Reliability of absence measures.

4 different absence measures were defined and examined: attitudinal absences, absence frequency, absence severity, and medical absences. Attitudinal absences and absence frequency were sufficiently reliable to be used as criterion measures; absence severity and medical absences were considered to be too unreliable for use as criterion measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Metamemory across the adult lifespan.

Examines the available research on memory awareness during adulthood and summarizes a framework for broadening life-span metamemory research to capture potentially important types of knowledge about memory. This framework, by M. Pressley, J. G. Borkowski, and W. Schneider (1987) is termed the Good Strategy User Model. Types of metamemory specified by the model are described, followed by commentary about their potential relevance to the elderly. The focus of metamemory research across the adult lifespan is viewed as becoming broader, in light of contemporary thinking about the nature of metacognition. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Variance in faking across noncognitive measures.

There are discrepant findings in the literature regarding the effects of applicant faking on the validity of noncognitive measures. One explanation for these mixed results may be the failure of some studies to consider individual differences in faking. This study demonstrates that there is considerable variance across individuals in the extent of faking 3 types of noncognitive measures (i.e., personality test, biodata inventory, and integrity test). Participants completed measures honestly and with instructions to fake. Results indicated some measures were more difficult to fake than others. The authors found that integrity, conscientiousness, and neuroticism were related to faking. In addition, individuals faked fairly consistently across the measures. Implications of these results and a model of faking that includes factors that may influence faking behavior are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Holland in Iceland revisited: An emic approach to evaluating U.S. vocational interest models.

An emic approach was used to test the structural validity and applicability of Holland's (1997) RIASEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional) model in Iceland. Archival data from the development of the Icelandic Interest Inventory (Einarsdóttir & Rounds, 2007) were used in the present investigation. The data included an indigenous pool of occupations and work-task items representing Iceland's world of work that had been administered to a sample of 597 upper secondary school students. Multidimensional scaling analysis and property vector fitting using Prediger's (1981) work-task dimensions were applied to the item responses to test if the RIASEC model could be identified. The results indicated that a 4-dimensional solution better explains the interest space in Iceland than Holland's 2-dimensional RIASEC representation. The work-task dimension of People–Things and the Sex-Type and Prestige dimensions were located in the 1st and 2nd dimensions of the multidimensional scaling solution, but Data–Ideas, a dimension critical to the RIASEC model, was not. The 3rd and 4th dimensions did not correspond to any dimensions previously detected in structural studies in the United States and seem to be related to specific ecological, cultural, and political forces in Iceland. These results demonstrate the importance of selecting representative indigenous occupations and work tasks when evaluating the RIASEC model. The present study is an example of the next step in a comprehensive cross-cultural research program on vocational interests, an emic investigation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reliability estimated by scoring key equivalence across samples.

Estimated reliability of a biographical inventory (BI) by correlating scores from preexistent BI scoring keys with scores from empirically constructed BI scoring keys. Exp. I demonstrated that a preexistent scoring key, developed on National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists to predict creativity, was correlated .87 (n = 294) and .91 (n = 296) with scoring keys empirically constructed to predict creativity for 2 samples of industrially employed scientists and engineers. Exp. II demonstrated that preexistent scoring keys, constructed on 11,246 university freshmen to predict GPA, were correlated .88 with scoring keys empirically constructed to predict GPA for high school students. Test-retest reliability estimates and validity generalization estimates support the above results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-concept differentiation across the adult life span.

This study used 2 measures to examine 158 adults' (80 men, 78 women; ages 20 to 88 years) self-concept differentiation (SCD) across 5 role-specific self-representations. Findings revealed that the 2 measures did not assess SCD in similar ways and that they showed different associations with age. Specifically, the 1st measure was not significantly related to age, whereas the 2nd measure showed a curvilinear, U-shaped association with age. The 2nd SCD index also showed significant associations with several measures of emotional adjustment and 6 dimensions of psychological well-being. Additional analyses showed that age moderated the associations between SCD and positive and negative psychological well-being. A high level of SCD was associated with lower positive and higher negative psychological well-being for both young and older adults. However, this effect was significantly more pronounced in older adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of the research training environment and counseling psychology students' Holland personality type on interest in research.

We surveyed 358 counseling psychology students in 10 APA-accredited programs with regard to change in research interest and (a) research training environment, (b) J. L. Holland (1978) personality type, and (c) environment-personality interactions. Investigative and Investigative-Artistic students had the highest interest in research. Enterprising interests were related to lower levels of research interest and delay in completing training. Programs identified in a previous study as having the greatest positive impact on research interest were found in the current study to also select students with more Investigative interests. Environment, person (Holland type), and some person–environment interactions were all predictive of increased research interest, but person variables were the strongest predictors. The most impactful specific environment factors may depend on the Holland personality type of the student. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and obesity across the adult life span.

