Brief experimental analysis of early reading interventions

The purpose of this study was to investigate how brief experimental analyses (BEAs) could be used to identify effective interventions for Kindergartners (2 girls and 2 boys, 5 years and 7-10 months old) with low performance and/or growth slope in letter sound fluency (LSF). Interventions were tested within a multielement design with brief mini-reversals until an intervention yielding at least 20% improvement on a specific subskill measure or a curriculum-based measure of LSF was identified. BEA-identified interventions were implemented one-on-one for 5 to 9 weeks. A multiple-baseline design across participants showed large intervention effects (average adjusted d = 2.4) on general outcome measures, supporting treatment validity of BEAs. Findings extend the BEA literature to younger participants, early reading interventions, and early reading measures.     

A General Factor of Personality in the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III, the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology, and the Personality Assessment Inventory

A General Factor of Personality (GFP) occupies the apex of the hierarchy in three prominent personality disorder inventories. On the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III, a GFP accounted for 41% of the variance in two second-order factors, 31% of the variance in five first-order factors, and 26% of the variance in all 24 scales. On the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology, a GFP accounted for 61% of the variance in six first-order factors and 36% of the variance in all 18 scales. In a cross-validation study of the Personality Assessment Inventory, a GFP accounted for 65% of the variance in two second-order factors, 47% of the variance in five first-order factors, and 27% of the variance in all 18 scales.     

Estimates of the Validity and Utility of the Conners’ Continuous Performance Test in the Assessment of Inattentive and/or Hyperactive-Impulsive Behaviors in Children

This study evaluated the validity and classification utility of the Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CCPT) in the assessment of inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive behaviors in children. Significant, positive correlations between the CCPT parameters and behavioral ratings of ADHD behaviors were hypothesized. In addition, it was hypothesized that the CCPT parameters would perform better than a random test (chance) and show fair to moderate utility of classification across the different indices. Participants were 104 children between 6 and 12 years of age who were referred for evaluation of attention problems. The first hypothesis was not supported. There were no significant, positive correlations between the CCPT parameters and parent and teacher ratings of inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive behaviors. The second hypothesis was only partially supported. The CCPT Overall Index and the Omission Errors (84th percentile cutoff) performed better than a random test; however, the utility of the CCPT Overall Index only ranged from poor to slight. Receiver operating characteristic analyses showed the accuracy of the CCPT to be low. The implications and limitations of this study and future research directions are discussed.     

Neuropsychological correlates of psychopathic traits in a non-incarcerated sample

The present study examined the association between neuropsychological behavioral performance and psychopathic personality traits, measured via the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI), in a non-incarcerated sample. Specifically, performance involving general executive cognitive functioning (ECF) and response inhibition was investigated in regards to the two main psychopathy factors (affective-interpersonal and social deviance) of the PPI. A group of 95 student volunteers were administered the PPI and a variety of neuropsychological measures. Analyses revealed that total PPI scores were related to deficits in response inhibition but not general ECF. However, this relationship was qualified by the differential associations observed for the two PPI factors. The social deviance factor was associated with deficits in general ECF and response inhibition, whereas the affective-interpersonal facet was associated with enhanced general ECF performance but not response inhibition. The results suggest that cognitive functioning shows predicted associations with a self-report measure of psychopathy among non-incarcerated young adults, providing further evidence for psychopathy conceptualizations from a normal-range personality perspective.     

多重模型疗法简介

多重模型疗法(Multimodal Therapy)是由美国临床心理学家阿诺德     

A performance comparison between the two language versions of the Affective Go/No‐Go test: A randomised crossover study

The purpose of this randomised crossover study is to validate the Korean version of the Affective Go/No‐go (AGN) test. The Korean words for the AGN test were selected after careful evaluation of emotional valences, word length and frequency. Fifteen Korean advanced learners of English were administered both Korean and English versions, yielding 30 data points. The performance of both language versions was compared for each of the AGN test parameters (response latency, commission error and omission error) using two‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were estimated to evaluate associations between the two versions. The ICCs were high for response latencies of all valences and commission errors of positive and neutral words, but not for that of negative words and omission errors of all valences. A similar pattern of test results, as revealed by the high ICCs and non‐significant interaction effects between language and word valence, suggests that the psychometric properties of the AGN test may be comparable over different language versions.     

