Global and specific ratings of teaching effectiveness and their relation to course objectives: Reply to Marsh (1994).

W E. Cashin and R. G. Downey (see record 1994-08141-001) studied global student rating items, plus some control variables, for summative evaluation using the Instructional Development and Effectiveness Assessment (IDEA) composite from 17,183 classes processed in 1989–1990 as the criterion variable. H. W. Marsh (see record 1995-08082-001), analyzing 29,543 classes processed in 1990–1991, raised some questions about the effectiveness of the IDEA composite as a criterion of effective teaching. Marsh generated four additional criterion variables from the IDEA data. However, examination of Marsh's data revealed only minor differences. When the original study was replicated with each of Marsh's four criterion variables, the results were essentially the same. Using Marsh's criterion variables supported the original conclusion that global items account for most of the variance in criterion measures of teaching effectiveness and may be used for summative evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Context and serial-order effects in personality measurement: Limits on the generality of measuring changes the measure.

It has recently been argued that the process of measuring personality constructs changes the consistency of responses to items. E. S. Knowles (see record 1989-00043-001) showed that items appearing later in a questionnaire are more related to total score than items appearing earlier. J. C. Hamilton and T. R. Shuminsky (see record 1991-08792-001) offered empirical support for the hypothesis that level of self-awareness is responsible for this serial-order effect. The present study investigated the generality of the proposition that measuring personality constructs using a self-report questionnaire changes the construct measured. With techniques of item response theory (IRT), it was found that the findings of previous investigations may be explained by more specific item-context effects due to both the item's content and serial position. These findings are discussed within a framework that uses IRT to test hypotheses about item-context effects and personality measurement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Probability matching in visual selective attention.

J. Jonides (see record 1981-22746-001) suggested a model to account for shifts of spatial attention in visual search tasks with less than 100% cue validity. This 2-stage probability matching model was subsequently tested by Jonides (see record 1984-08558-001). Reaction time (RT) distribution characteristics provided some support for the model. The present author reanalyzes Jonides's data (including that published in 1981). Analysis showed strong support for the probability matching hypothesis. It is concluded that probability matching is an important strategic characteristic of visual spatial attention. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reply to Grady (2007), Raz (2007), and Salthouse (2007): Can age and treachery triumph over youth and skill?

The functional plasticity of aging hypothesis (see record 2007-15625-001) argues that losses in brain integrity drive functional reorganization through both inherent plasticity and changes in processing strategy. These processes can affect the course of cognitive aging. The reviewers (C. L. Grady, 2007; N. Raz, 2007; T. A. Salthouse, 2007) appear to agree that this is a defensible and testable explanation for the paradox that brain regions undergoing the greatest shrinkage in old age are the very regions showing heightened task-related neuroimaging activation in old age. The author notes that whether she has advanced a framework or a hypothesis (Salthouse, 2007) may be less important than whether the functional adaptation hypothesis makes testable predictions, as acknowledged by Raz (see record 2007-15625-003). In response to the question raised by Salthouse (see record 2007-15625-004) and Grady (see record 2007-15625-002) about the relation of cortical shrinkage to cognitive functioning, the author speculates that what may be important is not cortical shrinkage but cortical remodeling. Finally, the author notes that the most interesting question posed by Salthouse is also posed implicitly by the entire cognitive aging literature--whether a gradual shift from a bottom-up strategy in the young to a more top-down, controlled strategy in the old is the normal developmental course. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Television violence and aggression: A rejoinder.

Replies to the criticisms by L. Friedrich-Cofer and A. C. Huston (see record 1987-09776-001) of the author's literature review (see record 1984-30860-001) on the effect of TV violence on aggression. The present author argues that there are sound reasons for exercising caution in generalizing from laboratory results and that research outside the laboratory provides only weak and inconsistent support for the causal hypothesis. Moreover, it is asserted that the bidirectional model suggested by Friedrich-Cofer and Huston is not supported by the available evidence. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of facial response in self-reports of emotion: A critique of Laird.

Discusses a study by J. D. Laird (see record 1985-11387-001) that contrasted 16 successful demonstrations of the facial feedback hypothesis with R. Tourangeau and P. C. Ellsworth's (see record 1981-00499-001) failure to demonstrate any effects of facial expressions on mood. It is argued that Laird's conclusion that facial feedback effects have been demonstrated consistently and that the null results of the Tourangeau-Ellsworth study are atypical is more strongly worded than current evidence warrants. It is shown that most of the 16 successful studies are relevant only to the weak (dimensional) version of the hypothesis and not to the strong (categorical) version that Tourangeau and Ellsworth sought to test. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Penile tumescence as a measure of sexual arousal: A reply to Farkas.

