proportion of infants receiving treatment in programs designed to prevent abuse and psychosocial disorders may be removed from the custody of their parents by social service agencies. In an effort to help distinguish those cases at risk for termination of parental rights (TPR), seven such cases were analyzed and compared to seven similar cases where TPR did not occur. All 14 cases were referred because of abuse/neglect, and were at risk for continued abuse. Results showed that TPR was most likely in families where the parents were viewed as being unpleasant, as having a poor relationship with their child, were seen as retarded by the social service agency, and whose infants showed large gains in developmental level, especially during foster placement. These findings were interpreted as indicating a mixture of actual lack of progress in treatment and a negative attitudinal set about these clients.