The confluence model and six divergent data sets: Comments on Zajonc and Bargh

In a recent article, Zajonc and Bargh demonstrated the ability of the confluence model in simulating widely divergent patterns of family configuration—intelligence relationships observed in six national data sets. Variations in the parameter estimations between nationalities were found to coincide with meaningful differences in the psychological characteristics of the populations tested. A closer look at these parameter estimates, however, seems to warrant a second opinon. Extreme differences in intelligence levels are predicted between nations, including substantial retardation for some populations. In addition, the parameter values of Zajonc and Bargh do not allow mental growth functions consistent with previous confluence notions.     

Rigidity in children's drawings and its relation with representational change

Four studies tested the application of to the drawing domain. In particular, we tested her claim that young children are inhibited in their attempts at changing their graphic representations (representational change) due to being constrained by the order in which the elements of the representation are drawn (procedural rigidity). The first study required 60 children (4- to 6-year-olds and an older comparison group of 8-year-olds) to make three drawings of a familiar and novel topic. From these drawings each child was measured for procedural rigidity. In a further drawing the child was asked to modify their usual representation of each topic. Regression analyses revealed procedural rigidity levels were not predictive of manipulation performance. A second study, testing 75 4- to 6-year-olds and a third study, testing 30 3- to 4-year-olds, revealed that when young children were specifically asked to manipulate rigid sub-procedures on a familiar topic they were indeed able to do so. Finally, a fourth study (testing 40 5-year-olds and 40 8-year-olds) removed the notational trace in drawing (a possible aid for procedural interruption) but this still produced no evidence of a relation between procedural rigidity and representational change. We suggest how the concept of procedural rigidity might be re-interpreted for the drawing domain so that the RR model can remain as a domain-general theory of cognitive development. We also suggest the development of information processing may be crucial for flexibility in drawing.     

Perceived competence: a common core for self-efficacy and self-concept?

This study uses Bandura's Multidimensional Scales of Perceived Self-Efficacy (MSPSE; Bandura, 1990) and Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (SPPA; Harter, 1988) to examine the extent to which self-efficacy and competency-related elements of the self-concept are independent constructs. Factor analysis of data provided by 778 high school students revealed that when measured using domain-general measures such as the MSPSE and SPPA, self-efficacy and competency self-concept do not represent totally separate, distinct constructs. Overlap of dimensions occurs at both the first- and second-order levels of analysis. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Perceived frequency of concrete and abstract words

Studies are reported which show that concrete and abstract words of equal objective frequency (based on available , word counts) are not perceived as being equal. The abstract word has greater perceived frequency than the concrete word. The judged variety of contexts in which a word appears correlates very highly with perceived frequency. The results have relevance to the design of learning studies in which concrete and abstract words are used. and also to the interpretation of such experiments.     

Combined eyetracking and keystroke-logging methods for studying cognitive processes in text production

Writers typically spend a certain proportion of time looking back over the text that they have written. This is likely to serve a number of different functions, which are currently poorly understood. In this article, we present two systems, ScriptLog+TimeLine and EyeWrite, that adopt different and complementary approaches to exploring this activity by collecting and analyzing combined eye movement and keystroke data from writers composing extended texts. ScriptLog+TimeLine is a system that is based on an existing keystroke-logging program and uses heuristic, pattern-matching methods to identify reading episodes within eye movement data. EyeWrite is an integrated editor and analysis system that permits identification of the words that the writer fixates and their location within the developing text. We demonstrate how the methods instantiated within these systems can be used to make sense of the large amount of data generated by eyetracking and keystroke logging in order to inform understanding of the cognitive processes that underlie written text production.     

An Experimental Variation of the Draw-A-Person Technique

This study uses Bandura's Multidimensional Scales of Perceived Self-Efficacy (MSPSE; Bandura, 1990) and Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (SPPA; Harter, 1988) to examine the extent to which self-efficacy and competency-related elements of the self-concept are independent constructs. Factor analysis of data provided by 778 high school students revealed that when measured using domain-general measures such as the MSPSE and SPPA, self-efficacy and competency self-concept do not represent totally separate, distinct constructs. Overlap of dimensions occurs at both the first- and second-order levels of analysis. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Subclinical delusional ideation and appreciation of sample size and heterogeneity in statistical judgment

Previous studies demonstrate that people high in delusional ideation exhibit a data‐gathering bias on inductive reasoning tasks. The current study set out to investigate the factors that may underpin such a bias by examining healthy individuals, classified as either high or low scorers on the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (PDI). More specifically, whether high PDI scorers have a relatively poor appreciation of sample size and heterogeneity when making statistical judgments. In Expt 1, high PDI scorers made higher probability estimates when generalizing from a sample of 1 with regard to the heterogeneous human property of obesity. In Expt 2, this effect was replicated and was also observed in relation to the heterogeneous property of aggression. The findings suggest that delusion‐prone individuals are less appreciative of the importance of sample size when making statistical judgments about heterogeneous properties; this may underpin the data gathering bias observed in previous studies. There was some support for the hypothesis that threatening material would exacerbate high PDI scorers' indifference to sample size.