Recognizes the susceptibility of the penile measure to faking but expresses doubt about the value of G. M. Farkas's (see record 1979-26637-001) suggested solution of obtaining a measure of voluntary control prior to treatment. The current authors claim that their study (see record 1978-01505-001) did not rely solely on the penile measure but also obtained self-report data and indirect information about motor behavior relevant to child molesting. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Negative affectivity and the reporting of stressful life events.

Replicated D. T. Lykken's study (see record 1968-18058-001) to resolve the conflict between the findings of S. R. Maddi et al (see record 1987-22446-001) and those of D. H. Schroeder and P. T. Costa (see record 1984-23643-001) regarding the impact of negative affectivity (NA; i.e., neuroticism) contaminated life event items on observed life event–illness relationships. Among 330 managers and professionals, NA-contaminated items correlated significantly with 3 measures of well-being (depression, life satisfaction, and physical symptoms). In 2 of 3 cases, correlations between contaminated items and well-being measures were significantly different from correlations between uncontaminated items and well-being indicators. Prior life event–well-being findings may be inflated considerably by the use of NA-contaminated events. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Cognitive-behavioral therapy in geriatric depression": Reply to Riskind, Beck, and Steer.

Responds to the challenge by J. H. Riskind et al (see record 1986-12531-001) to the interpretation by J. L. Steuer et al (see record 1984-21146-001) that changes observed on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in depressed geriatric patients treated with cognitive-behavioral (CB) group psychotherapy did not demonstrate superiority for CB therapy over a psychodynamic approach. Riskind et al proposed that somatic items on the other rating instruments used might not be valid in geriatric patients and thus might render those scales less sensitive. Reanalyses of the psychotherapy data and data from a placebo-controlled study of tricyclic antidepressants by the present 3rd author et al (see record 1983-21474-001) did not support this assertion. Somatic items proved to be sensitive to change in both studies. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nascent doubts may presage conceptual clarity: Reply to Surbey.

Replies to commentary by M. K. Surbey (see record 1995-08478-001) on D. Wahlsten's (see record 1995-08480-001) original article regarding heritability analysis. The author maintains his position that heritability analysis, the dominant paradigm in behavioral genetics, is weak at its foundations and actively misleading to the nonspecialist. He finds that Surbey's commentary lacks coherence and reflects doubts about heritability analysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

False memories and statistical design theory: Comment on Miller and Wolford (1999) and Roediger and McDermott (1999).

In an analysis of H. L. Roediger and K. B. McDermott's (see record 1995-42833-001) false-memory paradigm, M. B. Miller and G. L. Wolford (see record 1999-13930-007) argued that falsely recognized items occur because a bias toward calling such items "old" is created by their membership in a studied category. This interpretation was contested by Roediger and McDermott (see record 2000-15248-006). The authors of this article approach this issue as a statistical decision problem and observe that an explanation of false memory based on stored strengths and one based on decision process can have identical implications for data. Problems with equivalent formal models of this type can frequently be resolved by looking at the effects of other variables on the fitted estimates. The authors illustrate this analysis by examining the effects of presentation duration on the parameter estimates produced by models that instantiate the 2 explanations. Although the question remains open, the storage-based interpretation was found to be somewhat more plausible. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some comments about cognitions as causal variables.

Notes problems with the position forwarded by I. S. Schonfeld (see record 1990-31203-001) that cognitive behaviors may play a role in antisocial behaviors. A longitudinal study by L. R. Huesmann et al (see record 1987-15097-001) is cited that is not consistent with Schonfeld's hypothesis but is consistent with the hypothesis presented by G. R. Patterson et al (see record 1989-26278-001) that achievement failures are the result of antisocial behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of mobilization of knowledge on recognition and recall.

Examined the effect of mobilization of knowledge on recall and recognition in 4 experiments, using 170 undergraduates. In Exp I, the mobilization group generated instances from a specified category and received a study list that contained some of these generated items as well as other members of the category that had not been generated. Control Ss received the same study list after they had generated instances from an irrelevant category. Contrary to previous findings by J. Peeck (see record 1983-22657-001), prior mobilization did not facilitate free recall of the generated study-list items and inhibited recall of nongenerated items. This pattern of recall was replicated in Exp II. The inhibitory effect of prior mobilization on nongenerated items was eliminated in Exp III, which used a recognition memory test. In addition, prior mobilization facilitated the recognition of generated study list items. Exp IV found that when knowledge about the mobilized category was limited, prior mobilization did facilitate free recall but only for generated study-list items. An attempt was made to reconcile data with previous results and to specify the conditions under which mobilization facilitates or inhibits subsequent memory performance. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reserve capacity of the elderly in aging-sensitive tests of fluid intelligence: Replication and extension.