Personality traits contribute to health outcomes, in part through their association with major controllable risk factors, such as obesity. Body weight, in turn, reflects our behaviors and lifestyle and contributes to the way we perceive ourselves and others. In this study, the authors use data from a large (N = 1,988) longitudinal study that spanned more than 50 years to examine how personality traits are associated with multiple measures of adiposity and with fluctuations in body mass index (BMI). Using 14,531 anthropometric assessments, the authors modeled the trajectory of BMI across adulthood and tested whether personality predicted its rate of change. Measured concurrently, participants higher on Neuroticism or Extraversion or lower on Conscientiousness had higher BMI; these associations replicated across body fat, waist, and hip circumference. The strongest association was found for the impulsivity facet: Participants who scored in the top 10% of impulsivity weighed, on average, 11Kg more than those in the bottom 10%. Longitudinally, high Neuroticism and low Conscientiousness, and the facets of these traits related to difficulty with impulse control, were associated with weight fluctuations, measured as the variability in weight over time. Finally, low Agreeableness and impulsivity-related traits predicted a greater increase in BMI across the adult life span. BMI was mostly unrelated to change in personality traits. Personality traits are defined by cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns that likely contribute to unhealthy weight and difficulties with weight management. Such associations may elucidate the role of personality traits in disease progression and may help to design more effective interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The salience of emotion across the adult life span.

Recent research on emotion has rendered equivocal traditional views of diminished emotionality in late life. This study focused on the salience of emotion in 83 Ss aged 20–83 yrs. Using an incidental memory paradigm, Ss read a narrative containing equivalent amounts of emotional and neutral information. Salience was measured by the proportion of emotional versus neutral phrases recalled at the end of a 1-hr experimental session. Contrary to models of diminished emotionality, results suggest that the relative salience of emotion increases linearly with age and cohort. Results are discussed within the framework of cognitive theories of adult development and socioemotional selectivity theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adults' conceptions of intelligence across the adult life span.

To examine whether young, middle-aged, and older adults view the concept of intelligent person as similar or different during adulthood, 140 adults of various ages rated how likely it would be for individuals of average and exceptional intelligence at 30, 50, and 70 yrs of age to be engaged in behaviors previously identified by adults as characterizing adult intelligence. Adults perceived more similarity between exceptionally intelligent prototypes of closer ages (i.e., 30 and 50 yrs; 50 and 70 yrs). Intelligence was perceived to consist of interest and ability to deal with novelty, everyday competence, and verbal competence (dimensions that were perceived to be differentially important for different-aged prototypes and by individuals of different ages). Participants' conceptions also included the idea that intelligence is malleable and that abilities differentially increase or decrease across the life span. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Demonstration of presbycusis across repeated measures in a nonhuman primate species.

Over a period of 3 yrs, the authors repeatedly examined the progress of age-related hearing loss in 7 rhesus monkeys; 3 were 31 yrs old, 2 were 24 yrs old, and 2 were 9 yrs old. Pure-tone audiograms for 7 frequencies (.125, .500, 2.000, 4.000, 16.000, 22.667, and 32.000 kHz) were obtained by the psychophysical tracking method. Analysis indicated the presence of presbycusis in the older Ss. Ss demonstrating presbycusis showed a progressive decrement in the ability to detect higher frequencies and an overall hearing loss at all frequencies. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive assessment of depression: Reliability and validity of three measures.

456 undergraduates completed the Beck Depression Inventory, an automatic thoughts questionnaire (ATQ), the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), and an interpretation inventory (II). Comparison of the ATQ, DAS, and II in terms of their internal reliability and concurrent validity showed that the ATQ was a more satisfactory instrument for measuring depression. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychometric approaches for developing commensurate measures across independent studies: Traditional and new models.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 14(4) of Psychological Methods (see record 2009-22665-007). In this article, the authors wrote, "To our knowledge, the multisample framework is the only available option within these [latent variable] programs that allows for the moderation of all types of parameters, and this approach requires a single categorical moderator variable to define the samples.” Bengt Muthén has clarified for the authors that some programs, including Mplus and Mx, can allow for continuous moderation through the implementation of nonlinear constraints involving observed variables, further enlarging the class of MNLFA models that can be fit with these programs.] When conducting an integrative analysis of data obtained from multiple independent studies, a fundamental problem is to establish commensurate measures for the constructs of interest. Fortunately, procedures for evaluating and establishing measurement equivalence across samples are well developed for the linear factor model and commonly used item response theory models. A newly proposed moderated nonlinear factor analysis model generalizes these models and procedures, allowing for items of different scale types (continuous or discrete) and differential item functioning across levels of categorical and/or continuous variables. The potential of this new model to resolve the problem of measurement in integrative data analysis is shown via an empirical example examining changes in alcohol involvement from ages 10 to 22 years across 2 longitudinal studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-concept therapy for adolescent females.

