An Iterative Parametric Bootstrap Approach to Evaluating Rater Fit

When analysts evaluate performance assessments, they often use modern measurement theory models to identify raters who frequently give ratings that are different from what would be expected, given the quality of the performance. To detect problematic scoring patterns, two rater fit statistics, the infit and outfit mean square error (MSE) statistics are routinely used. However, the interpretation of these statistics is not straightforward. A common practice is that researchers employ established rule-of-thumb critical values to interpret infit and outfit MSE statistics. Unfortunately, prior studies have shown that these rule-of-thumb values may not be appropriate in many empirical situations. Parametric bootstrapped critical values for infit and outfit MSE statistics provide a promising alternative approach to identifying item and person misfit in item response theory (IRT) analyses. However, researchers have not examined the performance of this approach for detecting rater misfit. In this study, we illustrate a bootstrap procedure that researchers can use to identify critical values for infit and outfit MSE statistics, and we used a simulation study to assess the false-positive and true-positive rates of these two statistics. We observed that the false-positive rates were highly inflated, and the true-positive rates were relatively low. Thus, we proposed an iterative parametric bootstrap procedure to overcome these limitations. The results indicated that using the iterative procedure to establish 95% critical values of infit and outfit MSE statistics had better-controlled false-positive rates and higher true-positive rates compared to using traditional parametric bootstrap procedure and rule-of-thumb critical values.     

Motivational cues: The role of perceived senders' self‐control ability in raters' deception judgements

Previous studies have found that senders' personal traits may be used by others to make judgements about the senders' truthfulness. Two studies were conducted to examine whether perceived self‐control ability has an effect on deception judgement. Perceived self‐control was hypothesized to act as a motivational cue that participants would use to assess the sender's motivation to lie, which in turn would influence their deception judgement. Results revealed that when participants assessed the sender as having higher self‐control ability, they would consider the sender to be less motivated to lie in daily life (Study 1), and judge the sender more truthful in a text‐based deception judgement task (Study 2). However, the effect of perceived self‐control ability disappeared in a video‐based task (Study 2), likely due to the multitude of various cues available in audio‐visual stimuli. The theoretical and applied implications of the results are discussed.     

类别性空间记忆右侧化优势及其受威胁情境的影响

以往研究发现类别空间关系表征具有左半球激活优势,但在行为表现中是否存在对侧化的右侧化优势尚且不明确。本研究采用两个被试内实验,探讨空间记忆的行为表现是否具有右侧化优势以及这种优势是否受威胁情境的影响。实验1被试学习完一幅模拟地图中物体位置关系后进行相对位置判断任务,结果发现了显著的空间行为反应右侧化优势。实验2使被试在威胁情境中完成相同任务,发现右侧化优势消失。实验表明类别性空间记忆的行为表现具有右侧化优势,且具有情境不稳定性,这为空间记忆的偏侧化研究提供了一定的行为实验证据。     

Microstructure and martensitic transformation behaviors of a Ti–Ni–Hf–Cu high-temperature shape memory alloy ribbon

The Ti₃₆Ni₄₁Hf₁₅Cu₈ melt-spun ribbon undergoes a B2 ? B19′ transformation upon cooling and heating. When the Ti₃₆Ni₄₁Hf₁₅Cu₈ melt-spun ribbon is annealed at 873 K for 1 h, the spherical (Ti, Hf)₂Ni particles with a diameter of 20–40 nm precipitate in the grain interior. The fine (Ti, Hf)₂Ni precipitates improve the stability of phase transformation temperatures and cause martensite domains, with (001) compound twins in three orientations dominant instead of (011) type I twins. {111}-, {113}- and (001)//{111}-type boundaries are observed among these martensite domains. When the (Ti,Hf)₂Ni precipitates coarsen, (011) type I twins become main martensite structures in the ribbon annealed at 973 K for 1 h.     

