The study examined the psychometric characteristics of three automated working memory span tasks: operational, reading, and symmetry span task, administered in groups of participants. For each task, the metric characteristics of six scoring procedures were evaluated: partial, absolute, partial non-weighted, absolute non-weighted, partial weighted, and absolute weighted scoring. Metric characteristics of all measures were compared across two parallel analyses: with and without application of a typical 85% accuracy criterion on the processing component of the tasks. The study demonstrates that the group administration of span tasks does not compromise their psychometric characteristics. All the tasks had an adequate internal consistency with Cronbach’s αs equal to or above .70; the exception being all types of the symmetry span task absolute scores with α values close to .60. Furthermore, all tasks have satisfactory convergent construct validity as well as criterion validity estimated in relation to measures of fluid intelligence. Omitting the 85% accuracy criterion on the processing component of the span tasks did not impair their psychometric properties. Thus, it is recommended that researchers discard this accuracy criterion as a criterion for filtering the results for further statistical analyses.
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.
Studies have shown that affective states could be used as diagnostic information for the assessment of situational demands and that, as such, they can regulate resource mobilization. Accordingly, it was found that negative feelings cause overestimation of situational demands, which then leads to effort mobilization during performance on easy tasks but disengagement on difficult tasks. The present research investigated whether this emotion–motivation link could explain the usual differences in achievement on easy and difficult tasks under stereotype threat (ST). In Study 1, participants in ST, no‐ST, and no‐ST with fear induction conditions had to resolve a series of easy logical problems. As expected, ST and no‐ST‐fear groups reported higher effort investment and achieved better performance than the no‐ST group. In the following two studies, the no‐ST‐fear condition was replaced by an ST condition in which the informative potential of threat‐related feelings was prevented before the task performance. Although participants under ST reported similar elevation in anxiety, the expected increase in easy task performance (Study 2) and decrease in difficult task performance (Study 3) were observed only in the standard ST groups. Taken together, our findings suggest that threat‐related feelings could govern motivational processes and account for the effect of ST.
It is well established that academic performance (AP) depends on a number of factors, such as intellectual capacities, practice, and previous knowledge. We know little about how these factors interact as they are rarely measured simultaneously. Here we present mediated-Factors of Academic Performance (m-FAP) model, which simultaneously assesses direct and indirect, mediated, effects on AP. In a semester-long study with 118 first-year college students, we show that intelligence and working memory only indirectly influenced AP on a familiar, less challenging college course (Introduction to Psychology). Their influence was mediated through previous knowledge and self-regulated learning activities akin to deliberate practice. In a novel and more challenging course (Statistics in Psychology), intellectual capacities influenced performance both directly and indirectly through previous knowledge. The influence of deliberate practice, however, was considerably weaker in the novel course. The amount of time and effort that the students spent on the more difficult course could not offset the advantage of their more intelligent and more knowledgeable peers. The m–FAP model explains previous contradictory results by providing a framework for understanding the extent and limitations of individual factors in AP, which depend not only on each other, but also on the learning context.
Rješavanje problema često predstavlja situaciju u kojoj su postavljeni preveliki zahtjevi na resurse radnog pamćenja. U situaciji rješavanja novih kompleksnih problema broj problemskih elemenata koji se trebaju simultano procesirati i njihova interaktivnost mogu nadići raspoloživi kapacitet radnog pamćenja. S obzirom na to da doprinosi smanjenju kognitivnog opterećenja, eksterna reprezentacija može značajno pridonijeti efikasnijem rješavanju problema. Cilj je našeg istraživanja bio ispitati efekte eksterne reprezentacije na uspješnost rješavanja i kognitivno opterećenje problema "hanojskih tornjeva". U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 30 studenata Odsjeka za psihologiju Filozofskog fakulteta u Sarajevu. Sudionici su rješavali tri izomorfne varijante problema "hanojskih tornjeva", preuzete iz istraživanja Zhanga i Normana (1994). Različitim je varijantama problema variran broj eksternih pravila njegova rješavanja. Kognitivno je opterećenje utvrđeno Upitnikom kognitivnog opterećenja (Paas, 1992). Rezultati istraživanja upućuju na to da se efikasnost rješavanja problema povećava s brojem eksterno reprezentiranih pravila, što je u skladu s rezultatima dobivenim u istraživanju Zhanga i Normana (1994). Nadalje, utvrđeno je da eksterna pravila pridonose smanjenju procjene uloženog mentalnog napora i povećanju razumijevanja problema. Procjena je težine problema bila podjednaka za sve tri varijante problema. Rezultati našeg istraživanja potvrđuju nalaze prethodnih istraživanja da korištenje eksternih reprezentacija pridonosi efikasnijem rješavanju kompleksnih problema. Također, eksterna reprezentacija smanjuje subjektivni doživljaj kognitivnog opterećenja. Međutim, generičke strategije izazivaju visoko kognitivno opterećenje per se, što uvjetuje visok doživljaj težine problema, bez obzira na objektivnu težinu problema.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.