In current psychological research, the analysis of data from computer-based assessments or experiments is often confined to accuracy scores. Response times, although being an important source of additional information, are either neglected or analyzed separately. In this article, a new model is developed that allows the simultaneous analysis of accuracy scores and response times of cognitive tests with a rule-based design. The model is capable of simultaneously estimating ability and speed on the person side as well as difficulty and time intensity on the task side, thus dissociating information that is often confounded in current analysis procedures. Further, by integrating design matrices on the task side, it becomes possible to assess the effects of design parameters (e.g., cognitive processes) on both task difficulty and time intensity, offering deeper insights into the task structure. A Bayesian approach, using Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods, has been developed to estimate the model. An application of the model in the context of educational assessment is illustrated using a large-scale investigation of figural reasoning ability.

response time, proportional hazard model, accelerated failure time model,

Symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude representations, measured by digit or dot comparison tasks, are assumed to underlie the development of arithmetic skills. The comparison distance effect (CDE) has been suggested as a hallmark of the preciseness of mental magnitude representations. It implies that two magnitudes are harder to discriminate when the numerical distance between them is small, and may therefore differ in children with mathematical difficulties (MD), i.e. low mathematical achievement or dyscalculia. However, empirical findings on the CDE in children with MD are heterogeneous, and only few studies assess both symbolic and non-symbolic skills. This meta-analysis therefore integrates 44 symbolic and 48 non-symbolic response time (RT) outcomes reported in nineteen studies (N=1630 subjects, aged 6-14 years). Independent of age, children with MD show significantly longer mean RTs than typically achieving controls, particularly on symbolic (Hedges' g=0.75; 95% CI [0.51; 0.99]), but to a significantly lower extent also on non-symbolic (g=0.24; 95% CI [0.13; 0.36]) tasks. However, no group differences were found for the CDE. Extending recent work, these meta-analytical findings on children with MD corroborate the diagnostic importance of magnitude comparison speed in symbolic tasks. By contrast, the validity of CDE measures in assessing MD is questioned.

BackgroundTinnitus is a result of hyper-activity/hyper-synchrony of auditory neurons coding the tinnitus frequency, which has developed due to synchronous mass activity owing to the lack of inhibition. We assume that removal of exactly these frequencies from a complex auditory stimulus will cause the brain to reorganize around tonotopic regions coding the tinnitus frequency through inhibition-induced plasticity. Based on this assumption, a novel treatment for tonal tinnitus - tailor-made notched music training (TMNMT) - has been introduced and was tested in this clinical trial.MethodsA randomized controlled trial in parallel group design was performed in a double-blinded manner. We included 100 participants with chronic, tonal tinnitus who listened to tailor-made notched music for two hours a day for three consecutive months. Our primary outcome measures were the Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire and Visual Analog Scales measuring perceived tinnitus loudness, awareness, distress and handicap. Participants rated their tinnitus before and after the training as well as one month after cessation of the training.ResultsWhile no effect was found for the primary outcome measures, tinnitus distress, as measured by the Tinnitus Questionnaire, a secondary outcome measure, developed differently in the two groups. The treatment group showed higher distress scores while the placebo group revealed lower distress scores after the training. However, this effect did not reach significance in post-hoc analysis and disappeared at follow-up measurements. At follow-up, tinnitus loudness in the treatment group was significantly reduced as compared to the control group. Post hoc analysis, accounting for low reliability scores in the Visual Analog Scales, showed a significant reduction of the overall Visual Analog Scale mean score in the treatment group even at the post measurement.ConclusionThis is the first study on TMNMT that was planned and conducted following the CONSORT statement standards for clinical trials. The current work is one more step towards a final evaluation of TMNMT. Already after three months the effect of training with tailor-made notched music is observable in the most direct rating of tinnitus perception – the tinnitus loudness, while more global measures of tinnitus distress do not show relevant changes.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN04840953; Trial registration date: 17.07.2013

Laut ICD-10 und DSM-IV-TR muss für die Diagnose einer Dyskalkulie eine Diskrepanz zwischen der allgemeinen kognitiven Leistungsfähigkeit und der tatsächlichen oder vorhergesagten Leistung in einem Mathematiktest vorliegen. Diese Definition impliziert, dass sich rechenschwache Kinder, die diese Diskrepanz aufweisen, von rechenschwachen Kindern ohne Erfüllung des Diskrepanzkriteriums unterscheiden. Die vorliegende Arbeit hatte zum Ziel, mögliche Unterschiede zwischen dyskalkulischen und rechenschwachen Kindern sowie einer Kontrollgruppe in der basisnumerischen Verarbeitung zu prüfen. Zur Identifikation einer Dyskalkulie bzw. Rechenschwäche wurden entweder (a) ein Testverfahren mit basisnumerischem Schwerpunkt (ZAREKI-R) oder (b) Tests zur Erfassung von Rechenfertigkeiten (ZAREKI-R Kopfrechnen und Textaufgaben, HRT 1 – 4 Addition und Subtraktion, WISC-IV rechnerisches Denken) verwendet. Insgesamt bearbeiteten 68 Kinder (Dyskalkulie: Na = 27/Nb = 11, Rechenschwäche: Na = 21/Nb = 18, Kontrollgruppe: Na = 20/Nb = 39) eine Batterie von basisnumerischen Aufgaben: Simultanerfassung, Abzählen, Mengenvergleich, Transkodieren, Number sets und Zahlenstrahl (0 – 100). Zusätzlich wurde die Arbeitsgedächtniskapazität mit einer visuell-räumlichen Aufgabe (Matrixspanne) überprüft. Laut Klassifikation nach ZAREKI-R unterschieden sich rechenschwache und dyskalkulische Kinder in fast allen basisnumerischen Aufgaben klar von der Kontrollgruppe, jedoch nicht untereinander. Bei Klassifikation nach Rechenfertigkeiten konnten rechenschwache und dyskalkulische Kinder ebenfalls nicht differenziert werden, allerdings unterschieden sich nur rechenschwache Kinder von der Kontrollgruppe (bei den Aufgaben Simultanerfassung, Abzählen, symbolischer Mengenvergleich, Transkodieren, Zahlenstrahl). Die Befunde werden vor dem Hintergrund der Verwendung basisnumerischer Fertigkeiten für die Diagnose und Therapie von Dyskalkulie diskutiert.