Brain activations associated with sign production using word and picture inputs in deaf signers

Effective literacy education in deaf students calls for psycholinguistic research revealing the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying their written language processing. When learning a written language, deaf students are often instructed to sign out printed text. The present fMRI study was intended to reveal the neural substrates associated with word signing by comparing it with picture signing. Native deaf signers were asked to overtly sign in Chinese Sign Language (CSL) common objects indicated with written words or presented as pictures. Except in left inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule where word signing elicited greater activation than picture signing, the two tasks engaged a highly overlapping set of brain regions previously implicated in sign production. The results suggest that word signing in the deaf signers relies on meaning activation from printed visual forms, followed by similar production processes from meaning to signs as in picture signing. The present study also documents the basic brain activation pattern for sign production in CSL and supports the notion of a universal core neural network for sign production across different sign languages.     

数学学习困难初中生的N-back任务表现特征

目的：分析数学学习困难初中生与学习优秀初中生的核心认知过程机制差异。方法：采用N-back任务作为测查工作记忆能力的指标,分析初中42名数困生和53名数优生的表现差异。结果：两组学生在0-back任务中无显著差异,在1-back和2-back任务中的差异逐渐增大。回归分析表明2-back和1-back任务对数学成绩有显著影响。结论：1）随着认知负荷增高,数困生和数优生的表现差距增大。数学学习困难的核心认知缺损是工作记忆能力而非简单认知加工过程。2）N-back任务能有效预测数学学习成绩。     

Generalized full-information item bifactor analysis

Full-information item bifactor analysis is an important statistical method in psychological and educational measurement. Current methods are limited to single-group analysis and inflexible in the types of item response models supported. We propose a flexible multiple-group item bifactor analysis framework that supports a variety of multidimensional item response theory models for an arbitrary mixing of dichotomous, ordinal, and nominal items. The extended item bifactor model also enables the estimation of latent variable means and variances when data from more than 1 group are present. Generalized user-defined parameter restrictions are permitted within or across groups. We derive an efficient full-information maximum marginal likelihood estimator. Our estimation method achieves substantial computational savings by extending Gibbons and Hedeker's (1992) bifactor dimension reduction method so that the optimization of the marginal log-likelihood requires only 2-dimensional integration regardless of the dimensionality of the latent variables. We use simulation studies to demonstrate the flexibility and accuracy of the proposed methods. We apply the model to study cross-country differences, including differential item functioning, using data from a large international education survey on mathematics literacy.     

数学学习困难初中生的中央执行系统特点

为揭示数学学习困难学生的认知过程加工特点,筛选上海111名初中生（男生46名,女生68名,平均年龄11.97岁）比较数学困难学生（55名）与数学优秀学生（56名）的中央执行系统的表现差异,通过反应停止任务和Flanker任务考察抑制能力以及注意控制能力。结果发现各种抑制和注意控制条件下,数困组学生的正确率低于数优组;在具有干扰的情况的成绩更能有效预测数学成绩;中央执行系统能力在初中总体具有上升发展趋势,数困生的发展具有波动性。因此,数学学习困难在中央执行系统中的缺损主要是对抗干扰的能力不足,而非简单的加工速度。     

留学经验与艺术创造力

采用两个艺术创造力测量任务比较了中国留学生、德国大学生和中国国内学生的艺术创造力水平。使用共感评价技术作为评判艺术作品创造程度、技术水平等维度的方法。研究发现:(1)在艺术创造力任务中,中国留学生没有表现出比中国国内学生的优势,说明可能多元文化经验对创造力表达的影响是有条件的;(2)德国学生的艺术创造力水平高于中国学生,本结果支持前人研究中有关个人主义文化相对于集体主义文化更有助于创造力表达的相关假设;(3)共感评价技术是艺术创造力研究的有效工具。     

我国中等职业学校青少年学生情感素质的现状

本研究采用自编的《青少年情感素质调查问卷》对全国3类地区9大城市1767名中等职业学校青少年学生进行了问卷调查。结果表明：我国中职生情感素质总体处于积极正向、亟待提高的状况;女生的情感素质稍优于男生,但存在结构性差异;情感素质与中职生学业自评呈正相关;居住情况和父母学历对中职生情感素质影响不大;与同龄高中生在情感总体上没有显著差异,仅理智情感发展低于高中生,并主要表现在自信感和好奇心方面;师生关系良好、教师有情施教对中职生各方面情感素质发展具有极为重要的促进作用,应引起教育部门的高度关注。