WSRt, critical thinking - a summary of all articles needed in the third block of second year psychology at the uva

This is a summary of the articles and reading materials that are needed for the third block in the course WSR-t. This course is given to second year psychology students at the Uva. The course is about thinking critically about scientific research and how such research is done. In total, nine articles are needed. The order in which the articles are shown bellow is the order in which they have been studied in the course.

Bundle items:

Validity - a summary of chapter 8 of Testleer en Testconstructie by Stouthard

Critical thinkingArticle: Stouthard, M, E, AValidityValidity: if test-results can be interpreted in terms of the construct the test tries to measure. A test is taken to make an inference about an construct that lies outside the measure-instrument itself, and that the instrument is supposed to measure.Understanding of these results lie in lay in the extent to which are an indication of the construct.Validity is an overacting concept. It is a term for an number of possible properties of a test.Often multiple empirical sorts of knowledge are needed to get validity of a test.Which sources of empirical knowledge are important for a test, depends on the users-goal of a test.Describing use of a testWhen a test is meant to measure an specific behaviour or property.The focus lies in the validation process to find support of the underlying theoretical concept.Deciding use of a testWhen a test is meant to select, classification, or diagnose.Here, support is needed for the prediction of the test of an extern criterium.Two sorts of validity:criterium-oriented validityconcept-validityThe difference between these two isn’t absolute. When a test is meant to predict behaviour outside the test-situation, it is relevant to ask whether the instrument is a good predictor of the behaviour.How better the test predicts the variations of the criterium, the higher the validity of the test.The criteriumLike a test, a criterium is an operationalization of an underlying concept.More...

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Psychological measurement-instruments - a summary for WSRt -of an article by Oostervel & Vorst (2010)

Critical thinkingArticle: Oostervel & Vorst (2010)Psychological measurement-instrumentsThe construction of measurement-instrument is an important subject.certain instruments age because theories about human behaviour or because social changes tear down existing instrumentsnew instruments can be necessary because existing instruments aren’t sufficient enough.new instruments can be necessary because existing instruments aren’t suitable for an certain target group. Measurement preferences of an instrument: the goal of an measurement-instrument.This is about a more or less hypothetical property.The domain of human actingThe instrument is usually focussed on measuring an property in a global domain of human acting.A domain: a wide area of more or less coherent properties.Observation methods Every measurement-instrument uses one or more observation methods. For different properties of different domains, usually different observation methods are used.performance-testsquestionnairesobservation testsWhen properties are measured with different observation methods, it is logical that with different methods, different domains of the traits or categories are measured.Instruments based on one observation method seem to form a common method-factor, which usually is stronger than the common trait-factor of equal traits measured with different observation methods.Theory The development of an instrument is usually based on an elaborated theory or insights based on empirical research or ideas based on informal knowledge.Instruments developed on the base of formal knowledge and an elaborated theory are of...

Lees verder over Psychological measurement-instruments - a summary for WSRt -of an article by Oostervel & Vorst (2010)

Intelligence versus cognition: time for a (good) relation - a summary of an article by Kan and van der Maas (2010)

Critical thinkingArticle Kan, K., and van der Maas, H. (2010)Intelligentie versus cognitie: tijd voor een (goede) relatie Inter-individual differences: differences between peopleIntra-individual differences: differences within people There are many difference views regarding intelligence. This makes it difficult to pin down what people in psychology call intelligence.Alternative theories In some cases, mutual interactions between populations lead to a situation in which parties take profit of each other.The growth of one population leads the other population to grow. This is mutual.This dynamical interaction is mutualism.As a result of individual differences in limited capacities and as a result of mutualistic interactions between cognitive processes, cognitive processes become correlated in the course of development.The functionally independent cognitive functions within each individual become positively correlated.The functionally independent cognitive functions within each individual become statistical dependent over groups of people.Implications It is possible that the positive cohesion between cognitive abilities is caused by mutualistic interactions that are a result of cognitive development and measurement-problems.It can’t be ruled out that some influences have effect on the development of all (or multiple) cognitive abilities.Intelligence can best be compared with an index of...