14 adolescent females referred for delinquent and acting-out behaviors were compared pre- and posttreatment on measures of self-concept, ideal self-concept, and anxiety. These Ss were in a 10-wk socialization program designed to produce positive changes in self-concept; 9 Ss were in a group run by community volunteers, and 5 Ss were in a group run by mental health professionals. Self-concept changes in a nonreferred comparison group of 8 nondelinquent Ss appeared nearly random in contrast to the systematic improvement for the 14 Ss in therapy. There was some evidence of differential affectiveness in that Ss in the professionally led group appeared to undergo the most marked changes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Empathy across the adult lifespan: Longitudinal and experience-sampling findings.

This study examined change in self-reported empathy in a four-wave longitudinal study spanning 12 years (1992-2004) and the association between empathy and other measures, including daily reports of relationship experiences. Participants initially ranged in age from 10 years to 87 years. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of age with empathy revealed divergent patterns. Whereas cross-sectional analyses suggested that older adults scored lower in empathy than younger adults, longitudinal analyses showed no age-related decline in empathy. This combined pattern suggests that the cross-sectional age-differences reflect a cohort rather than an age effect, with older cohorts reporting lower levels of empathy than younger ones. Independent of age, empathy was associated with a positive well-being (e.g., life satisfaction) and interaction profile (e.g., positive relations with others). In addition, a subsample of participants (n = 114) conducted experience-sampling about social interactions for a week. People with high self-reported empathy perceived their interactions as more meaningful, felt more positive in these interactions, and thought that their interaction partner felt also more positive. Thus, self-reported empathy was meaningfully associated with adults' actual social interactions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Phonological codes are used in integrating information across saccades in word identification and reading.

A major issue in reading is the extent to which phonological information is used in visual word perception. The present experiments demonstrated that phonological information acquired on 1 fixation from a word in the parafovea is used to help identify that word when it is later fixated. A homophone of a target word, when presented as a preview in the parafovea, facilitated processing in the target word seen on the next fixation more than a preview of a word matched with the homophone in visual similarity to the target word. This facilitation was observed both in the time to name an isolated target word and in the fixation time on the target word while silently reading a sentence; the preview was virtually never consciously identified in either task. Because the visual similarity of the preview to the target also plays a part in the facilitative effect on the preview, however, codes other than phonological codes are preserved across saccades. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in sustained attention across the adult life span.

We used a life span sample of 18- to 91-year-old men (n?=?176) and women (n?=?108) to investigate sex differences and the effect of age on sex differences in performance and arousal during a 62-min no-memory-demand sensory vigilance task (Mackworth's Clock-Test). We observed sex differences in target response time and on measures of autonomic arousal; women were slower and less aroused than men. A review of the literature, in conjunction with the results of this study, led to our concluding that women are slower to respond to targets than men and that women may tend to detect fewer targets than men only when they are young (18–29 years old). Sex differences in arousal levels were consistent with an arousal explanation of sex differences in response time. However, detection accuracy and false alarm rates were not consistent with sex differences in arousal levels. Sex differences in the time course of vigilance performance were inconsistent. Age did not significantly moderate the sex differences in vigilance decrement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Emotional experience in everyday life across the adult life span.

Age differences in emotional experience over the adult life span were explored, focusing on the frequency, intensity, complexity, and consistency of emotional experience in everyday life. One hundred eighty-four people, age 18 to 94 years, participated in an experience-sampling procedure in which emotions were recorded across a 1-week period. Age was unrelated to frequency of positive emotional experience. A curvilinear relationship best characterized negative emotional experience. Negative emotions declined in frequency until approximately age 60, at which point the decline ceased. Individual factor analyses computed for each participant revealed that age was associated with more differentiated emotional experience. In addition, periods of highly positive emotional experience were more likely to endure among older people and periods of highly negative emotional experience were less stable. Findings are interpreted within the theoretical framework of socioemotional selectivity theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The structure of working memory abilities across the adult life span.

The present study addresses three questions regarding age differences in working memory: (1) whether performance on complex span tasks decreases as a function of age at a faster rate than performance on simple span tasks; (2) whether spatial working memory decreases at a faster rate than verbal working memory; and (3) whether the structure of working memory abilities is different for different age groups. Adults, ages 20–89 (n = 388), performed three simple and three complex verbal span tasks and three simple and three complex spatial memory tasks. Performance on the spatial tasks decreased at faster rates as a function of age than performance on the verbal tasks, but within each domain, performance on complex and simple span tasks decreased at the same rates. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that domain-differentiated models yielded better fits than models involving domain-general constructs, providing further evidence of the need to distinguish verbal and spatial working memory abilities. Regardless of which domain-differentiated model was examined, and despite the faster rates of decrease in the spatial domain, age group comparisons revealed that the factor structure of working memory abilities was highly similar in younger and older adults and showed no evidence of age-related dedifferentiation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)