Some authors have stated that the naturcnurture debate is no longer as contentious as it once was... more Some authors have stated that the naturcnurture debate is no longer as contentious as it once was. This paper presents four arguments in opposition to this position. First, the nature-nurture controversy, conceived of as an attempt to assign relative weightings of importance to genotype and environment in relation to psychological phenomena, is no closer to being settled today than it was at any point in the past -nor could it be. Second, though of considerable consequence for psychological theory and practice, the mapping of the human genome will not assist in the settlement of the nature-nurture debate. Third, heritability studies are of little value to psychologists and cannot help in the resolution of the debate. Fourth, the nature-nurture controversy is not a scientific issue. Though it is possible to estimate the effect that changes in the environment or specific interventions will have on a given trait at a particular time and place, the question of ontological importance is beyond the scope of empirical investigation. 1 My friend and colleague Professor Bert Forrin has suggested, to avoid any confusion, that the term "interplay" replace the word "interaction" when this first usage is intended.
We collected personal documents from various participants on the topic of "a persona... more We collected personal documents from various participants on the topic of "a personal experience in which you observed or experienced psychopathology." The protocols were "topical autobiographical" personal documents, which we analyzed using the procedures set forth by van Kaam, to describe—rather than attempting to explain—lived experiences. Subsequently, 15 protocols obtained from an undergraduate class in psychopathology at the University of Regina were analyzed. We feel that both the methodology used and our findings reveal a new way of viewing psychopathology, showing the inadequacy of reducing psychopathology to diagnostic labels. We found that the fullness of the pathological experience can only be understood through elucidating experienced interpersonal dynamics. Consequently, both an essential and a situational quality is evidenced, revealing the inadequacy of theories in which either the existence of psychopathology or its subjective character are denied.
Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des Sciences du comportement, 2006
Les scores de deux échantillons d'étudiants de premier cycle universitaire de la région ... more Les scores de deux échantillons d'étudiants de premier cycle universitaire de la région torontoise à un questionnaire d'anxiété face aux examens (le Test Anxiety Inventory, TAI) ont été analysés. Les échantillons (n = 645 et n = 462), tous deux composés de femmes et d'hommes, certains de langue maternelle anglaise et d'autres ayant une langue autre que l'anglais pour langue maternelle, présentent des patrons de résultats très comparables. Les femmes rapportent un niveau d'anxiété plus élevé que les hommes sur les deux dimensions du questionnaire : inquiétude (Worry; TAIW) et émotivité (Emotionality; TAIE). Les étudiants dont la langue maternelle n'est pas l'anglais — un indicateur de la récence de leur immigration — rapportent un niveau d'anxiété plus élevé que ceux de langue maternelle anglaise, et ce tant pour la composante d'inquiétude que pour la composante d'émotivité. Par ailleurs, et plus généralement, la composante d'inquiétude du TAI (mais non la composante d'émotivité) apparaît corrélée négativement avec les résultats obtenus par les participants à l'examen final du cours d'introduction à la psychologie auquel ils étaient inscrits. Cette corrélation n'est pas atténuée par la prise en compte d'une mesure d'aptitude intellectuelle générale. Enfin, la structure factorielle du TAI est similaire pour les deux échantillons, un modèle à deux facteurs corrélés s'ajustant mieux aux données qu'un modèle unifactoriel. Cependant, étant donnée la forte corrélation entre les deux facteurs (r = 0,80), c'est une conception hiérarchique du TAI qui est défendue.
The problem of dimensionality with respect to Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) specifi... more The problem of dimensionality with respect to Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) specifically and, more generally, g or fluid intelligence, has been a long-standing issue. The present article reports two studies examining the dimensionality of both the original Set II of the APM ( n = 506) and a short form ( n = 644), using principal component analysis and Rasch analysis. Although the results from the principal component analysis were equivocal, results from the Rasch analyses more strongly suggested that both forms of the test are best described as being multidimensional. Furthermore, comparison of items common to both forms indicated a context effect, thus making adaptive testing versions of this test difficult.
Various taxonomies of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) items have been proposed in the... more Various taxonomies of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) items have been proposed in the literature to account for performance on the test. In the present article, three such taxonomies based on information processing,
MacLeod and Hodder (1998) demonstrated that presenting two different incongruent color words in t... more MacLeod and Hodder (1998) demonstrated that presenting two different incongruent color words in the same color on a single Stroop trial resulted in no more interference than did presenting the same incongruent color word twice, and concluded that the first word captured attention, blocking out the second. They also showed that, within a trial, neither stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between the two items nor the presence/absence of a visible gap between the two items had any effect. We replicated all of their empirical findings. Then by extending their design and factorially combining three types of items--incongruent words, congruent words, and control nonwords--within a trial, we demonstrated that both items within a trial do influence processing, with the contribution of the second greater than that of the first. These results are incompatible with a capture account and suggest instead continued monitoring of the word dimension while attempting to identify and produce the name of...
