Gender differences in Scholastic Aptitude Test: Mathematics problem solving among high-ability students.

Examined whether male and female students of high mathematical ability use different solution strategies on math problems that had previously yielded gender differences in correct responding. Structured interviews were conducted with high school students who had scored at least 670 on the math portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT-M). Eight types of solution strategies could be further dichotomized as conventional or unconventional in approach. Female students were more likely than male students to use conventional strategies. SAT-M scores were correlated with positive attitudes (confidence and persistence) toward math: use of conventional strategies was correlated with negative attitudes (dislike, nonrelevance) toward math. Findings may help to explain patterns of gender differences on SAT-M problems among high-ability students in which female students outperform male students on conventional problems and male students outperform female students on unconventional problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessing the effects of selection bias on validity data for the General Aptitude Test Battery.

Previous analyses have suggested that the database of 755 studies of the validity of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) demonstrates a small but consistent positive correlation with criteria relevant to job performance. Critics have noted that some of the validity studies conducted were not included in the database and have speculated that these studies may have found negligible or even negative validities, so that the extant database is subject to selection bias. The authors use a mathematical model to estimate the magnitude of possible selection and its effects on the mean and variance of GATB validities. Although evidence of selection is found for some GATB scales and composites, the estimated effect of selection is probably too small to influence conclusions about the validity of the GATB. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term reliability and predictive validity of the Teller Acuity Card procedure

A diuretic hormone (DH) of unusual structure was isolated from extracts of heads of Tenebrio molitor. The hormone is a 47 amino acid peptide, Mr = 5,029.9, with the sequence AGALGESGASLSIVNSLDVLRNRLLLEIARKKAKEGANRNRQILLSL. This peptide increases cyclic AMP production in Malpighian tubules of T. molitor. We recently identified a smaller DH from T. molitor with 37 amino acids; these peptides have only 15 identical amino acids when aligned to maximize similarity to other members of the insect DH family. This family has sequence similarity to the corticotropin-releasing factor superfamily of vertebrate peptides.     

The Scholastic Aptitude Test "explains" why college men major in science more often than college women.

Used the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) to predict the major field choices of 20,809 undergraduates at 4 large universities. Major field was coded on a science-nonscience continuum, and it could be predicted almost as accurately as GPA. The SAT Mathematics subtest (SAT-M) received virtually all of the weight in the prediction equation. Semi-partial correlation was performed to determine if the aforementioned prediction was a mere artifact of sex differences. Results suggest that (a) mathematical ability is an important determinant of major field choice, and (b) the male-female difference in major field choice is largely mediated by the sex difference in mathematical ability. A remedy is suggested for female underrepresentation in science fields. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding and using the Implicit Association Test: III. Meta-analysis of predictive validity.

This review of 122 research reports (184 independent samples, 14,900 subjects) found average r = .274 for prediction of behavioral, judgment, and physiological measures by Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures. Parallel explicit (i.e., self-report) measures, available in 156 of these samples (13,068 subjects), also predicted effectively (average r = .361), but with much greater variability of effect size. Predictive validity of self-report was impaired for socially sensitive topics, for which impression management may distort self-report responses. For 32 samples with criterion measures involving Black–White interracial behavior, predictive validity of IAT measures significantly exceeded that of self-report measures. Both IAT and self-report measures displayed incremental validity, with each measure predicting criterion variance beyond that predicted by the other. The more highly IAT and self-report measures were intercorrelated, the greater was the predictive validity of each. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term predictive and construct validity of two traditional predictors of law school performance.

The relative contribution of undergraduate GPA (UGPA) and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) to predicting academic performance in each of the 3 yrs of law school was investigated in a heterogeneous sample of 23 law schools. The contribution of each measure was uneven across years, with the LSAT making its greatest contribution in early years and UGPA in later years. Differences between law school years with respect to the nature of instructional techniques and curricular emphases were examined to explore the construct validity of each measure as a predictor of performance in law school. Results are consistent with the test sponsor's interpretation of the LSAT as a measure of the ability to confront new situations and new problems such as those encountered in the 1st yr of law school. Results are also consistent with an interpretation of UGPA as a measure not only of academic competence but also qualities such as persistence and motivation. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The stability of validity coefficients over time: Ackerman's (1988) model and the General Aptitude Test Battery.