Investigated further the range of intellectual reserve available to aging individuals and the question of replicability in a new cultural and laboratory setting. Ss were 204 60–86 yr old healthy adults who participated in a short-term longitudinal training study. For experimental Ss, 10 sessions consisted of cognitive training involving 2 subability tests (Figural Relations, Induction) of fluid intelligence developed by the present 1st author and S. L. Willis et al (see record 1981-07746-001) and by the present 1st author and R. Blieszner et al (see record 1982-09497-001), respectively. The pattern of outcomes replicated and expanded on earlier studies. Findings show that older adults had the reserve to evince substantial increases in levels of performance in fluid intelligence tests. Transfer of training, however, was narrow in scope. Training also increased accuracy of performance and the ability to solve more difficult test items. Difficulty level was estimated in a separate study with a comparable sample of 112 elderly adults. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extension of the Schmidt and Hunter validity generalization procedure to the prediction of absenteeism behavior from knowledge of job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Examined whether the weak relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism could be explained by the statistical artifacts of I. L. Schmidt et al (see record 1978-11448-001) (criterion unreliability, predictor unreliability, range restriction, sampling error, computational and typographical errors, criterion contamination and deficiency, and slight differences in factor structures). Data were collected on job satisfaction and organizational commitment from 242 sales employees. Evidence of differences were found on variable means, standard deviations, reliabilities, and predictive validities. However, when 6 artifacts were controlled, little variability in validities remained. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The case against a criterion-shift account of false memory.

M. B. Miller and G. L. Wolford (see record 1999-13930-007) argued that the high false-alarm rate associated with critical lures in the Roediger-McDermott (H. L. Roediger & K. B. McDermott, see record 1995-42833-001) paradigm results from a criterion shift and therefore does not reflect false memory. This conclusion, which is based on new data reported by Miller and Wolford, overlooks the fact that Ruediger and McDermott's false-memory account is as compatible with the new findings as the criterion-shift account is. Furthermore, a consideration of prior work concerned with investigating the conditions under which participants are and are not inclined to adjust the decision criterion suggests that the criterion-shift account of false memory is unlikely to be correct. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparing the self with others in depressed and nondepressed college students: Reply to McCauley.

Examines 2 confusions demonstrated in the comments of C. McCauley (see record 1985-28048-001) about the present authors' earlier study (see record 1984-12223-001) of social comparison processes and the false consensus. It is suggested that the contradiction in the findings of the present authors is only apparent and that the differences between depressed and nondepressed Ss on nondepression-relevant and depression-irrelevant items are nonsignificant. It is concluded that there are several interesting ways to analyze differences between ratings of self and ratings of others, each of which has a different meaning. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on voluntarism: Reply to Penk and Robinowitz.

The authors' reply to the W. E. Penk and R. Robinowitz (see record 1980-12694-001) article expresses reservations about these investigators' criticisms of the earlier work of the present authors and R. P. Archer (see record 1979-26926-001) and outlines conceptual and experimental design problems with the 1980 test of the voluntarism hypothesis. It is suggested that the importance of the voluntarism issue has been greatly exaggerated. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The case of Gary: In search of post-hoc quixotic flexibility.

Responds to M. F. Hoyt's (see record 1995-22250-001) commentary on T. F. Van Denburg and E. J. Van Denburg's (see record 1994-18427-001) response to Hoyt's (see record 1994-18395-001) commentary on Van Denburg and Van Denburg's (see record 1993-06526-001) article about a case of premature therapy termination. Issues related to limits and flexibility in treatment are addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implications for psychology: Reply to comments.

Replies to the comments of D. E. Leary (see record 1986-07955-001), S. A. Mulaik (see record 1986-07961-001), D. N. Robinson (see record 1986-07966-001), and W. L. Stroud (see record 1986-07976-001) on the earlier presentation of the present authors (see record 1984-00037-001) about the new philosophy of science. The present authors are pleased with what they have been able to communicate and discuss what they feel has been misunderstood. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)