A Comparison of the Common‐Item and Random‐Groups Equating Designs Using Empirical Data

We designed this study to evaluate several data collection and equating designs in the context of item response theory (IRT) equating. The random‐groups design and the common‐item design have been widely used for collecting data for IRT equating. In this study, we investigated four equating methods based upon these two data collection designs, using empirical data from a number of different testing programs. When the randomly equivalent group assumption was reasonably met, the four equating methods tended to produce highly comparable results. On the other hand, equating methods based upon either of the equating designs produced dissimilar results. Sample size can have differential effects on the equating results produced by the different equating methods. In practice, a common‐item equivalent‐groups design often produces unacceptably large differences in the group mean due to various anomalies such as context effects, poor quality of common items, or a very small number of common items. In such cases, a random‐groups design would produce more stable equating results.     

The Simple Vs. Reformed Conditional Analysis of Dispositions

Lewis claims that Martin’s cases indeed refute the simple conditional analysis of dispositions and proposes the reformed conditional analysis that is purported to overcome them. In this paper I will first argue that Lewis’s defense of the reformed analysis can be understood to invoke the concepts of disposition-specific stimulus and manifestation. I will go on to argue that advocates of the simple analysis, just like Lewis, can also defend their analysis from alleged counterexamples including Martin’s cases by invoking the concepts of disposition-specific stimulus and manifestation. This means that Lewis’s own necessary defense of the reformed analysis invalidates his motivation of it. Finally, I will argue that we have a good reason to favor the simple analysis over Lewis’s analysis.     

A virtual psychiatric ward for orientating patients admitted for the first time

Misconceptions about psychiatric wards frequently cause newly admitted mental patients to stay away from these wards despite their need for treatment. Although ward orientation is typically conducted by nurses in an attempt to help patients to adapt to the new environment, it is considered time-consuming, and the method of orientation and the explanations given may vary among different nurses. This situation calls for a more effective and standardized approach to orientating mental patients on their first admission. To this end, a computer-based interactive virtual environment was developed based on a real psychiatric ward by using virtual reality (VR) technologies. It enables the patient to navigate around to gain understanding about the ward through a virtual guided tour. The effectiveness of this VR orientation approach was investigated by a randomized controlled trial with consecutive sampling. Fifty-four Chinese participants were randomly assigned to undergo ward orientation by either using the VR-based approach or reading text-based electronic information sheets about the ward with a computer. Subjective and objective measures were obtained respectively using the Chinese version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire and the heart-rate variability measurement before and after the intervention. In addition, a test on the level of understanding about the ward was administered at the end of the session. The results showed that the VR orientation approach is helpful in reducing patients' anxiety while also improving their level of understanding about the ward.     

What makes a group of good citizens? The role of perceived group‐level fit and critical psychological states in organizational teams

Recent studies have expanded the construct of organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) to the group level and demonstrated its significance in predicting group performance. In this study, we have further expanded this growing stream of research regarding group‐level OCB (GOCB), by identifying distinct group characteristics that predict GOCB. Specifically, we have isolated perceived group–organization (G–O) fit and group–task (G–T) fit as meaningful antecedents of GOCB. We further propose that the perceived G–O and G–T fit influence GOCB by shaping two intermediate psychological states of group members: cohesion and group efficacy. Our findings, which were based on multi‐source data collected from 43 organizational teams, demonstrated that cohesion completely mediated the effect of perceived G–O fit on GOCB. Group efficacy, however, proved not to be a significant mediator of the relationship between perceived G–T fit and GOCB. Instead, G–T fit had a significant direct effect on GOCB. This study highlights the significance of group‐level conceptualization of group–environment interaction as a potential driver of various group processes and outcomes.     

Sensorimotor influences on speech perception in pre-babbling infants: Replication and extension of Bruderer et al. (2015)

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review - The relationship between speech perception and production is central to understanding language processing, yet remains under debate, particularly in early...     

A Case Study of Solution-Focused Brief Family Therapy

Abstract

Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) was developed as a form of family therapy. Recently, these features have blurred. This case study explores how Insoo Kim Berg interacts with multiple family members in SFBT. The results indicate that she used a circular procedure to ensure that all the family members were involved in the process. The analysis demonstrates the importance of purposeful use of language and the influence of systems theory in SFBT. SFBT provides a useful framework that enables a family therapist to work together with families to help them make the changes they want with their own strengths and resources.     

Functional Parallel Factor Analysis for Functions of One- and Two-dimensional Arguments

Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) is a useful multivariate method for decomposing three-way data that consist of three different types of entities simultaneously. This method estimates trilinear components, each of which is a low-dimensional representation of a set of entities, often called a mode, to explain the maximum variance of the data. Functional PARAFAC permits the entities in different modes to be smooth functions or curves, varying over a continuum, rather than a collection of unconnected responses. The existing functional PARAFAC methods handle functions of a one-dimensional argument (e.g., time) only. In this paper, we propose a new extension of functional PARAFAC for handling three-way data whose responses are sequenced along both a two-dimensional domain (e.g., a plane with x- and y-axis coordinates) and a one-dimensional argument. Technically, the proposed method combines PARAFAC with basis function expansion approximations, using a set of piecewise quadratic finite element basis functions for estimating two-dimensional smooth functions and a set of one-dimensional basis functions for estimating one-dimensional smooth functions. In a simulation study, the proposed method appeared to outperform the conventional PARAFAC. We apply the method to EEG data to demonstrate its empirical usefulness.     

Spatial Semantics,Cognition, and Their Interaction: A Comparative Study of Spatial Categorization in English and Korean

This study has two goals. First, we present much‐needed empirical linguistic data and systematic analyses on the spatial semantic systems in English and Korean, two languages that have been extensively compared to date in the debate on spatial language and spatial cognition. We conduct our linguistic investigation comprehensively, encompassing the domains of tight‐ and loose‐fit as well as containment and support relations. The current analysis reveals both cross‐linguistic commonalities and differences: From a common set of spatial features, each language highlights a subset of those features for its principal categorization, and those primary features are importantly different between English and Korean: English speakers categorize events predominantly by containment and support relations (and do so with prepositions), whereas Korean speakers categorize them by tight‐fit and loose‐fit relations (and do so with verbs), with a further distinction of containment and support within the loose‐fit relation. The analysis also shows that the tight‐fit domain is more cross‐linguistically diverse in categorization than is the loose‐fit domain. Second, we test the language data against the nonlinguistic categorization results reported in Choi and Hattrup (2012). The results show a remarkable degree of convergence between the patterns predicted from the current linguistic analysis and those found in C&H's nonlinguistic study and thus provide empirical and strong evidence for an influence of language on nonlinguistic spatial cognition. At the same time, the study reveals areas where the two systems closely interact with each other as well as those where one is independent from the other. Taking both parts of the study together, we identify the specific roles that language and spatial perception/cognition play in spatial categorization.