基于IRT模型的儿童图形推理能力动态评估研究

MRMLC模型是一种常见的动态评估项目反应理论模型。本研究结合小学儿童图形推理能力发展的特点,采用前测-干预-后测的动态评估模式,对来自江西省北部的四到六年级共177名儿童的图形推理能力进行了基于MRMLC模型的动态评估。研究结果表明通过动态评估我们不仅可以获知儿童图形推理能力的当前水平;而且,还可以进一步分析和比较儿童在各测量情景所测的潜在水平。     

The relation of learning disabilities to the long-term outcomes of concussion

ObjectiveThis study sought to cross-sectionally evaluate the relation between learning disorders (LD) and long-term concussion outcomes.MethodSeventy-three asymptomatic male university athletes (23 history of concussion with LD; 24 history of concussion no LD; 26 controls) completed the Beck Depression Inventory-2 (BDI-II), the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Cogstate battery, and an Oddball task during which event-related brain potentials were recorded.ResultsConcussed athletes with LD exhibited greater depressive symptoms (BDI-II), greater total mood disturbance (POMS), decreased accuracy on the One-Card Learning and the N-back task (Cogstate), decreased accuracy on the Oddball task, and reduced ERN amplitude relative to both the concussed athletes without a LD and controls. Concussed athletes with LD also exhibited prolonged P3 latency relative to controls. Irrespective of LD, concussed athletes exhibited increased anger-hostility and decreased Pe amplitudes relative to controls. No differences were observed in P3a amplitude or latency.ConclusionHaving LD may be a significant factor moderating the neurophysiological, cognitive and psycho-affective outcomes of concussion, and may explain a significant portion of the persistent deficits observed by researchers and clinicians.     

Stages of change in anxiety: psychometric properties of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) scale

Readiness for change is increasingly cited as an important variable in the health behaviours literature, yet there remains a dearth of research related to this construct in mental health. This study examined the psychometric properties of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) scale in two samples. In Study 1 (n = 252), undergraduates completed the URICA and were administered measures of hopelessness, the consequences of worry, self-esteem, anxious symptomatology, and social desirability. The reliability and validity of the URICA were generally supported, although the goodness-of-fit with the intended subscales was only moderate. The Precontemplation, Contemplation and Maintenance subscales correlated as expected with ancillary measures, but the Action subscale did not. In Study 2 (n = 81), individuals with panic disorder were administered the URICA at initial assessment and following cognitive behavioural therapy. The URICA demonstrated excellent reliability, significantly predicted treatment retention and dropout, and showed modest utility for predicting treatment outcome. Confirmatory factor analysis, however, revealed an inadequate fit to the intended subscales. The implications of these findings are discussed and directions for future research highlighted.     

Psychometric properties of the OCI-R in a college sample

Two studies examined the psychometric properties of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R; Psychol. Assessment 14 (2002) 485) in a nonclinical student sample. In Study 1, we investigated the factor structure and internal consistency of the OCI-R using a sample of 395 undergraduate students. At a second testing session 1 month later, 178 students completed the OCI-R. Test-retest reliability was examined using data from 94 students who completed the OCI-R in both sessions. Convergent validity was also assessed with the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI). In Study 2, we further investigated the convergent and divergent validity of the OCI-R using a new sample of 221 students who completed a battery of measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, worry, and depression. There was a significant order effect for both the OCI-R and the MOCI: means of each measure were significantly lower when presented second. Despite the order effect, statistical analyses indicated that the OCI-R has adequate test-retest reliability for the full scale and subscale scores, solid factor structure, and high internal consistency. Convergent validity with other measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms was moderate to excellent, and divergent validity was good. The results indicate that the OCI-R is a short, psychometrically sound self-report measure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.