Test of memory malingering with children: The utility of Trial 1 and TOMMe10 as screeners of test validity

There is a growing body of research suggesting that the shorter versions of the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) may provide an accurate assessment of effort in children. During neuropsychological evaluations, some circumstances result in only one completed trial of the TOMM or partial completion of a trial. Research suggests that a cut-score of 40 or 41 on Trial1 is highly predictive of passing the TOMM overall. In the current study, 194 school-age children with academic and/or behavioral problems were used to compare the accuracy of TOMM1 and TOMMe10 (errors on the first 10 items of TOMM1) in predicting passing/failing of TOMM2. For the children in this sample, a score of < 40 items correct (≥ 10 errors) on TOMM1 was highly accurate in predicting a passing performance on the TOMM2 (sensitivity = .80, specificity = .91) with a Negative Predictive Value = .98 at the malingering base rate of 7% (TOMM2 failure in our sample). A score of 2 errors (8 items correct) on the TOMMe10 was slightly less sensitive than that of the TOMM1 (specificity = .96, sensitivity = .53) but with a similar Negative Predictive Value (.96). Consistent with the research from adult populations, TOMM1 and TOMMe10 appear to be quite accurate in predicting performance on the standard administration of the TOMM and may be useful screeners. However, compared to that found in adult samples, slight differences in suggested cutoffs for TOMM1 and TOMMe10 may be warranted for children.     

布鲁默学习测验(BLT)中文测题册试用本的编制报告

布鲁默学习测验（ＢＬＴ）是一项以学习模式为研究内容的学习过程测验。作为ＢＬＴ中文版修订工作的首要阶段,课题组在研究ＢＬＴ理论原理,测验结构和内容和基础上,结合我国中小学教学实际,以简单常用的部首和汉字为主要测验材料编制出ＢＬＴ中文版测题册试用本,并作了试测和数据分析。结果表明,试用本具有较高的信度和效度,并保持了作为学习过程测验的特色,达到了研究目的。     

Specific effects of the Trier Social Stress Test on speech fluency in young and older adults

The notion that speech becomes less fluent during stressful speaking conditions has received little empirical test, and no research has tested this relationship in older adult participants. We analyzed speeches produced during the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) or during a less stressful placebo (pTSST) version of the task. We measured young and older adults’ speech fillers (e.g., um), unfilled pauses (at least 1 s in duration), and other disfluencies (e.g., repetitions, repairs). Neither young nor older adult participants rated themselves as having greater stress in the TSST than pTSST condition, but behavioral effects were obtained. Participants in the TSST condition produced more mid-phrase speech fillers and unfilled pauses than participants in the pTSST condition. Young adults produced more unfilled pauses than older adults overall, and older adults produced more mid-phrase fillers than young adults. Critically, age group interacted with experimental condition, such that older speakers produced disproportionately more mid-phrase fillers than young adults in the TSST compared to the pTSST condition. In sum, the negative effects of the TSST on fluency were generally similar across age, but this specific age-related increase in mid-phrase fillers indicates that older adults’ word retrieval may have been particularly negatively affected. Findings are generally consistent with previous research and add to understanding of how factors internal to the speaker (i.e., demographic, personality, and cognitive variables) and factors external to the speaker (i.e., variables regarding the situation, context, or content of speech) combine to affect speech fluency.     

儿童受欺负与急性社会应激中应激反应的关系

研究旨在考察受欺负经历与儿童下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴系统应激功能的关系。根据受欺负得分挑选出52名受欺负和未受欺负儿童,考察两类儿童在特里尔社会应激测验(Trier Social Stress Test,TSST)中的皮质醇分泌及主观紧张度的特征差异。结果发现:(1)在TSST中,受欺负者的皮质醇浓度显著高于未受欺负者;(2)两类儿童在TSST中的主观紧张度不存在显著差异。研究结果与慢性应激破坏HPA轴应激功能的过程是从敏化到钝化的理论假说相一致。     

医学研究者的经济利益冲突对临床试验的影响——美国的经验与启示

研究者的经济利益冲突对医学临床试验可能会产生消极影响。本文依据美国的研究成果,利用大量的统计数据和真实的案例,分析了研究者在临床试验中的主要经济利益,揭示了这些经济利益如何对研究的设计、执行和报告产生影响,以及可能造成的危害。     

青少年内隐与外显自尊的比较研究

运用两种程序分别测量了青少年的内隐自尊与外显自尊。内隐自尊由内隐联想测验测量,外显自尊由三项自尊量表测量。研究结果表明:在不同年龄阶段与不同性别的青少年中内隐自尊普遍存在;无论是内隐自尊还是外显自尊都不存在显著的性别差异;内隐自尊无显著的年龄差异;外显自尊存在显著的年龄差异,其中高中生比初中生和大学生有更低的外显自尊;内隐自尊与外显自尊之间无显著相关。     

Changing the affective valence of the stimulus items influences the IAT by re-defining the category labels

The Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998) is a computer-based categorization task that measures concept association strengths. Greenwald et al. (1998) demonstrated that participants completed the categorizations more quickly when pleasant and flower shared a response key than when pleasant and insect shared a response key, and when pleasant and White shared a response key than when pleasant and Black shared a response key. In Study 1, we reversed the typical IAT effect for flowers and insects, and eliminated the typical IAT effect for White and Black, by changing the affective valence of the stimulus items. In Study 2, we replicated the reversibility effect for an animal and plant IAT, and supported a category re-definition hypothesis. Our results have implications for understanding the IAT, and suggest that the IAT not only measures stereotypic responses, but can also be influenced by individuating information of the stimulus items.     

Multidimensional assessment of family involvement among urban elementary students

Family involvement in children's education is fundamental for academic success. This study extended the research on the Family Involvement Questionnaire for Early Childhood (FIQ-EC) by further developing the measure and testing its use with low-income urban elementary students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses affirmed three salient and reliable family involvement dimensions for a large sample of urban first- through fifth-grade students: Home-based Involvement, School-based Involvement, and Home–School Communication. Multivariate analyses demonstrated the significance of caregiver educational background, family characteristics, and child gender to involvement dimensions. Caregiver age or children's grade level did not significantly relate to family involvement dimensions. This study contributes to evidence for a multidimensional understanding of family involvement.     

内隐性别刻板印象与自尊的关系研究

为了考察内隐性别刻板印象的存在广度,以及探讨它与自尊的关系,本研究采用内隐联想测验(IAT)和自尊量表(SES)考察65名大学生被试的内隐性别刻板印象和自尊水平,得出以下结论:一、大学生中普遍存在着内隐性别刻板印象,并且不同性别的内隐性别刻板印象不具有显著差异。二、有内隐性别刻板印象的人群中,不同性别的自尊水平差异不显著。三、内隐性别刻板印象与个体自尊水平的相关不显著。