ABSTRACT discuss individual differences in working memory and then turn to individual differences... more ABSTRACT discuss individual differences in working memory and then turn to individual differences that are more related to long-term memory, concluding with a discussion of expertise that ties together many of the ideas working memory [memory span, information processing approaches, working memory capacity] / long-term memory [knowledge and learning, organization of long-term memory, implicit vs explicit remembering, retrieval from long-term memory] / expertise in remembering [mnemonists, imagery] (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée/European Review of Applied Psychology, 2010
Research involving tolerance of ambiguity (TA) has produced inconsistent findings for half a cent... more Research involving tolerance of ambiguity (TA) has produced inconsistent findings for half a century. Some of this inconsistency may be due to the psychometric shortcomings of the TA measures. In this investigation, the Budner (1962) and McLain (1993) TA scales were examined using confirmatory factor analyses. Both scales were tested against a single-factor model, a two-factor model, a two-factor correlated model, and a two-method/single-trait model with method defined by item polarity (positive and negative). Results demonstrated that the two-method/single trait model was the best fit for both scales. However, whereas the McLain scale demonstrated adequate psychometric integrity, the Budner items failed to load sufficiently on the trait factor suggesting a weakness in validity. Correlations with verbal ability and inconsistent regression results with respect to the Budner scale support the choice of the McLain scale in future work.
With three data sets—one comprised of school children (n=272) and two comprised of university stu... more With three data sets—one comprised of school children (n=272) and two comprised of university students (n=453, n=650)—the present study examined the factor structure of Cacioppo and Petty’s (1982) Need for Cognition Scale (NCS) and its relation to standardized measures of ability and academic performance. The results from testing five models (one-factor, two-factor, two-factor correlated, hierarchical, and trait-method solutions) were consistent
The present study examined the contributions of various item characteristics to the difficulty of... more The present study examined the contributions of various item characteristics to the difficulty of the individual items on the Mental Rotation Test (MRT). Analyses of item difficulties from a large data set of university students were conducted to assess the role of time limitation, distractor type, occlusion, configuration type, and the degree of angular disparity. Results replicated in large part previous findings that indicated that occluded items were significantly more difficult than non-occluded and that mirror items were more difficult than structural items. An item characteristic not previously examined in the literature, configuration type (homogeneous versus heterogeneous), also was found to be associated with item difficulty. Interestingly, no significant association was found between angular disparity and difficulty. Multiple regression analysis revealed that a model consisting of occlusion and configuration type alone was sufficient for explaining 53 percent of the variance in item difficulty. No interaction between these two factors was found. It is suggested, based on overall results, that basic figure perception, identification and comparison, but not necessarily mental rotation, account for much of the variance in item difficulty on the MRT.
Some authors have stated that the naturcnurture debate is no longer as contentious as it once was... more Some authors have stated that the naturcnurture debate is no longer as contentious as it once was. This paper presents four arguments in opposition to this position. First, the nature-nurture controversy, conceived of as an attempt to assign relative weightings of importance to genotype and environment in relation to psychological phenomena, is no closer to being settled today than it was at any point in the past -nor could it be. Second, though of considerable consequence for psychological theory and practice, the mapping of the human genome will not assist in the settlement of the nature-nurture debate. Third, heritability studies are of little value to psychologists and cannot help in the resolution of the debate. Fourth, the nature-nurture controversy is not a scientific issue. Though it is possible to estimate the effect that changes in the environment or specific interventions will have on a given trait at a particular time and place, the question of ontological importance is beyond the scope of empirical investigation. 1 My friend and colleague Professor Bert Forrin has suggested, to avoid any confusion, that the term "interplay" replace the word "interaction" when this first usage is intended.
We collected personal documents from various participants on the topic of "a persona... more We collected personal documents from various participants on the topic of "a personal experience in which you observed or experienced psychopathology." The protocols were "topical autobiographical" personal documents, which we analyzed using the procedures set forth by van Kaam, to describe—rather than attempting to explain—lived experiences. Subsequently, 15 protocols obtained from an undergraduate class in psychopathology at the University of Regina were analyzed. We feel that both the methodology used and our findings reveal a new way of viewing psychopathology, showing the inadequacy of reducing psychopathology to diagnostic labels. We found that the fullness of the pathological experience can only be understood through elucidating experienced interpersonal dynamics. Consequently, both an essential and a situational quality is evidenced, revealing the inadequacy of theories in which either the existence of psychopathology or its subjective character are denied.
Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des Sciences du comportement, 2006
Les scores de deux échantillons d'étudiants de premier cycle universitaire de la région ... more Les scores de deux échantillons d'étudiants de premier cycle universitaire de la région torontoise à un questionnaire d'anxiété face aux examens (le Test Anxiety Inventory, TAI) ont été analysés. Les échantillons (n = 645 et n = 462), tous deux composés de femmes et d'hommes, certains de langue maternelle anglaise et d'autres ayant une langue autre que l'anglais pour langue maternelle, présentent des patrons de résultats très comparables. Les femmes rapportent un niveau d'anxiété plus élevé que les hommes sur les deux dimensions du questionnaire : inquiétude (Worry; TAIW) et émotivité (Emotionality; TAIE). Les étudiants dont la langue maternelle n'est pas l'anglais — un indicateur de la récence de leur immigration — rapportent un niveau d'anxiété plus élevé que ceux de langue maternelle anglaise, et ce tant pour la composante d'inquiétude que pour la composante d'émotivité. Par ailleurs, et plus généralement, la composante d'inquiétude du TAI (mais non la composante d'émotivité) apparaît corrélée négativement avec les résultats obtenus par les participants à l'examen final du cours d'introduction à la psychologie auquel ils étaient inscrits. Cette corrélation n'est pas atténuée par la prise en compte d'une mesure d'aptitude intellectuelle générale. Enfin, la structure factorielle du TAI est similaire pour les deux échantillons, un modèle à deux facteurs corrélés s'ajustant mieux aux données qu'un modèle unifactoriel. Cependant, étant donnée la forte corrélation entre les deux facteurs (r = 0,80), c'est une conception hiérarchique du TAI qui est défendue.
The problem of dimensionality with respect to Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) specifi... more The problem of dimensionality with respect to Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) specifically and, more generally, g or fluid intelligence, has been a long-standing issue. The present article reports two studies examining the dimensionality of both the original Set II of the APM ( n = 506) and a short form ( n = 644), using principal component analysis and Rasch analysis. Although the results from the principal component analysis were equivocal, results from the Rasch analyses more strongly suggested that both forms of the test are best described as being multidimensional. Furthermore, comparison of items common to both forms indicated a context effect, thus making adaptive testing versions of this test difficult.
Various taxonomies of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) items have been proposed in the... more Various taxonomies of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) items have been proposed in the literature to account for performance on the test. In the present article, three such taxonomies based on information processing,
MacLeod and Hodder (1998) demonstrated that presenting two different incongruent color words in t... more MacLeod and Hodder (1998) demonstrated that presenting two different incongruent color words in the same color on a single Stroop trial resulted in no more interference than did presenting the same incongruent color word twice, and concluded that the first word captured attention, blocking out the second. They also showed that, within a trial, neither stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between the two items nor the presence/absence of a visible gap between the two items had any effect. We replicated all of their empirical findings. Then by extending their design and factorially combining three types of items--incongruent words, congruent words, and control nonwords--within a trial, we demonstrated that both items within a trial do influence processing, with the contribution of the second greater than that of the first. These results are incompatible with a capture account and suggest instead continued monitoring of the word dimension while attempting to identify and produce the name of...
ABSTRACT discuss individual differences in working memory and then turn to individual differences... more ABSTRACT discuss individual differences in working memory and then turn to individual differences that are more related to long-term memory, concluding with a discussion of expertise that ties together many of the ideas working memory [memory span, information processing approaches, working memory capacity] / long-term memory [knowledge and learning, organization of long-term memory, implicit vs explicit remembering, retrieval from long-term memory] / expertise in remembering [mnemonists, imagery] (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée/European Review of Applied Psychology, 2010
Research involving tolerance of ambiguity (TA) has produced inconsistent findings for half a cent... more Research involving tolerance of ambiguity (TA) has produced inconsistent findings for half a century. Some of this inconsistency may be due to the psychometric shortcomings of the TA measures. In this investigation, the Budner (1962) and McLain (1993) TA scales were examined using confirmatory factor analyses. Both scales were tested against a single-factor model, a two-factor model, a two-factor correlated model, and a two-method/single-trait model with method defined by item polarity (positive and negative). Results demonstrated that the two-method/single trait model was the best fit for both scales. However, whereas the McLain scale demonstrated adequate psychometric integrity, the Budner items failed to load sufficiently on the trait factor suggesting a weakness in validity. Correlations with verbal ability and inconsistent regression results with respect to the Budner scale support the choice of the McLain scale in future work.
With three data sets—one comprised of school children (n=272) and two comprised of university stu... more With three data sets—one comprised of school children (n=272) and two comprised of university students (n=453, n=650)—the present study examined the factor structure of Cacioppo and Petty’s (1982) Need for Cognition Scale (NCS) and its relation to standardized measures of ability and academic performance. The results from testing five models (one-factor, two-factor, two-factor correlated, hierarchical, and trait-method solutions) were consistent
The present study examined the contributions of various item characteristics to the difficulty of... more The present study examined the contributions of various item characteristics to the difficulty of the individual items on the Mental Rotation Test (MRT). Analyses of item difficulties from a large data set of university students were conducted to assess the role of time limitation, distractor type, occlusion, configuration type, and the degree of angular disparity. Results replicated in large part previous findings that indicated that occluded items were significantly more difficult than non-occluded and that mirror items were more difficult than structural items. An item characteristic not previously examined in the literature, configuration type (homogeneous versus heterogeneous), also was found to be associated with item difficulty. Interestingly, no significant association was found between angular disparity and difficulty. Multiple regression analysis revealed that a model consisting of occlusion and configuration type alone was sufficient for explaining 53 percent of the variance in item difficulty. No interaction between these two factors was found. It is suggested, based on overall results, that basic figure perception, identification and comparison, but not necessarily mental rotation, account for much of the variance in item difficulty on the MRT.
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Papers by Douglas Bors