Methods and measures in developmental emotions research: some assembly required

The remarkable contributors to this special issue highlight the importance of developmental research on emotion and its regulation, as well as its conceptual and methodological challenges. This commentary offers some additional thoughts, especially concerning alternative views of the convergence of multiple measures of emotional responding, the conceptualization of emotion and emotion regulation, and future directions for work in this field. In the end, in light of the complex construction of emotion and its development, we may learn from studying the divergence among multiple components of emotional responding as we do from expectations of their convergence. In each case, some assembly is required.     

Replications and extensions in arousal assessment for sex offenders with developmental disabilities

Three adult male sex offenders with developmental disabilities participated in phallometric assessments that involved repeated measures of arousal when exposed to various stimuli. Arousal assessment outcomes were similar to those obtained by Reyes et al. (2006). Additional data-analysis methods provided further information about sexual preferences, thus replicating and extending previous research. The results provide preliminary data for establishing a preference gradient by age. Implications for the use of repeated measures and preference gradients in arousal assessments are discussed.     

An assessment of the efficiency of and child preference for forward and backward chaining

Comparative studies of forward and backward chaining have led some to suggest that sensitivity to each teaching procedure may be idiosyncratic across learners and tasks. The purposes of the current study were threefold. First, we assessed differential sensitivity to each chaining procedure within children when presented with multiple learning tasks of similar content but different complexity. Second, we evaluated whether differential sensitivity to a chaining procedure during a brief task predicted differential sensitivity during the teaching of longer tasks. Third, we directly assessed children's preferences for each teaching procedure via a concurrent-chains preference assessment. Learners acquired all target skills introduced under both chaining conditions, but individual children did not consistently learn more efficiently with either procedure. Short-duration tasks were not predictive of performance in tasks of longer duration. Both chaining procedures were preferred over a baseline condition without prompting, but participants did not demonstrate a preference for either procedure.     

Classroom application of a trial-based functional analysis

We evaluated a trial-based approach to conducting functional analyses in classroom settings. Ten students referred for problem behavior were exposed to a series of assessment trials, which were interspersed among classroom activities throughout the day. Results of these trial-based functional analyses were compared to those of more traditional functional analyses. Outcomes of both assessments showed correspondence in 6 of the 10 cases and partial correspondence in a 7th case. Results of the standard functional analysis suggested reasons for obtained differences in 2 cases of noncorrespondence, which were verified when portions of the trial-based functional analyses were modified and repeated. These results indicate that a trial-based functional analysis may be a viable assessment method when resources needed to conduct a standard functional analysis are unavailable. Implications for classroom-based assessment methodologies and future directions for research are discussed.     

Keeping the illusion of control under control: Ceilings, floors, and imperfect calibration

Prior research has claimed that people exaggerate probabilities of success by overestimating personal control in situations that are heavily or completely chance-determined. We examine whether such overestimation of control persists in situations where people do have control. Our results suggest a simple model that accounts for prior findings on illusory control as well as for situations where actual control is high: People make imperfect estimates of their level of control. By focusing on situations marked by low control, prior research has created the illusion that people generally overestimate their level of control. Across three studies, we show that when they have a great deal of control, people under-estimate it. Implications for research on perceived control and co-variation assessment are discussed.     

The General Factor of Personality in selection and assessment samples

In two large samples (N₁ = 44,971, N₂ = 7793) we tested the General Factor of Personality (GFP) in the Big Five, measured during selection and assessment. A GFP could clearly be identified in the data, explaining approximately 50% of the Big Five variance. We found indications for socially desirable response tendencies in a subgroup that was tested for selection purposes. Yet, this tendency did not affect the personality factor structure or the GFP characteristics. Moreover, in the selection sample, the GFP was moderately related to the Overall Assessment Rating. The findings confirm the GFP in an applied setting and support the idea that the GFP does not merely reflect methodological artifacts but is substantive.     

Profiling Marital Satisfaction among Graduate Students: an Analysis of the Perceptions of Masters and Doctoral-Students

This study investigated marital satisfaction among graduate students. Using the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-R (MSI-R), 65 graduate students were surveyed. The results revealed multiple common areas of marital concern based on degree program of the student. These findings offer implications for psycho-educational and responsive interventions for clinicians working with this population.     

Predictive value of neuropsychological assessment; with regards to life expectancy among cardiac bypass surgery patients

This follow-up study to Keith et al. (2002) sought to explore relations between the cognitive, neuropsychological, and psychosocial sequelae of cardiopulmonary bypass surgery (CPB) and survival. A neuropsychological test battery including the state portion of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (S-STAI), reaction time, visual attention (VFA), rotor pursuit, visual spatial memory, verbal memory and paired associations (PA) was administered. PA (P < .05), VFA and S-STAI scores were related with 5–7 year survival. After the Benjamini-Hochberg method was employed to control for multiple comparisons only S-STAI scores remained significant. Results of logistic regression indicate that pre-CPB surgery scores on the S-STAI accurately predicted 5–7 year survival and mortality in 66% and 83% of cases respectively.     

ProjectA对我军士兵心理选拔研究的启示

美国军队选拔与分类项目（The Army’s Selection And Classification Project,Project A）是美军20世纪80年代为改进军队人员的选拔、分类和使用,加强军队质量建设而进行的一项大规模的研究工作,其目的是建立一套完整、科学、符合军队建设需要的军队人员选拔与分类方法,形成一整套用于军队人员军队人员选拔与分类的预测工具。本文简要介绍了Project A产生的背景、研究目的、基本实验设计、绩效评价系统建立、预测工具以及预测效度,并对我军开展士兵心理选拔分类以及安置的必要性和可行性做了简要分析,提出了基本构想