This study examined P. L. Ackerman's (1988) model of skill acquisition within an applied setting. Differences were examined between jobs on the basis of task consistency: changes in performance variability across experience, learning curves, and stability of ability–performance correlations across experience. Results showed the degree of task consistency influenced the shape of learning curves, with jobs composed of primarily consistent tasks improving more rapidly and reaching asymptote sooner. In addition, trends in ability–performance correlations were moderated by the degree of task consistency within a job. Specifically, for jobs with primarily consistent tasks, general cognitive ability best predicted early performance whereas psychomotor ability best predicted later performance. In contrast, general cognitive ability was the strongest predictor across experience for jobs with primarily inconsistent tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interrater agreement and predictive validity.

Ss were 549 illiterate Iranian truck drivers rated for intelligence and given an individual intelligence test. To relate unreliability of ratings to validity, correlations were made between intelligence test scores and 4 groups of criterion ratings differing in reliability. The authors conclude that in the construction of rating scales, weighting of ratings by their agreement is better than by their disagreement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Violent recidivism: Assessing predictive validity.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 73(4) of Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (see record 2007-16787-001). In this article, several errors are present on pp. 738 and 746. The corrections are listed in the erratum.] Until very recently, there has been little evidence of the ability of either clinicians or actuarial instruments to predict violent behavior. Moreover, a confusing variety of measures have been proposed for the evaluation of the accuracy of predictions. This report demonstrates that receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) have advantages over other measures inasmuch as they are simultaneously independent of the base rate for violence in the populations studied and of the particular cutoff score chosen to classify cases as likely to be violent. In an illustration of the value of this approach, the base rates of violence were altered with the use of data from 3.5-, 6-, and 10-year follow-ups of 799 previously violent men. Base rates for the 10-year follow-up were also altered by changing the definition of violent recidivism and by examining a high-risk subgroup. The report also shows how ROC methods can be used to compare the performance of different instruments for the prediction of violence. The report illustrates how ROCs facilitate decisions about whether, at a particular base rate, the use of a prediction instrument is warranted. Finally, some of the limitations of ROCs are outlined, and some cautionary remarks are made with regard to their use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictive value compared to predictive validity.

Previous studies have found validity coefficients for 2 * 2 tables to be quite large, even though the predictor would yield as many errors as the blanket prediction. In the present study, 81 combinations of predictor and criterion dichotomies were analyzed using artificial data in the form of 2 * 2 tables. Phi coefficients were compared with Goodman and Kruskal's lambdas, which indicate the percentage reduction of prediction errors. It was found that lambda was 0 for nearly 1/2 of the 2 * 2 tables generated to yield nonzero phis. Phi and lambda were equal when the predictor and criterion dichotomies were both 50-50. Under most other dichotomies, lambda was much less than phi, suggesting that the difference between the tetrachoric r (rtet) and lambda would be even greater. It is concluded that when the 2 kinds of prediction errors are considered to be equally costly, phi and rtet should not be used to assess predictive value unless the criterion dichotomy is between 40 and 60 and 60 and 40. When "false rejections" are considered to be unimportant, phi and rtet should not be used unless the base rate is .5 or greater. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Blind Learning Aptitude Test in rehabilitation assessment.

Describes the Blind Learning Aptitude Test (BLAT) and presents age norm data. Use of BLAT (T. E. Newland, 1977) in rehabilitation assessment with regard to academic learning potential is considered. The high correlation of BLAT performance with measured educational achievement and the cultural neutrality of BLAT indicate its usefulness in assessing basic cognitive learning potential of rehabilitation clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of mindset on the predictive validity of relationship constructs.

The authors investigated the effects of deliberative versus implemental mindsets on the predictive validity of relationship constructs. Dating students anticipating the transition from university to work deliberated about increasing their commitment or thought about how to maintain their relationships after graduation. As hypothesized, this mindset manipulation interacted with subsequent ratings of relationship closeness and perceived partner commitment to predict relationship status six months later. Ratings made by those in a deliberative mindset were more strongly associated with relationship survival than were similar ratings made by those in an implemental mindset. Deliberatives' relationship appraisals were only positive if their relationships were on a successful trajectory whereas implementals' relationship appraisals were positive whether their relationships were on course for success or dissolution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preoccupied with predictive validity: An alternative perspective.

