An automated version of the operation span task

We present an easy-to-administer and automated version of a popular working memory (WM) capacity task (operation span; Ospan) that is mouse driven, scores itself, and requires little intervention on the part of the experimenter. It is shown that this version of Ospan correlates well with other measures of WM capacity and has both good internal consistency (alpha=.78) and test-retest reliability (.83). In addition, the automated version of Ospan (Aospan) was shown to load on the same factor as two other WM measures. This WM capacity factor correlated with a factor composed of fluid abilities measures. The utility of the Aospan was further demonstrated by analyzing response times (RTs) that indicated that RT measures obtained in the task accounted for additional variance in predicting fluid abilities. Our results suggest that Aospan is a reliable and valid indicator of WM capacity that can be applied to a wide array of research domains.     

A diffusion model analysis of the effects of aging in the lexical-decision task

The effects of aging on response time (RT) are examined in 2 lexical-decision experiments with young and older subjects (age 60-75). The results show that the older subjects were slower than the young subjects, but more accurate. R. Ratcliff s (1978) diffusion model provided a good account of RTs, their distributions, and response accuracy. The fits show an 80-100-ms slowing of the nondecision components of RT for older subjects relative to young subjects and more conservative decision criterion settings for older subjects than for young subjects. The rates of accumulation of evidence were not significantly different for older compared with young subjects (less than 2% and 5% higher for older subjects relative to young subjects in the 2 experiments).     

Assessing model mimicry using the parametric bootstrap

We present a general sampling procedure to quantify model mimicry, defined as the ability of a model to account for data generated by a competing model. This sampling procedure, called the parametric bootstrap cross-fitting method (PBCM; cf. Williams (J. R. Statist. Soc. B 32 (1970) 350; Biometrics 26 (1970) 23)), generates distributions of differences in goodness-of-fit expected under each of the competing models. In the data informed version of the PBCM, the generating models have specific parameter values obtained by fitting the experimental data under consideration. The data informed difference distributions can be compared to the observed difference in goodness-of-fit to allow a quantification of model adequacy. In the data uninformed version of the PBCM, the generating models have a relatively broad range of parameter values based on prior knowledge. Application of both the data informed and the data uninformed PBCM is illustrated with several examples.     

Gender bias in the diagnosis of personality disorders: the roles of base rates and social stereotypes

In all three studies described in this article, novices were trained to associate traits from the DSM-IV Cluster B personality disorder categories with four letters of the alphabet. Novices were also taught various gender associations (i.e., "base rate" information) with the categories (none, stereotype-consistent, or stereotype-inconsistent). Results showed that when no gender associations were taught (Study I), case gender did not affect ratings of case vignettes. When associations were consistent with social stereotypes (Study II), case gender influenced ratings in the expected direction. When associations were the opposite of social stereotypes (Study III), only the ratings for narcissistic and histrionic were affected. Across the three studies, these results suggested that subjects rated cases in accordance with known "base rates," but that the correspondence between base rates and stereotypic associations affected the consistency and magnitude of this base rate effect.     

Latent change models of adult cognition: are changes in processing speed and working memory associated with changes in episodic memory?

The authors used 6-year longitudinal data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study (VLS) to investigate individual differences in amount of episodic memory change. Latent change models revealed reliable individual differences in cognitive change. Changes in episodic memory were significantly correlated with changes in other cognitive variables, including speed and working memory. A structural equation model for the latent change scores showed that changes in speed and working memory predicted changes in episodic memory, as expected by processing resource theory. However, these effects were best modeled as being mediated by changes in induction and fact retrieval. Dissociations were detected between cross-sectional ability correlations and longitudinal changes. Shuffling the tasks used to define the Working Memory latent variable altered patterns of change correlations.     

Medical slang in British hospitals

The usage, derivation, and psychological, ethical, and legal aspects of slang terminology in medicine are discussed. The colloquial vocabulary is further described and a comprehensive glossary of common UK terms provided in appendix. This forms the first list of slang terms currently in use throughout the British medical establishment.     

Body Size Beliefs and Weight Concerns Among Mothers and Their Adolescent Children

African American and White mother/adolescent pairs were examined for familial associations in body size and weight concerns. Mothers' and adolescents' estimates of adolescents' body mass index (BMI) were significantly correlated. Compared to boys, girls had greater body dissatisfaction, higher weight concerns, and perceived higher family/friend weight concerns. By race, White adolescents had more body dissatisfaction and greater concern about weight than African American adolescents. Four items explained 70.4% of the variance in adolescents' weight concern scores: adolescents' weight management practices, mothers' reports of adolescents' saying they were too fat, adolescents' perceptions of family/friends' weight concerns, and adolescents' body dissatisfaction. Our study suggests White girls are more concerned about their weight and perceive greater weight and dieting concerns among family/friends than African American girls.     

Preparing Psychologists in Academic Health Centers for the Rapidly Changing Health Care Environment

The Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) convened its 5th National APAHC Conference in Boston March 3–5 2011. The conference and its theme, “Preparing Psychologists for a Rapidly Changing Health Care Environment,” brought psychologists from academic health centers together to examine how psychology can adapt to and help lead health care efforts in the face of health care reform. This paper reports on the conference and introduces the special issue of JCPMS that is dedicated to the conference. The conference theme is framed in the historical context of the four national conferences that preceded it. In examining the focus and topics of the preceding conferences, recurrent themes are identified and progress in certain areas is highlighted.