Valentin Bucik

Bimodality in the Berlin model of intelligence structure (BIS): A replication study

The bimodal structure of intelligence as proposed in the ‘Berlin model of intelligence structure’ (BIS) (Jager, 1982) and measured by the BIS-4 test was analysed in a sample of 182 subjects. According to this theory two modalities characterize the structure, both emerging from results in 45 mental tasks and containing a total of seven components: Operations (processing speed, memory, creativity, processing capacity), and contents (verbal, numerical, figurai ability), as well as the general factor (g). Exploratory analysis following Jagers approach revealed the existence of four operations and three contents. The simultaneous examination of the bimodality in the structure of the BIS was performed by means of confirmatory factor analysis. The theoretically proposed bimodal model (four operations and three contents) was compared with a unimodal model involving seven correlated factors of the same level and with other alternative unimodal models. In these analyses a slight superiority of operations over contents was observed. The reasons for our preference of the bimodal BIS structure compared to other unimodal solutions are clarified and the role of operations and contents in the construct of intelligence is discussed.

The Mental Speed-IQ Relationship: Unitary or Modular?

Abstract In his “specificity of mind” view, Ceci (1990a) asserted that mental speed-IQ relationships are only due to their sharing of a common knowledge base. According to the contrasting “singularity of mind” view, the mental speed-IQ correlation should reflect general intelligence. We tested these two views by letting 120 participants perform a battery of paper-and-pencil elementary cognitive tests (ECTs): a modified version of Lindleys Coding Test and two newly developed paper-and-pencil tests following the rationales of the Sternberg and the Posner paradigms. Three versions of each of these ECTs involving different knowledge bases (verbal, numerical, and figural) were devised. Intelligence tests employed were Ravens Advanced Progressive Matrices and the Berlin model of Intelligence Structure (BIS). In the bimodal BIS, three content-based components (verbal, numerical, figural), four operational components (processing speed, memory, creativity, processing capacity), and a general factor are operationalized. We obtained three main results: First, as expected, high speed of information processing in ECTs is related to high psychometric intelligence. Second, there is only weak evidence for ECT-intelligence correlations with the same content to be largest, which rather supports the singularity of mind view. Third, regarding the operational components in the BIS, mental speed in ECTs correlates most highly with the processing speed component, followed by the processing capacity component. Less prominent but still significant correlations resulted for the memory and creativity components.

Relationship between speed of information-processing and two major personality dimensions — Extraversion and neuroticism

Abstract Recent studies show increasing evidence of interdependence of personality traits and mental speed. Probably the most useful theoretical framework for an explanation of these phenomena is offered by the theory of Eysenck [Eysenck, H. J. (1967). The biological basis of personality. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas] of extraversion and neuroticism and by the model of extraversion, proposed by Brebner and Cooper [Brebner, J. (1985). Personality theory and movement. In B. D. Kirkcaldy (Ed.), Individual differences in movement (pp. 27–41). Lancaster: MTP Press.]. The aim of the present study was to test several hypotheses, deduced from the above mentioned theories. Predictions concerned the relationship of several mental speed parameters (e.g. speed and accuracy, variability of performance, decision- and movement-speed) to extraversion, neuroticism and their components. Measures of mental speed included the Hick-Jensen reaction time paradigm, Sternbergs STM scan paradigm, ZVT trail-making test and d2 concentration-endurance test. Extraversion and its components were assessed by means of the 16 Personality Factors questionnaire and the Big Five Questionnaire. In some cases extraversion correlated with speed, but we found no evidence confirming the existence of speed-accuracy trade-off among extraverts and introverts; the correlation between extraversion and mental speed probably depends on the “arousability” of the testing conditions. In some cases extraversion correlated with variability of performance. These results are more conforming to the arousal theory of Eysenck [Eysenck, H. J. (1994). Personality and intelligence: psychometric and experimental approaches. In R. J. Sternberg & P. Ruzgis (Eds.), Personality and intelligence (pp. 3–31). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press than to Brebner and Coopers model of extraversion. Neuroticism correlated negatively with the speed of response; some departures from linearity were also found. No significant correlation with error rate was found. Neuroticism also correlated with variability, whereby the direction of correlation probably depends on measurement conditions.

Odnos med ustvarjalnostjo in igralnim materialom v kontekstu simbolne igre

During children’s symbolic play many cognitive, emotional and social processes take place. A child develops her potential through symbolic play, and creativity is one such potential. Our research focused on investigating the relationship between creativity in early childhood and physical representation of play material in the context of symbolic play. 59 children were included in the study, aged from five to six years. We assessed their creativity before and after ten play-sessions using the Test for Creative Thinking TCT-DP. Each child played individually with one of six types of play material that varied with respect to three characteristics: structure, realism, and complexity. We hypothesized that creativity would increase for all types of play material but that it would not increase evenly across play materials. Due to statistically insignificant differences in creativity measures over time, we could not validate these hypotheses. We did however find a small increase in creativity for a group that played with low-structured, low-realism and low-complexity play material. This result is consistent with other similar research in the field.

Konstruktna veljavnost Testa implicitnih asociacij za merjenje velikih pet

V zadnjem casu je v psihologiji opazen porast zanimanja za t. i. implicitne mere stalisc in osebnostnih lastnosti. Najbolj razsirjena implicitna mera je Test implicitnih asociacij % IAT, ki smo ga v nasi raziskavi priredili za merjenje velikih petih osebnostnih dimenzij (B5 IAT) in preverili njegove merske znacilnosti z dvema vzorcema - na osnovi ugotovitev s prvega vzorca (N = 62) smo test popravili ter ga ponovno preizkusili na drugem vzorcu (N = 75). Pri obeh vzorcih so bili rezultati podobni. Zanesljivosti dimenzij osebnosti, merjenih z B5 IAT, v vecini primerov niso dosegle zadovoljive ravni. Razlog je verjetno v manjsi ustreznosti nekaterih dražljajev ter precejsnji dolžini testnega postopka. Konvergentna veljavnost B5 IAT z eksplicitnimi merami osebnosti je bila nizka, kar lahko razložimo z razlicnimi izhodisci in strukturami, na katerih temeljijo implicitne in eksplicitne mere. Rezultati konfirmatorne faktorske analize so na prvem vzorcu pokazali, da lahko korelacije med postavkami IAT razmeroma zadovoljivo pojasnimo s petimi latentnimi dimenzijami, vendar moramo biti pri njihovi interpretaciji posebej previdni zaradi nižjih zanesljivosti nekaterih lestvic B5 IAT in majhnosti vzorca. Drugi vzorec se je v meritvi izkazal za precej nestabilnega, zato konfirmatorne faktorske analize nismo mogli izvesti. Ker gre za prvi poskus priredbe B5 IAT v slovenskem jezikovnem prostoru, ne preseneca, da rezultati niso povsem skladni s pricakovanji. Implicitne mere zaenkrat ne dosegajo ustreznih psihometricnih znacilnosti, zato v psiholoski praksi se niso uporabne. Kljub temu imajo precejsen potencial pri raziskovanju osebnosti in individualnih razlik, saj premagujejo stevilne omejitve obstojecih pripomockov (eksplicitnih mer).