Evaluation of Tests of Perceptual Speed/Accuracy and Spatial Ability for Use in Military Occupational Classification

The structure of abilities of Japanese children is analysed in terms of the Burt-Vernon hierarchical model of intelligence. The data are derived from the Japanese standardisation of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale for Intelligence. It is found that Japanese children do not differ significantly from white American children on Spearman's g, are significantly inferior on the group verbal factor and superior on the group perceptual factor. On the primary abilities, Japanese children are inferior on verbal comprehension, not significantly different on perceptual speed, and superior on number and spatial ability. It is suggested-that this pattern of Japanese cognitive strengths and weaknesses helps to clarify a number of conflicting findings on Japanese intelligence.

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Predictive Validity of Spatial Ability and Perceptual Speed Tests for Aviator Training

The International Journal of Aerospace Psychology ◽

10.1080/24721840.2018.1442222 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 27 (3-4) ◽

pp. 109-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

James F. Johnson ◽

Laura G. Barron ◽

Thomas R. Carretta ◽

Mark R. Rose

Keyword(s):

Spatial Ability ◽

Predictive Validity ◽

Perceptual Speed

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Racial Differences in Heritability Estimates for Tests of Spatial Ability

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1968.27.3.735 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 735-739 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

R. T. Osborne ◽

A. James Gregor

Keyword(s):

Racial Differences ◽

Spatial Ability ◽

Perceptual Speed ◽

White Children ◽

Test Form ◽

Paper Folding ◽

Surface Development ◽

Heritability Estimates ◽

Spatial Test ◽

Mz Twins

172 pairs of MZ twins and 112 pairs of like-sexed DZ twins were given a battery of psychological tests which included Surface Development Test, Porteus Mazes, Newcastle Spatial Test, Paper Folding Test, Identical Pictures Test, Perceptual Speed, Object-Aperture Test, Form B, and Cube Comparisons. 242 were boys and 326 girls, of whom 482 were white and 86 Negro. Ages ranged from 13 to 18 yr. Using four different heritability ratios the relative intrapair similarity of MZ and like-sexed DZ twins on selected spatial tests was determined. Although the MZ and DZ intraclass rs are generally higher for the white than for Negro children the heritability estimates which are determined by rMZ rDZ differences are higher for the Negro pupils. Environment does not play a more significant role in the development of spatial ability of Negro children than of white children.

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Neuroticism and Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff in Self-Paced Speeded Mental Addition and Comparison

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000021 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 130-137 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Hagen C. Flehmig ◽

Michael B. Steinborn ◽

Karl Westhoff ◽

Robert Langner

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Response Speed ◽

Time Variability ◽

Reaction Time Variability ◽

Comparison Task ◽

Processing Efficiency ◽

Mental Addition ◽

Speed Accuracy ◽

The Relationship ◽

Accuracy Tradeoff

Previous research suggests a relationship between neuroticism (N) and the speed-accuracy tradeoff in speeded performance: High-N individuals were observed performing less efficiently than low-N individuals and compensatorily overemphasizing response speed at the expense of accuracy. This study examined N-related performance differences in the serial mental addition and comparison task (SMACT) in 99 individuals, comparing several performance measures (i.e., response speed, accuracy, and variability), retest reliability, and practice effects. N was negatively correlated with mean reaction time but positively correlated with error percentage, indicating that high-N individuals tended to be faster but less accurate in their performance than low-N individuals. The strengthening of the relationship after practice demonstrated the reliability of the findings. There was, however, no relationship between N and distractibility (assessed via measures of reaction time variability). Our main findings are in line with the processing efficiency theory, extending the relationship between N and working style to sustained self-paced speeded mental addition.

