What are other-rated scales composed of? Sources of measurement error and true trait variance in other-ratings of the Big Five

Other-ratings of targets’ traits may consist – besides true trait variance (TTV) – of different measurement error sources, particularly due to raters, scales, items, measurement times, and random fluctuations. Using Gnambs’ (2015) and Ones, Wiernik, Wilmot, and Kostal’s (2016) procedures for partitioning variance in scales due to measurement error, available meta-analytical data on Big Five other-ratings were analyzed. They showed relatively little TTV (0–13%), which was especially decreased by both low inter-rater reliability and convergent validity of Big Five measures. Accounting for both, TTV levels rose, but were still small to medium (4–26%). These findings provide important insights on what Big Five other-ratings are composed of and how such scale scores may be interpreted and treated in further analyses (e.g., trait-outcome relations).     

Born to be biased? Unrealistic optimism and error management theory

When individuals display cognitive biases, they are prone to developing systematically false beliefs. Evolutionary psychologists have argued that rather than being a flaw in human cognition, biases may actually be design features. In my paper, I assess the claim that unrealistic optimism is such a design feature because it is a form of error management. Proponents of this theory say that when individuals make decisions under uncertainty, it can be advantageous to err on the side of overconfidence if the potential gains through success are high and the costs of failure are low. I argue that there are a number of conceptual problems in matching the theory with the existing data. I also show that there is empirical evidence against the error management hypothesis.     

On the Relation between Institutional Statuses and Technical Artifacts: A Proposed Taxonomy of Social Kinds

Technical artifacts do not seem particularly continuous with institutional statuses. If statuses are defined in terms of their constitutive rules, as Searle maintains, then disassociation is always possible – someone or something can satisfy those rules without being able to realize the functional effects that are associated with that status. The gap between technical artifacts and Searlean statuses suggests the possibility of an additional social kind, which I call, following Muhammad Ali Khalidi, a ‘real social kind’. However, the placement of real social kinds between technical artifacts and statuses recommends a reconfiguration of Khalidi’s most abstract characterization of the notion. This reconfiguration also lends support to his surprising claim that money is a real social kind.     

Older, not younger, children learn more false facts from stories

Early school-aged children listened to stories that contained correct and incorrect facts. All ages answered more questions correctly after having heard the correct fact in the story. Only the older children, however, produced story errors on a later general knowledge test. Source errors did not drive the increased suggestibility in older children, as they were better at remembering source than were the younger children. Instead, different processes are involved in learning correct and incorrect facts from fictional sources. All ages benefited from hearing correct answers because they activated a pre-existing semantic network. Older children, however, were better able to form memories of the misinformation and thus showed greater suggestibility on the general knowledge test.     

Williamson on inexact knowledge

Timothy Williamson claims that margin for error principles govern all cases of inexact knowledge. I show that this claim is unfounded: there are cases of inexact knowledge where Williamson’s argument for margin for error principles does not go through. The problematic cases are those where the value of the relevant parameter is fixed across close cases. I explore and reject two responses to my objection, before concluding that Williamson’s account of inexact knowledge is not compelling.

走向“和合人”——中国教育视域中人的形象的嬗变

理想的人的形象是教育活动的逻辑起点。教育视域中人的形象随社会经济——政治——文化等的变迁而变化。中国古代社会是农业经济社会,伦理与政治的双重建构决定了教育必须培养“君子儒”与其相适应,突出了教育“善”的一维;近现代社会中国为完成经济转型实现工业化,要求教育培养“技术人”承担历史使命,展示了教育“智”的一维的合理性与优先性;21世纪,为解决时代危机建设一个和谐的新社会,教育必须走向新的超越,培养“智”善”和合的“和合人”。     

基于多层结构方程模型的情境效应分析—— 兼与多层线性模型比较

多层(嵌套)数据的变量关系研究, 必须借助多层模型来实现。两层模型中, 层一自变量Xij按组均值中心化, 并将组均值 置于层2截距方程式中, 可将Xij对因变量Yij的效应分解为组间和组内部分, 二者之差被称为情境效应, 称为情境变量。多层结构方程模型(MSEM)将多层线性模型(MLM)和结构方程模型(SEM)相结合, 通过设置潜变量和多指标的方法校正了MLM在情境效应分析中出现的抽样误差和测量误差, 同时解决了数据的多层(嵌套)结构和潜变量的估计问题。除了分析原理的说明, 还以班级平均竞争氛围对学生竞争表现的情境效应为例进行分析方法的示范, 并比较MSEM和MLM的异同, 随后展望了MSEM情境效应模型、情境效应无偏估计方法和情境变量研究的拓展方向。     

Bug distribution and statistical pattern classification

A model (called the rule space model) which permits measuring cognitive skill acquisition, diagnosing cognitive errors, detecting the weaknesses and strengths of knowledge possessed by individuals was introduced earlier. This study further discusses the theoretical foundation of the model by introducing bug distribution and hypothesis testing (Bayes' decision rules for minimum errors) for classifying subjects into their most plausible latent state of knowledge. The model is illustrated with the domain of fraction arithmetic and compared with the results obtained from a conventional artificial intelligence approach.The authors would like to acknowledge Mr. Robert Baillie for developing several computer programs used for this research.This research was sponsored by the Personnel and Training Research Program, Psychological Sciences Division, Office of Naval Research.Some of the analyses presented in this report were performed on the PLATO® system. The PLATO® system is a development of the University of Illinois and PLATO® is a service mark of the Control Data Corporation.     

On equivariance and invariance of standard errors in three exploratory factor models

Current practice in factor analysis typically involves analysis of correlation rather than covariance matrices. We study whether the standardz-statistic that evaluates whether a factor loading is statistically necessary is correctly applied in such situations and more generally when the variables being analyzed are arbitrarily rescaled. Effects of rescaling on estimated standard errors of factor loading estimates, and the consequent effect onz-statistics, are studied in three variants of the classical exploratory factor model under canonical, raw varimax, and normal varimax solutions. For models with analytical solutions we find that some of the standard errors as well as their estimates are scale equivariant, while others are invariant. For a model in which an analytical solution does not exist, we use an example to illustrate that neither the factor loading estimates nor the standard error estimates possess scale equivariance or invariance, implying that different conclusions could be obtained with different scalings. Together with the prior findings on parameter estimates, these results provide new guidance for a key statistical aspect of factor analysis.We gratefully acknowledge the help of the Associate Editor and three referees whose constructive comments lead to an improved version of the paper. This work was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse Grants DA01070 and DA00017 and by the University of North Texas Faculty Research Grant Program.     

学习困难儿童与非学习困难儿童问题行为、社会技能的对比研究

本研究采用早期问题行为发现量表、社会技能测量量表对 12 0名小学四、五年级学生进行测量 ,其中学习困难儿童和非学习困难儿童各 6 0名。结果发现 :1.学习困难儿童与非学习困难儿童相比存在明显的问题行为 ;2 .学习困难儿童相对于其非学习困难同伴社会技能低下 ;3.学习困难儿童问题行为与社会技能存在不同程度的负相关