Psychologists have expressed concern over the problems of empirically establishing the predictive validity of individual assessments, and in particular the lack of empirical evidence for this practice. A case study is used to illustrate the benefits and drawbacks of externally conducted individual assessments to illustrate why predictive validity is only part of the picture. The consulting psychologist and client relationship are compared with the doctor and patient relationship, and this analogy is used to analyze the role of the consulting psychologist, and of the individual assessments that they conduct. Finally, the implications of conducting individual assessments for practicing within a scientist-practitioner model are examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking outcome expectancies: Factor structure, predictive validity, and discriminant validity.

Recent models of addiction posit that drug outcome expectancies are influential determinants of drug use. The current research examines the dimensional structure, predictive validity, and discriminant validity of expectancies for cigarette smoking in a prospective study. There was a good fit between the factor structure of the Smoking Consequences Questionnaire and the observed data. In addition, the internal consistency of each scale was satisfactory. Moreover, there was considerable evidence for the predictive and discriminant validity of expectancies. Expectancies of positive outcomes (positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and appetite-weight control) predicted withdrawal severity. Negative reinforcement expectancies and expectancies of negative consequences predicted cessation success. Predictive relations remained significant after controlling for related constructs: negative affect, stress, and dependence measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of general working population norms for the USES General Aptitude Test Battery.

The development of general working population norms for the GATB, based on a sample of 4000 representative of the base population with respect to broad occupational groupings is described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term reliability of the Wonderlic Personnel Test.

As a brief measure of general intelligence, the Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT) has been shown by C. B. Dodrill (see record 1982-00123-001) to render IQ scores closely resembling the WAIS Full Scale IQ (FSIQ). Long-term stability of the WPT IQ has not yet been demonstrated, however. In the present study, 30 normal adults were administered both the WPT and the WAIS on 2 occasions 5 yrs apart. Ss were 17–69 yrs of age at the 2nd testing. Test–retest reliability was .94 for the WPT and .96 for the WAIS FSIQ. The 2 tests were similar in terms of reliability of clinical classification, but the WPT demonstrated fewer practice effects than the WAIS. It is concluded that the WPT merits additional attention by clinical psychologists. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concurrent and predictive validity designs: A critical reanalysis.

Historical and contemporary discussions of test validation cite 4 major criticisms of concurrent validity that are assumed to seriously distort a concurrent validity coefficient. These include "missing persons," restriction of range, motivational and demographic differences between present employees and job applicants, and confounding by job experience. As a result, predictive validity has been espoused as a scientifically superior strategy for the validation of personnel selection tests. However, it is argued here that frequently the conceptual distinction between predictive and concurrent validity has been exaggerated. More importantly, the differences that may exist have never been shown to render concurrent validity inaccurate as an estimate of predictive validity. Existing data suggest that these differences, if present, have a minimal impact on the magnitude of an obtained validity coefficient. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Test validity over a seventeen-year period.

Data are presented for 692 employees between scores on LOMA-1 (a 15-minute general mental ability test) on the one hand, and attained job class (7 to 17 years later) and current job performance on the other. LOMA test scores correlated .60 with attained job class, and .29-.48 with current performance in four departments as measured by a production criterion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The incomplete equivalence of the paper-and-pencil and computerized versions of the General Aptitude Test Battery.

The performance of 163 applicants for the Dutch Royal Military Academy on the computerized version of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) was compared with the performance of 163 matched applicants on the paper-and-pencil version. There was a modest but clearly discernible influence of computerization. A LISREL analysis showed a reasonable fit for a model postulating two factors that were equally patterned for both test versions. A model postulating equal factor loadings had to be rejected. Individual differences in both the computerized and conventional GATB were strongly related to intelligence. The computerized subtests produced faster and more inaccurate responses than the conventional subtests. Both in terms of number of solved items and correlations with other cognitive measures, the cognitively simple, clerical tests were more affected by computerization than the more complex tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reliability and validity of the Kopas Personnel Test Battery.

"For a sample of 88 plant protection officers, the seven tests in the battery were uncorrelated with one another, and correlations with Supervisory Ratings were negligible. The multiple correlation was .348. In two independent samples, the internal consistency reliabilities of the six non-performance tests… ranged from .58 to .93. In another sample, test-retest reliabilities ranged from .40 to .87." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)