An alternating least squares algorithm for fitting the two- and three-way dedicom model and the idioscal model

The DEDICOM model is a model for representing asymmetric relations among a set of objects by means of a set of coordinates for the objects on a limited number of dimensions. The present paper offers an alternating least squares algorithm for fitting the DEDICOM model. The model can be generalized to represent any number of sets of relations among the same set of objects. An algorithm for fitting this three-way DEDICOM model is provided as well. Based on the algorithm for the three-way DEDICOM model an algorithm is developed for fitting the IDIOSCAL model in the least squares sense.The author is obliged to Jos ten Berge and Richard Harshman.     

Convergence properties of an iterative procedure of ipsatizing and standardizing a data matrix,with applications to parafac/candecomp preprocessing

Centering a matrix row-wise and rescaling it column-wise to a unit sum of squares requires an iterative procedure. It is shown that this procedure converges to a stable solution. This solution need not be centered row-wise if the limiting point of the interations is a matrix of rank one. The results of the present paper bear directly on several types of preprocessing methods in Parafac/Candecomp.     

Psychometric instability of measures in novel settings: Use of psychiatric rating scales in nursing homes

Researchers have become increasingly concerned about problems of the quality of measurement in applied evaluation settings. Of particular importance is change in both the reliability and the validity of a measure that is used in a novel setting. This problem is illustrated by an attempt to use psychiatric rating scales to assess the behavior of chronic mental patients currently residing in nursing homes. Methods for assessing changes in both reliability and validity are presented, along with suggestions for how to deal with these problems.This research was supported in part by an Extramural Research Grant from the State of Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities.     

Measures of observer agreement when binomial data are collected in free operant situations

This paper examines a model and defines reasonable assumptions underlying different measures of observer agreement for categorical data collected in free operant situations. It is assumed that two or more observers classify operant behaviors of subjects into occurrences and nonoccurrences by recognition by validated response classes (categories) such that the rates of false positives and observer biases are acceptably low. Thus errors are mostly omissions, i.e., failing to observe events that occur. Four alternative cases are derived, together with formulas for calculating significance tests, variances, and standard errors, three of which do not depend on knowledge of the proportion of time points at which the event does not occur.We wish to acknowledge NICHD Grant HD-10570, The Neuropharmacology of Developmental Disorders, George Breese, Ph.D., and C. T. Gualtieri, M.D., Principal Investigators; NIEHS Grant ES-01104; USPHS Grant HD-03110; and MCH Project 916 to the Division for Disorders of Development and Learning.     

Statistics as psychometrics

In this paper, modern statistics is considered as a branch of psychometrics and the question of how the central problems of statistics can be resolved using psychometric methods is investigated. Theories and methods developed in the fields of test theory, scaling, and factor analysis are related to the principle problems of modern statistical theory and method. Topics surveyed include assessment of probabilities, assessment of utilities, assessment of exchangeability, preposterior analysis, adversary analysis, multiple comparisons, the selection of predictor variables, and full-rank ANOVA. Reference is made to some literature from the field of cognitive psychology to indicate some of the difficulties encountered in probability and utility assessment. Some methods for resolving these difficulties using the Computer-Assisted Data Analysis (CADA) Monitor are described, as is some recent experimental work on utility assessment.1980 Psychometric Society presidential address.I am indebted to Paul Slovic and David Libby for valuable consultation on the issues discussed in this paper and to Nancy Turner and Laura Novick for assistance in preparation.Research reported herein was supported under contract number N00014-77-C-0428 from the Office of Naval Research to The University of Iowa, Melvin R. Novick, principal investigator. Opinions expressed herein reflect those of the author and not those of sponsoring agencies.     

The Marital Communication Rating Schedule: An instrument for clinical assessment

The Marital Communication Rating Schedule (MCRaS) is presented as an observationally based clinical rating system for assessing verbal behavior in marital communication. Data from 35 response display discussions lasting from 20 to 30 min each, which took place between 11 married couples, were used to examine aspects of the reliability and validity of the instrument. Three raters made independent ratings of 37 MCRaS categories for each husband and wife for each discussion period. Reliability among the raters was shown to be high when calculated within one scale point. Concurrent validity was assessed by comparing MCRaS ratings for four categories with observationally based validation criteria independently coded and measured. Results indicated that for three categories — negative statements, overgeneralizations, and amount of talk — ratings produced results that were similar to those yielded by laborious coding of audiotapes. For one category, opinions requested, a relationship between the ratings and coded data was not found. The validation results were discussed in terms of possible differences in the basis of ratings for the categories subjected to validation. Although further research is needed, it was concluded that MCRaS has many of the desirable qualities needed in a clinically useful, observationally based rating system.This investigation was conducted in connection with the Sociobehavioral Research Project at The University of Michigan when Joyce Borkin and Claude L. Walter were affiliated with the project.     

On more powerful tests of judge agreement with a known standard

To establish the existence of his abilities, a judge is given the task of classifying each ofN=rs subjects into one ofr known categories, each containings of the subjects. An incomplete design is proposed whereby the judge is presented withb groups, each one containingn=rs/b<r subjects. Then different categories corresponding to members of the group are known. Using the total number of correct classifications, this method of grouping is compared to that in which the group size is equal to the number of categories. The incomplete grouping is shown to yield a more powerful test for discriminating between the null hypothesis that the judge is guessing the classifications and the alternative hypothesis that he has some definite abilities. The incomplete design is found to be most effective (powerful) when the number of subjects in a group is limited to two or three.The author is grateful for the suggestions of the referees and the editor, which greatly improved the paper.     

Stimulus affectivity of the Danish Word Association Test as measured by response heterogeneity and Rasch scaled number of prolonged reaction times

With the purpose of increasing the knowledge of the psychometric properties of the 70-item Danish Word Association Test, data from three samples of non-patients and psychiatric patients (N = 326) were used to provide two measures of affectivity of the stimulus words, response heterogeneity and reaction time prolongation. It was possible to fit an item response theory one-parameter measurement (Rasch) model to the number of reaction time prolongations (> or =3 seconds) for 54 of the stimulus words. Correlation between Rasch-model item parameters and response heterogeneity was high (r = 0.86), while no correlation was found between either of these measures and frequency of the stimulus words in the Danish language. Both measures of stimulus affectivity supported a theoretically based classification of stimulus words as emotional or neutral. Response heterogeneity measures and Rasch measurement item and person parameters for reaction time prolongations are provided.     

Visual cognitive algorithms for high-dimensional data and super-intelligence challenges

In the long run the cognitive algorithms intend to make super-intelligent machines and super-intelligent humans. This paper presents a technical process to reach specific aspects of super-intelligence that are out of the current human cognitive abilities. These aspects are inabilities to discover patterns in large numeric multidimensional data with a naked eye. This is a long-standing problem in Data Science and Modeling in general. The major obstacle is in human inability to see n-D data by a naked eye and our needs in visualization means to represent n-D data in 2-D losslessly. While these means exist their number and abilities are limited. This paper expands the class of such lossless visual methods, by further developing a new concept of Generalized Shifted Paired Coordinates. It shows the advantages of proposed reversible lossless technique by representing real data and by proving mathematical properties.