The predictive value of numerical magnitude comparison for individual differences in mathematics achievement

Converging evidence suggests that representations of number, space, and other dimensions depend on a general representation of magnitude. However, it is unclear whether there exists a privileged relation between certain magnitude dimensions or if all continuous magnitudes are equivalently related. Four-year-old children and adults were tested with three magnitude comparison tasks – nonsymbolic number, line length, and luminance – to determine whether individual differences in sensitivity are stable across dimensions. A Weber fraction (w) was calculated for each participant in each stimulus dimension. For both children and adults, accuracy and w values for number and line length comparison were significantly correlated, whereas neither accuracy nor w was correlated for number and luminance comparison. However, although line length and luminance comparison performance were not correlated in children, there was a significant relation in adults. These results suggest that there is a privileged relation between number and line length that emerges early in development and that relations between other magnitude dimensions may be later constructed over the course of development.

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Comparison Between Normobaric Hypoxia Altitude Simulation Test and Altitude Hypoxia Predictive Equations in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

10.1101/570754 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Christine Costa ◽

André Barros ◽

João Valença Rodrigues ◽

Richard Staats ◽

Mariana Alves ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cystic Fibrosis ◽

Individual Differences ◽

Positive Predictive Value ◽

Predictive Value ◽

Gold Standard ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Simulation Test ◽

Oxygen Supplementation ◽

Predictive Equations ◽

The Individual

AbstractBackground:The Hypoxia Altitude Simulation Test (HAST) is the Gold Standard to evaluate hypoxia in response to altitude and to decide on in-flight requirements for oxygen supplementation. Several equations are available to predict PaO2 in altitude (PaO2alt), but it remains unclear whether their predictive value is equivalent. We aimed to compare the results obtained by the available methods in a population of cystic fibrosis (CF) adults.Methods:Eighty-eight adults (58 healthy controls and 30 CF patients) performed a spirometry followed by an HAST. HAST results were compared with the predicted PaO2alt made by five equations: 1st: PaO2alt= 0,410 x PaO2ground + 1,7652; 2nd: PaO2alt= 0,519 x PaO2ground + 11,855 x FEV1 (L) − 1,760; 3rd: PaO2alt= 0,453 x PaO2ground + 0,386 x FEV1 (%) + 2,44; 4th: PaO2alt= 0,88 + 0,68 x PaO2ground; 5th: PaO2alt= PaO2ground − 26,6.Results:None of the controls required in-flight oxygen neither by HAST or by the five predictive equations. Eleven CF-patients had PaO2alt < 50 mmHg, accessed by HAST. The positive predictive value was 50% (1st), 87.5% (2nd and 3rd), 77.78% (4th) and 58.33% (5th). Areas under the curve were 78.95% (1st), 84.69% (2nd), 88.04% (3rd) and 78.95% (4th and 5th). FEV1 and PaO2ground were correlated with HAST results.Conclusions:The 3rd equation gave the best predictions in comparison with results obtained by HAST. However, because the individual differences found were substantial for all equations, we still recommend performing a HAST whenever possible to confidently access in-flight hypoxia and the need for oxygen.

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Cognitive mediators of US—China differences in early symbolic arithmetic

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0255283 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. e0255283

Author(s):

John E. Opfer ◽

Dan Kim ◽

Lisa K. Fazio ◽

Xinlin Zhou ◽

Robert S. Siegler

Keyword(s):

Standardized Tests ◽

Number Line ◽

Chinese Children ◽

Numerical Magnitude ◽

Magnitude Comparison ◽

Cognitive Mediators ◽

Number Line Estimation ◽

Mathematics Knowledge ◽

Us Children ◽

Symbolic Number

Chinese children routinely outperform American peers in standardized tests of mathematics knowledge. To examine mediators of this effect, 95 Chinese and US 5-year-olds completed a test of overall symbolic arithmetic, an IQ subtest, and three tests each of symbolic and non-symbolic numerical magnitude knowledge (magnitude comparison, approximate addition, and number-line estimation). Overall Chinese children performed better in symbolic arithmetic than US children, and all measures of IQ and number knowledge predicted overall symbolic arithmetic. Chinese children were more accurate than US peers in symbolic numerical magnitude comparison, symbolic approximate addition, and both symbolic and non-symbolic number-line estimation; Chinese and U.S. children did not differ in IQ and non-symbolic magnitude comparison and approximate addition. A substantial amount of the nationality difference in overall symbolic arithmetic was mediated by performance on the symbolic and number-line tests.

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Worrying in the Lab: Does Intolerance of Uncertainty Have Predictive Value?

Behaviour Change ◽

10.1375/bech.23.2.138 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 138-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Gwendolijn Olivia de Bruin ◽

Eric Rassin ◽

Peter Muris

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Predictive Value ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽

Personality Characteristics ◽

State Worry ◽

Positive Correlations ◽

Related Personality ◽

And Task

AbstractThe present article describes two experimental studies investigating whether individual differences in intolerance of uncertainty (IU) predict worry in response to uncertain situations. In both studies, undergraduate students completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS; Freeston, Rheaume, Letarte, Dugas, & Ladouceur, 1994) and then completed an intelligence task, which was thought to elicit feelings of uncertainty. After completing the task, state worry was measured. Results of both studies showed that there were positive correlations between IUS scores and task-related state worry. Furthermore, Study 2 showed that individual differences in IU only were predictive of worry in a situation that elicits low to medium levels of uncertainty, and not in a situation high in uncertainty. Thus, only under certain conditions IU-related personality characteristics seem to be predictive of worrisome thoughts.

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