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Results for “APTITUDE TEST”

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At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Working memory, short-term memory, and general fluid intelligence: a latent-variable approach.

A study was conducted in which 133 participants performed 11 memory tasks (some thought to reflect working memory and some thought to reflect short-term memory), 2 tests of general fluid intelligence, and the Verbal and Quantitative Scholastic Aptitude Tests. Structural equation modeling suggested that short-term and working memories reflect separate but highly related constructs and that many of the tasks used in the literature as working memory tasks reflect a common construct. Working memory shows a strong connection to fluid intelligence, but short-term memory does not. A theory of working memory capacity and general fluid intelligence is proposed: The authors argue that working memory capacity and fluid intelligence reflect the ability to keep a representation active, particularly in the face of interference and distraction. The authors also discuss the relationship of this capability to controlled attention, and the functions of the prefrontal cortex.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

The effect of beta blockade on stress-induced cognitive dysfunction in adolescents.

Test anxiety is severely disabling to students whose fear of examinations causes cognitive dysfunction that paralyzes their thinking the way stage fright impairs actors ability to act. In studies using subjective evaluations among actors and musicians, beta-blockade relieved stage fright and has been used informally to treat test anxiety in students without objective measures of effectiveness. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was chosen as an objective test instrument to confirm the effect of beta-blockade on test anxiety and performance. Thirty-two high school students who had already taken the SAT before enrolling in this study and who had stress-induced cognitive dysfunction on exams were given 40 mg of propranolol one hour before they retook those tests. Mean SAT scores with beta-blockade were 130 points higher than on the initial SAT done before entering the study without medication (p = less than .01). A single dose of propranolol immediately before the SAT permitted improved performance in students prone to cognitive dysfunction due to test anxiety.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

No evidence of impaired neurocognitive performance in collegiate soccer players.

A high incidence of cerebral concussion has been reported among soccer players. We studied whether long-term or chronic neuropsychological dysfunction was present in collegiate soccer players. Two hundred forty subjects from a National Collegiate Athletic Association division I institution were stratified into three groups: soccer athletes (91), nonsoccer athletes (96 women's field hockey, women's lacrosse, and baseball players), and controls (53 college students). Subjects completed a concussion history questionnaire and underwent preseason baseline neuropsychological testing before the start of either the freshman or sophomore year. Data were collected on the results of six neuropsychological tests and from a concussion history questionnaire for number of previous concussions, Scholastic Aptitude Test results, and exposure to soccer and heading. Despite an average of 15.3 seasons of soccer exposure and a higher prevalence of previous concussions, the soccer athletes did not demonstrate impaired neurocognitive function or scholastic aptitude when compared with the nonsoccer athletes or the student nonathletes. Additionally, there was no significant relationship between a history of soccer-related concussion and either neurocognitive performance or scholastic aptitude. Neither participation in soccer nor a history of soccer-related concussions was associated with impaired performance of neurocognitive function in high-level United States soccer players.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Effectiveness of dynamic cognitive intervention in rehabilitation of clients with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of dynamic cognitive treatment in rehabilitation of schizophrenic clients. SUBJECTS: Fifty-eight schizophrenic clients that were matched equally into two groups: a study group (n = 29) (treated by Instrumental Enrichment) and a control group (treated with traditional occupational therapy methods). SETTING: The subjects were treated in a day rehabilitation centre in the community. STUDY DESIGN: The programme lasted one year, the same schedule was provided for both groups. Subjects were randomly assigned and assessed before and after intervention with the same battery and at a follow-up six months later, work and residence status were evaluated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Instruments included: (1) memory and thought processes, measured by a battery of structured tests from the Learning Potential Assessment Device (LPAD), Raven Progressive Matrices and General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB); (2) functional outcomes, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), measured by a questionnaire; work and residence status; (3) self-concept measured with Fitts questionnaire. RESULTS: Results showed significant differences between the groups on almost all the cognitive tests (MANOVA revealed significant differences between the two groups for both memory and thought process (F(2.52) = 13.75, p < 0.001; and F(1.46) = 7.28, p < 0.001, respectively) as well as in work (chi2 = 14.30, p < 0.001), and residence (chi2 = 3.86, p < 0.05) status. There were no significant differences in IADL questionnaire or the self-concept scale. CONCLUSIONS: The successful outcome points to the importance of including long-term cognitive intervention in rehabilitation of schizophrenic clients. This work suggests that the classic view of schizophrenia as a progressive irreversible decline that cannot be altered may be wrong.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1985

Differences in memory retrieval: a construct validity investigation.

Long-term memory retrieval efficiency was investigated as a potential underlying source of individual and developmental differences in cognitive functioning. Fourth-grade, eighth-grade, and college-aged subjects participated in a task using the Posner letter-matching paradigm. Letter pairs were presented simultaneously under physical-match and name-match instruction conditions. Reaction times were used to estimate parameters of long-term memory retrieval efficiency, basic encoding, decision, and response time, and name and physical output interference. Psychometric tests of verbal and spatial ability were included to assess convergent and discriminant validity of hypothesized relationships between aptitude test performance and basic cognitive processes. Developmental differences were observed in most but not all of the processing variables. Individual difference analyses indicated that less confounded estimates of processing parameters were not systematically related to verbal ability at any age level. Basic encoding and response speed was the most consistent correlate of spatial ability. The results suggest difficulties in previous interpretations of NIPI-verbal ability relationships. The study of cognitive processes in interaction and embedded in meaningful tasks is discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Longitudinal comparison of the academic performances of Asian-American and white medical students.

