Gary J. Lautenschlager

Models of visuospatial and verbal memory across the adult life span

The authors investigated the distinctiveness and interrelationships among visuospatial and verbal memory processes in short-term, working, and long-term memories in 345 adults. Beginning in the 20s, a continuous, regular decline occurs for processing-intensive tasks (e.g., speed of processing, working memory, and long-term memory), whereas verbal knowledge increases across the life span. There is little differentiation in the cognitive architecture of memory across the life span. Visuospatial and verbal working memory are distinct but highly interrelated systems with domain-specific short-term memory subsystems. In contrast to recent neuroimaging data, there is little evidence for dedifferentiation of function at the behavioral level in old compared with young adults. The authors conclude that efforts to connect behavioral and brain data yield a more complete understanding of the aging mind.

Corporate Image, Recruitment Image And Initial Job Choice Decisions

Aspects of corporate image, or the image associated with the name of an organization, and recruitment image--the image associated with its recruitment message--were studied. Data collected from fiv...

Mediators of Long-Term Memory Performance Across the Life Span

An individual-differences approach was used to examine the component processes that predict episodic long-term memory performance. A total of 301 participants ages 20-90 received a 7-hr cognitive battery across 3 days. Key constructs hypothesized to affect long-term memory function were assessed, including multiple measures of working memory and perceptual speed. Latent-construct, structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship of these measures and age to different types of long-term memory tasks. Speed was a key construct for all 3 types of memory tasks, mediating substantial age-related variance; working memory was a fundamental construct for free and cued recall but not spatial memory. The data suggest that both speed and working memory are fundamental to explaining age-related changes in cognitive aging but that the relative contributions of these constructs vary as a function of the type of memory task.

A Comparison of Item Response Theory and Confirmatory Factor Analytic Methodologies for Establishing Measurement Equivalence/Invariance

Recently, there has been increased interest in tests of measurement equivalence/ invariance (ME/I). This study uses simulated data with known properties to assess the appropriateness, similarities, and differences between confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory methods of assessing ME/I. Results indicate that although neither approach is without flaw, the item response theory–based approach seems to be better suited for some types of ME/I analyses.

Parent Perceptions and Parent-Child Interactions in Clinic-Referred Children: A Preliminary Investigation of the Effects of Maternal Depressive Moods

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to test a model in which maternal depressive moods were hypothesized to have both a direct effect on parent perceptions of child maladjustment and an indirect effect on child noncompliant behavior through the mothers parenting behavior. Fifty-five mothers and their young clinic-referred children served as S s. Mothers completed depression and child perception measures and mother-child interactions were observed in the home. A path analysis indicated that the model was a good fit to the data as maternal depression was associated with perceptions of child maladjustment and with parenting behavior which was itself associated with child behavior.

A Monte-Carlo Study of Confirmatory Factor Analytic Tests of Measurement Equivalence/Invariance.

In recent years, confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) techniques have become the most common method of testing for measurement equivalence/invariance (ME/I). However, no study has simulated data with known differences to determine how well these CFA techniques perform. This study utilizes data with a variety of known simulated differences in factor loadings to determine how well traditional tests of ME/I can detect these specific simulated differences. Results show that traditional CFA tests of ME/I perform well under ideal situations but that large sample sizes, a sufficient number of manifest indicators, and at least moderate communalities are crucial for assurance that ME/I conditions exist.

Answering Reading Comprehension Items Without Passages on the SAT

Performance of college undergraduates on the Reading Comprehension task of the SAT was well above chance when the passages were deleted. Moreover, examinees and test items performed similarly with or without the passages: individual performance correlated with verbal SAT score, and the difficulty of items belonging to a passage correlated with a normative measure based on equated delta. The findings demonstrate that the Reading Comprehension task substantially measures factors unrelated to reading comprehension.

A step-down hierarchical multiple regression analysis for examining hypotheses about test bias in prediction

The problem of determining test bias in prediction using regression models is reexamined. Past ap proaches have made use of separate regression anal yses in each subgroup, moderated multiple regression analysis using subgroup coding, and hierarchical mul tiple regression strategies. Although it is agreed that hierarchical multiple regression analysis is preferable to either of the former methods, the approach pre sented here differs with respect to the hypothesis test ing procedure to be employed in such an analysis. This paper describes the difficulties in testing hy potheses about the existence of bias in prediction us ing step-up methods of analysis. Some shortcomings of previously recommended approaches for testing these hypotheses are discussed. Finally, a step-down hierarchical multiple regression procedure is recom mended. Analysis of real data illustrates the potential usefulness of the step-down procedure.

Improving IRT item bias detection with iterative linking and ability scale purification

The effectiveness of several iterative methods of item response theory (IRT) item bias detection was examined in a simulation study. The situations em ployed were based on biased items created using a two-dimensional IRT model. Previous research demonstrated that the non-iterative application of some IRT parameter linking procedures produced unsatisfactory results in a simulation study involv ing unidirectional item bias. A modified form of Drasgows iterative item parameter linking method and an adaptation of Lords test purification procedure were examined in conditions that simu lated unidirectional and mixed-directional forms of item bias. The results illustrate that iterative link ing holds promise for differentiating biased from unbiased items under several item bias conditions. In addition, a combination of methods, involving cycles of iterative linking followed by ability scale purification, was found to be even more effective than iterative linking alone. This combination of procedures totally eliminated false positive misiden tifications for the most pervasive item bias condi tion, and false negative misidentifications were also reduced. Combining iterative linking with ability scale purification appears to be a viable method for analyzing multidimensional IRT data with unidimensional IRT item-bias methods.

Are Internet and Paper-and-Pencil Personality Tests Truly Comparable? An Experimental Design Measurement Invariance Study

Recently, the use of technology in assessment for personnel selection has increased dramatically. An important consideration is whether test scores obtained via Internet administration are psychometrically equivalent to those obtained by the more traditional paper-and-pencil format. Our results suggest that there is comparability of scores for many personality constructs, including conscientiousness. However, invariance was not found for some scales between persons allowed to choose formats and those not given a choice of formats. As testing-format preference may be related to membership in federally protected demographic groups, this latter finding was somewhat troubling. Additionally, we illustrate the use of an experimental laboratory design to investigate possible causes of a lack of measurement invariance in Internet and paper-and-pencil comparisons.