Lees verder over Intelligence versus cognition: time for a (good) relation - a summary of an article by Kan and van der Maas (2010)

Deconstructing the construct: A network perspective on psychological phenomena - a summary of an article by Schmittmann, Cramer, Waldorp, Epskamp, Kievit, & Dorsboom (2011)

Critical thinkingArticle: Schmittmann, V, D., Cramer, A, O, J., W., Waldorp, L, J., Epskamp, S., Kievit, R, A., & Dorsboom, D (2011)Deconstructing the construct: A network perspective on psychological phenomenaIn psychological measurement, three interpretations of measurement systems have been developed:the reflective interpretationThe measured attribute is conceptualized as the common cause of the observablesFormative interpretationThe measured attribute is seen as the common effect of the observables.Attributes are conceptualized as systems of causally coupled (observable) variables. In reflective models, observed indicators (item or subject scores) are modelled as a function of a common latent (unobserved) and item-specific error variance.Commonly presented as ‘measurement models’.In these models, a latent variable is introduced to account for the covariance between indicators.In reflective models, indicators are regarded as exchangeable save for measurement parameters.The observed correlations between the indicators are spurious in the reflective model.Observed indicators should correlate, but they only do so because they share a cause.In formative models, possibly latent composite variables are modelled as a function of indicators.Without residual variance on the composite, models like principal components analysis and clustering techniques serve to construct an optimal composite out of observed indicators.But, one can turn the composite into a latent composite if one introduces...

Lees verder over Deconstructing the construct: A network perspective on psychological phenomena - a summary of an article by Schmittmann, Cramer, Waldorp, Epskamp, Kievit, & Dorsboom (2011)

Item Response Theory - summary of an part the science of psychological measurement by Cohen

Critical thinkingArticle: CohenItem response theory (IRT) The procedures of item response theory provide a way to model the probability that a person with X ability will be able to perform at a level of Y.Because so often the psychological or educational construct being measured is physically unobservable (latent), and because the construct being measured may be a trait, a synonym for IRT is latent-trait theory.IRT is not a term used to refer to a single theory or method.It refer to a family of theories and methods, and quite a large family at that, with many other names used to distinguish specific approaches.Difficulty: the attribute of not being easily accomplished, solved, or comprehended.Discrimination: the degree to which an item differentiates among people with higher levels or lower levels of the trait, ability, or whatever it is being measures.A number of different IRT models exists to handle data resulting from the administration of tests with various characteristics and in various formats.Dichotomous test items: test items or questions that can be answered with only one or two alternative responses.Polytomous test items: test items or questions with three or more alternative responses, where only one is scored correct or scored as being consistent with a targeted trait or other construct.Other IRT models exits to handle other types of data.In general, latent-trait models differ in some important ways from CTT.In CTT, no assumptions are made about the frequency distribution of test scores.Such assumptions are inherent in latent-trait models.Rasch model: an IRT model with very specific assumptions about...

Lees verder over Item Response Theory - summary of an part the science of psychological measurement by Cohen

Testconstruction and testresearch - a summary of an article by Oosterveld & Vorst (2010)

Critical thinkingArticle: Oosterveld & Vorst 2010Testconstructie en testonderzoek There are problematic theories about validityExamples van viewpoints Dorsboom (2003) According to Dorsboom, it is plausible that the mercury thermometer is a valid measurement of temperature of objects, because differences in the real temperature cause differences in the measurement-instrument.If the causal string is described exactly, and this is a plausible representation of reality, than is the instrument valid in reality.Real validity is unknown as long as not all the relevant knowledge is available.Because it is in principle unknown in what extent relevant knowledge is available, validity is hypothetical unsure.Even if the causal string between true variation in the trait and the measured variation is known well, knowledge about the causal strings can change due to new knowledge. This is why real validity is hypothetical.However, people can have a judgment about the validity of measurement-instruments. This validity-judgment doesn’t have anything to do with the real validity.In psychology, true causal strings are (yet) impossibleThat is why psychology temporarily deals with hypothetical validity-judgments. This is in suspense of more precise and true causal strings between true trait-variation and measurement-variation.The quality of measurement, not the validity, must be proven from psycho-metrical analysis (reliability, one-dimensionality, representative content of the measurement-instrument, connections with external criteria, support of theoretical expected connections)Science-philosophical viewpointIf a test is valid...

