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We used a mathematical modelling approach, based on a sample of 2,019 participants, to better understand what the cognitive reflection test (CRT, Frederick, 2005) measures. This test, which is typically completed in less than ten minutes, contains three problems, and aims to measure the ability or disposition to resist reporting the response that first comes to mind.However, since the test contains three mathematical based problems, it is possible that the test only measures mathematical abilities and not cognitive reflection. We found that the models that included an inhibition parameter (i.e., the probability of inhibiting an intuitive response), as well as a mathematical parameter (i.e., the probability of using an adequate mathematical procedure), fitted the data better than a model that only included a mathematical parameter. We also found that the inhibition parameter in males is best explained by both rational thinking ability and the disposition towards actively open-minded thinking, whereas in females this parameter was better explained by rational thinking only.With these findings this study contributes to the understanding of the processes involved in solving CRT, and will be particularly useful for researchers who are considering using this test in their research. Frederick (2005) with the purpose of measuring the construct cognitive reflection, which he defined as "the ability or disposition to resist reporting the response that first comes to mind" (Frederick, 2005, p. 35). KeywordsAs shown in Table 1 CRT contains three mathematical problems with the common feature that they all typically trigger a quick, intuitive response, which is not the correct answer. If the test taker realises that the intuitive response is not the correct answer, finding the correct solution requires relatively easy mathematical computations. Typically, a participant either solves a problem incorrectly or correctly within a few minutes. Research has shown that people find it difficult to solve these problems, and that those who perform well at CRT tend to perform well at numeracy tests, other general ability tests, and tend to avoid biases in Frederick's definition of cognitive reflection is intriguing because it encompasses the possibility that cognitive reflection is a thinking disposition. As noted by Toplak et al. (2011) thinking dispositions are typically measured with subjective reports, which are not always reliable (e.g., Nisbett & Wilson, 1977). CRT is a performance measure with an objective criterion. Thus, if the CRT, indeed, measures a thinking disposition it would constitute a substantial progress in measuring thinking dispositions.Researchers seem to disagree in whether CRT measures an ability or both an ability and a disposition. Cokely and Kelley (2009) Another group of researchers seem to view CRT as a measure of an ability (not a disposition), but they consider this ability as distinct from general cognitive abilities (e.g., intelligence, working memory). Toplak et al. (2011) referred to this ab...

In this study we examined the construct of financial wellness and its relationship to personal wellbeing, with a focus on the role of financial literacy. We made gender comparisons using a structural equation modeling analysis with variables that measured personal wellbeing, financial satisfaction, financial status, financial behavior, financial attitude, and financial knowledge. The research indicates that males ranked higher in financial satisfaction and financial knowledge than females; on the other hand, females ranked higher in personal wellbeing than males. The model of financial wellness proposed by Joo (2008) was operationalized to examine three alternative structural models. The model that best fitted the data was the one where financial wellness was conceived as a set of relations between variables. The relationship of all the variables to personal wellbeing was mediated by financial satisfaction, with some gender differences: In females the main source of financial satisfaction was financial status; in males it was financial knowledge.

The respective roles of the environment and innate talent have been a recurrent question for research into expertise. The authors investigated markers of talent, environment, and critical period for the acquisition of expert performance in chess. Argentinian chess players (N = 104), ranging from weak amateurs to grandmasters, completed a questionnaire measuring variables including individual and group practice, starting age, and handedness. The study reaffirms the importance of practice for reaching high levels of performance, but it also indicates a large variability: The slower player needed 8 times as much practice to reach master level than the faster player. Additional results show a correlation between skill and starting age and indicate that players are more likely to be mixed-handed than individuals in the general population; however, there was no correlation between handedness and skill within the sample of chess players. Together, these results suggest that practice is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the acquisition of expertise, that some additional factors may differentiate chessplayers and nonchessplayers, and that starting age of practice is important.