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Speeded Paper-Pencil Sustained Attention and Mental Speed Tests

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001.29.4.205 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 205-216 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Stefan Krumm ◽

Lothar Schmidt-Atzert ◽

Kurt Michalczyk ◽

Vanessa Danthiir

Keyword(s):

Sustained Attention ◽

Time Pressure ◽

Factor Model ◽

Higher Order ◽

Future Research ◽

Perceptual Speed ◽

Speed Factor ◽

Close Relationship ◽

Task Processing ◽

Order Factor

Mental speed (MS) and sustained attention (SA) are theoretically distinct constructs. However, tests of MS are very similar to SA tests that use time pressure as an impeding condition. The performance in such tasks largely relies on the participants’ speed of task processing (i.e., how quickly and correctly one can perform the simple cognitive tasks). The present study examined whether SA and MS are empirically the same or different constructs. To this end, 24 paper-pencil and computerized tests were administered to 199 students. SA turned out to be highly related to MS task classes: substitution and perceptual speed. Furthermore, SA showed a very close relationship with the paper-pencil MS factor. The correlation between SA and computerized speed was considerably lower but still high. In a higher-order general speed factor model, SA had the highest loading on the higher-order factor; the higher-order factor explained 88% of SA variance. It is argued that SA (as operationalized with tests using time pressure as an impeding condition) and MS cannot be differentiated, at the level of broad constructs. Implications for neuropsychological assessment and future research are discussed.

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Manipulate Me

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000534 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 554-562

Author(s):

Alica Thissen ◽

Frank M. Spinath ◽

Nicolas Becker

Keyword(s):

High School Students ◽

Spatial Ability ◽

Convergent Validity ◽

Item Difficulty ◽

Test Results ◽

Response Elimination ◽

School Students ◽

Test Environment ◽

Response Options ◽

Construction Task

Abstract. The cube construction task represents a novel format in the assessment of spatial ability through mental cube rotation tasks. Instead of selecting the correct answer from several response options, respondents construct their own response in a computerized test environment, leading to a higher demand for spatial ability. In the present study with a sample of 146 German high-school students, we tested an approach to manipulate the item difficulties in order to create items with a greater difficulty range. Furthermore, we compared the cube task in a distractor-free and a distractor-based version while the item stems were held identical. The average item difficulty of the distractor-free format was significantly higher than in the distractor-based format ( M = 0.27 vs. M = 0.46) and the distractor-free format showed a broader range of item difficulties (.02 ≤ pi ≤ .95 vs. .37 ≤ pi ≤ .63). The analyses of the test results also showed that the distractor-free format had a significantly higher correlation with a broad intelligence test ( r = .57 vs. r = .17). Reasons for the higher convergent validity of the distractor-free format (prevention of response elimination strategies and the broader range of item difficulties) and further research possibilities are discussed.

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Dual Goals for Speed and Accuracy on the Same Performance Task

Journal of Personnel Psychology ◽

10.1027/1866-5888/a000063 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 118-126 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Olive Emil Wetter ◽

Jürgen Wegge ◽

Klaus Jonas ◽

Klaus-Helmut Schmidt

Keyword(s):

Memory Scanning ◽

Performance Task ◽

Performance Tasks ◽

Trade Off ◽

Test Experiment ◽

Trade Offs ◽

New Finding ◽

Sternberg Paradigm ◽

Speed Accuracy ◽

Speed And Accuracy

In most work contexts, several performance goals coexist, and conflicts between them and trade-offs can occur. Our paper is the first to contrast a dual goal for speed and accuracy with a single goal for speed on the same task. The Sternberg paradigm (Experiment 1, n = 57) and the d2 test (Experiment 2, n = 19) were used as performance tasks. Speed measures and errors revealed in both experiments that dual as well as single goals increase performance by enhancing memory scanning. However, the single speed goal triggered a speed-accuracy trade-off, favoring speed over accuracy, whereas this was not the case with the dual goal. In difficult trials, dual goals slowed down scanning processes again so that errors could be prevented. This new finding is particularly relevant for security domains, where both aspects have to be managed simultaneously.

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