Lees verder over Testconstruction and testresearch - a summary of an article by Oosterveld & Vorst (2010)

Utility analysis - a summary of a part of The science of psychological measurement by Cohen

Critical thinkingArticle: CohenUtility Analysis Utility analysis: a family of techniques that entail a family of techniques that entail a cost-benefit analysis designed to yield information relevant to a decision about the usefulness and/or practical value of a tool of assessment.It is not one specific technique used for one specific objective. It is an umbrella term covering various possible methods, each requiring various kinds of data to be inputted and yielding various kinds of output.In a most general sense, a utility analysis may be undertaken for the purpose of evaluating whether the benefits of using a test outweigh the costs.If undertaken to evaluate a test, the utility analysis will help make decisions whether:one test is preferable to another test for use for a specific purpose.one tool of assessment is preferable to another tool of assessment for a specific purposethe addition of one or more tests that are already in use is preferable for a specific purpose.no testing or assessment is preferable to any testing or assessmentIf undertaken for the purpose of evaluating a training program or intervention, the utility analysis will help make decisions regarding whether:one training program is preferable to another training programone method of intervention is preferable to another method of interventionthe addition or subtraction of elements t an existing training program improves the overall training program by making it more effective and efficientthe addition or subtraction of elements to an existing method of intervention improves the overall intervention by making it...

Lees verder over Utility analysis - a summary of a part of The science of psychological measurement by Cohen

Predicting a criterium-score - a summary of an article by Oosterveld & Vorst (2010)

Critical thinkingArticle: Oosterveld & Vorst, 2010Voorspellen van een criteriumwaarde The test-scores and criterium-values can lay on a (almost) continuous scale, or have a dichotomous character.Usually, criterium-values are established by judgements of experts.Commonly, a criterium-value is valuable, it is true for the time being.The test-score and criterium-value can be established simultaneously or with a short or long period in between.Prediction: first the test-score is established, then the criterium-scorePostdiction: first is the criterium-score established, then the test-scoreThis has effect on the interpretation of the tableWith a long time in between, prediction becomes less stable.Usually, criterium-values are placed in the vertical axis and test-scores on the horizontal axis.if the test-score on a criterium-value is higher, the person has more of the traitNot everyone uses this system Base rate or prevalence: the percentage occurrence of the trait in the population.With a low prevalence, finding the trait is difficult.The use of a test must lead to a higher percentage well detected cases (hits) than the prevalence. Otherwise, using the test is useless.Prediction-error or classification-error: the percentage wrongfully submitted cases by the test.It is a global indicator of the performance of the test.Sensitivity or predictive accuracy: the percentage...

Lees verder over Predicting a criterium-score - a summary of an article by Oosterveld & Vorst (2010)

Clinical versus actuarial judgement - a summary of an article by Dawes, R, M., Faust, D., & Meehl, P, E. (1989)

Critical thinkingArticle: Dawes, R, M., Faust, D., & Meehl, P, E. (1989)Clinical versus actuarial judgment In the clinical method, the decision maker combines or processes information in his or her head.In the actuarial or statistical method, conclusions rest solely on empirically established relations between data and the condition or event of interest.The actuarial method should not be equated with automated decision rules alone.To be truly actuarial, interpretations must be both automatic (pre-specified or routinised) and based on empirically established relations.Virtually any type of data is amenable to actuarial interpretation.The combination of clinical and actuarial methods offers a third potential judgment strategy, one for which certain viable approaches have been proposed.But, most proposals for clinical-actuarial combination presume that the two judgment methods work together harmoniously and overlook the many situations that require dichotomous choices.Conditions for a fair comparison of the two methods:both methods should base judgments on the same dataone must avoid conditions that can artificially inflate the accuracy of actuarial methods. Actuarial methods seem to have advantages over the clinical method.Although most comparative research in medicine favours the actuarial method...

Lees verder over Clinical versus actuarial judgement - a summary of an article by Dawes, R, M., Faust, D., & Meehl, P, E. (1989)

WSRt, critical thinking, a list of terms used in the articles of block 3

Validity: if test-results can be interpreted in terms of the construct the test tries to measure.The nomological network: the system of hypothetical relations around the construct.This can be a part of the theory. Forms of validity: Impression-validity: an subjective judgment of the usability of an measurement-instrument on the base of the direct observable properties of the test-material.Content-validity: the judgment about the representativeness of the observations, appointments, and questions for a certain purpose.Criterium-validity: the (cor)relation between test-score and a psychological or social criterium.Predictive criterium-oriented validity: the criterium lies in the future. Criterium-performance aren’t measured at the same time as test-performance, but later.Concurrent criterium-oriented validity: the criterium is measured at the same time as the test. The criterium lays in the now or past.Process-validity: the manner on which the response is established.Construct-validity: A part of the similarities between the strictly formulated, hypothetical relations between the measured construct, and other constructs and otherwise empirical proved relations between instruments which should measure those constructs.The multitrait-multimethod approach of validation: a process in which with separated independent measurement-procedures at different traits is sought to construct-validity of a test.Convergence: a tests is cohesive with other measurements of the same construct or related constructs.Divergence: the test isn’t cohesive with other non-related constructs....