European and American WAIS IV norms: Cross‐national differences in perceptual reasoning,processing speed and working memory subtest scores

International comparisons of IQ test norms show differences between nations. In the present study, nonverbal reasoning, processing speed and working memory subtest scores of the US, German, French, Finnish, and Scandinavian (combined Swedish‐Norwegian‐Danish sample) WAIS IV standardization samples were compared. The European samples had higher scores on the reasoning subtests compared to the American sample, corroborating earlier studies. The Finnish and Scandinavian samples had lower processing speed and working memory scores than the American, German, and French samples. Mechanisms that may underlie the observed national IQ profiles include: (1) test‐taking attitudes—in tests that require balancing speed and accuracy of performance Americans may prioritize fast performance while Europeans avoid mistakes; (2) differences between languages in digit articulation times; and (3) educational factors—the European advantage on reasoning subtests may be based on there being better educational systems in Europe as compared to the US.     

The evil eye effect: vertical pupils are perceived as more threatening

Popular culture has many examples of evil characters having vertically pupilled eyes. Humans have a long evolutionary history of rivalry with snakes and their visual systems were evolved to rapidly detect snakes and snake-related cues. Considering such evolutionary background, we hypothesised that humans would perceive vertical pupils, which are characteristics of ambush predators including some of the snakes, as threatening. In seven studies (aggregate N?=?1458) conducted on samples from American and Turkish samples, we found that vertical pupils are perceived as more threatening on both explicit (Study 1) and implicit level (Studies 2–7) and they are associated with physical, rather than social, threat (Study 4). Findings provided partial support regarding our hypothesis about the relevance of snake detection processes: Snake phobia, and not spider phobia, was found to be related to perceiving vertical pupils as threatening (Study 5), however an experimental manipulation of saliency of snakes rendered no significant effect (Study 6) and a comparison of fears of snakes, alligators, and cats did not support our prediction (Study 7). We discuss the potential implications and limitations of these novel findings.     

Different practice effects for males and females by psychometric and chronometric mental-rotation tests

Gender differences in the psychometric mental-rotation test are usually larger than in the chronometric version. In both tests, practice effects appear for males and females. In this study, 104 participants (54 females, 50 males, age: 21.72 years) completed both tests in counterbalanced order. In the chronometric test, only males reacted and rotated significantly faster after the practice with the psychometric test. A strong practice effect independently of gender was found in the psychometric test and a gender difference in accuracy in favour of males. Males reported more confidence and females rated the perceived pressure of the time limit of the psychometric test higher than males. Consequently, differences in confidence after the practice could partly explain the gender differences in the improvements of reaction time and rotational speed. Practice from one mental-rotation test on the performance in another seems to be dependent of participants’ gender and the type of the test.     

创造力测量手段——同感评估技术（CAT）简介

同感评估技术（consensusassessmenttechnique）,又称主观评价法,是Amabile于1982年提出的评价创造力的一种方法。文章简要回顾了同感评估技术出现之前,基于发散思维测验的创造力评价法及其局限性。人们在寻求新的创造力评价方法的过程中,提出了同感评估技术。文章重点介绍了同感评估技术的理论基础,即它的同感定义和概念定义,然后说明了同感评估技术的具体使用方法、发展,以及在各领域的应用情况。最后,通过与创造性思维测验的比较,对同感评估技术作了评价,指出了CAT的优势和存在的问题     

不同归因方式的诱导对自尊不同学生失败后测验成绩的影响

采用2×2两因素被试间设计检验了不同归因方式的诱导对自尊不同学生失败后测验成绩的影响。结果表明:(1)总体上,高自尊组在失败后的测验成绩显著优于低自尊组;(2)内部归因后,高自尊组的后继测验成绩非常显著地优于低自尊组;外部归因后,高、低自尊组的后继测验成绩无显著差异;(3)对于高自尊组,内部归因后的后继测验成绩优于外部归因后的成绩,但未达到显著性水平;对于低自尊组,外部归因后的成绩显著优于内部归因后的成绩。     

情景判断测验的性质、功能与开发编制

给出了情景判断测验的定义,对其性质、功能作了探讨,提出了开发编制的两种基本模式。特别是,分析了行为情景所蕴涵的问题常系结构不良,而对行为反应选项所作判断却属定向比较选择,指出了二者间的不同;同时,主张引进表征水平理论等来指导试题编写。     

抑郁症患者的自传体记忆特征及其应用自传体记忆测验的元分析

研究目的在于探讨抑郁症患者自传体记忆的特征以及自传体记忆测验(the autobiographical memory test, AMT)在该领域的应用情况。通过文献检索, 搜集了18篇应用AMT作为测评工具的抑郁症自传体记忆研究, 抑郁症患者566人, 正常对照组457人。元分析研究发现, 和正常对照组比较, 抑郁症组的具体性记忆减少, 概括化记忆增多, 反应迟缓。目前对这种现象的解释主要有功能性回避模型、认知执行受损模型和沉思模型; 年龄、抑郁情绪以及AMT测试程序对测试结果有明显影响; 发表偏倚和敏感性分析显示存在发表偏倚, 但稳定性较好。AMT在抑郁症研究存在灵敏度不足等局限, 作者从AMT程序、研究设计等方面提出了改善建议。     

元记忆监控对外语语音信息加工的影响

这项研究在元记忆监控环境下考查真实教学情景中学习者对外语语音信息加工的实际效果。结果表明：在外文单词听觉再认与外文单词听觉再现测验中,无论是及时测验还是延时测验,实验组的成绩都明显高于控制组,元记忆训练对外语语音信息的加工是有影响的。     

认知诊断测验中基于信息矩阵的多群组DIF检验

基于改进的Wald统计量,将适用于两群组的DIF检测方法拓展至多群组的项目功能差异（DIF）检验;改进的Wald统计量将分别通过计算观察信息矩阵（Obs）和经验交叉相乘信息矩阵（XPD）而得到。模拟研究探讨了此二者与传统计算方法在多个群组下的DIF检验情况,结果表明：（1）Obs和XPD的一类错误率明显低于传统方法,DINA模型估计下Obs和XPD的一类错误率接近理论水平;（2）样本量和DIF量较大时,Obs和XPD具有与传统Wald统计量大体相同的统计检验力。     

History of Psychological Testing from the Perspective of Test Developers in Japan1

In this study, the history of psychological testing in Japan is described using the oral history method. Seven test developers discussed the development of Japanese versions of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale, and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. Three conclusions were identified. First, the motivation for developing the tests shifted from one of personal aspiration to a wider responsibility of specialists' desiring to make social contributions. Second, the test developers shifted from working in small, familiar, collaborative groups to working in groups of specialists conducting well-organized projects. Third, the development of tests has variously been led by researchers, publishers, researcher-and-publisher collaborations, or institutes. In addition, this study identifies contemporary challenges for developing psychological tests, specifically due to insufficient numbers of participants and test developers.