PURPOSE: To compare the academic performances of Asian-American medical students--before, during, and after medical school--with those of white students. METHOD: The 140 Asian-American graduates and 2,269 white graduates from the classes of 1981-1992 at Jefferson Medical College were studied prospectively: data on academic performance, indebtedness, and delayed graduation were analyzed and compared for all the graduates. F-tests, chi-square tests, and regression models were used. RESULTS: The Asian-Americans had statistically significantly higher scores on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) quantitative subtest and on the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) chemistry, physics, and science problems subtests; the whites had significantly higher scores on the MCAT reading subtest; third-year grade-point averages for required clerkships; and scores on National Board of Medical Examiners Part I, II, and III examinations (NBME I, II, and III). No significant difference was found in the other performance measures, including ratings in the first year of residency. Regression analysis showed that the MCAT reading score was the major predictor of Asian-Americans' performances on the NBME I and II. CONCLUSION: Because the MCAT reading score is the major predictor of later performance for Asian-American students, schools should consider employing different criteria in predicting and monitoring these students' performances.

Achievement↗

PubMed1997

Mediators of gender differences in mathematics college entrance test scores: a comparison of spatial skills with internalized beliefs and anxieties.

This study was designed to investigate whether spatial skill, math anxiety, and math self-confidence functioned as mediators of a significant gender difference in the Mathematics Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT-M) among the top third of a college-bound sample. Using path analytic techniques, the decomposition of the significant gender-SAT-M correlation into direct and indirect effects indicated that there were no direct effects of gender on SAT-M. Mental rotation and math self-confidence showed indirect effects, mediating the gender-SAT-M relationship; math anxiety did not. Of these indirect effects, 36% was mediated by math self-confidence; 64% by mental rotation. For both these variables, most of the mediational effects of the gender-SAT-M relationship did not occur by way of the causal pathway leading through geometry grades. Thus, the mediational effects cannot simply be attributed to the presence of geometry items on the SAT-M or to math self-confidence acquired during prior geometry coursework.

Achievement↗

PubMed1990

An examination of age and cognitive test performance across job complexity and occupational types.

In this study, job complexity and occupational type were examined as potential moderators of the relationship between age and cognitive ability. Data included general, verbal, and numerical ability scores for 21,646 individuals in the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) data base. These individuals comprised 102 unique samples and 10 major occupational groups. Differences in the relationship between age and cognitive ability test scores were observed across occupational types but not for different levels of job complexity. Findings were discussed in terms of a need for research that examines specific life and work experiences and how such experiences may influence an individual's cognitive abilities across the life span.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The Geriatric Concentration Test and correlations with intelligence, memory ability, orientation and professional assessment in geriatric patients between 60 and 85 years of age in a nursing home].

In view of the lack of standardised psychometric procedures in establishing the cerebral efficiency of geriatric patients, it was attempted to develop an aptitude test for this group of patients. The "AUT" was tested on 140 patients at the 1st Medical Department of the Vienna-Lainz nursing home. The values examined, such as completion time, number of correctly cancelled figures, mistakes, as well as the combined result total amount and error percentage correspond, with regard to objectivity and reliability, with the requirements of psychometric procedures. Initial findings show the test to be a good indicator of "general cerebral efficiency" of those questioned, but it is to be noted that most of all the varying ability to concentrate, ability to remember, intelligence, orientation, activity and independence have an influence on the test results.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The validity of a psychological selection procedure for aerospace operators].

The validity of a psychological selection system for highly qualified aerospace operators is examined. Of 399 student airline pilots recruited with this procedure, 349 (88%) completed the flight training successfully. Multivariate statistical data analyses on the basis of the criteria training success (pass/fail) and instructor's ratings resulted in acceptable validity coefficients. Whereas tests of psychomotor coordination and multiple task performance proved to be significant predictors for the training success as a whole, such characteristics as mathematical reasoning, mental concentration, perceptual speed and spatial orientation were more related to the instructor's ratings. The significance of psychological aptitude testing for the efficiency of man/machine interactions is discussed.

Aerospace Medicine↗

PubMed1998

Turning up the contrast: self-enhancement motives prompt egocentric contrast effects in social judgments.

Contrast effects occur when people judge the behavior and attitudes of others relative to their own. We tested a motivational account suggesting that these effects arise because people tailor their judgments of others to affirm their own self-worth. Consistent with that interpretation, participants displayed more egocentric contrast in their judgments of another person's intelligence (i.e., their evaluation of his score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test was more negatively related to their own score) after their self-esteem was threatened than after it was bolstered (Studies 1 and 2). High-self-esteem individuals displayed more judgmental contrast overall than did their low-esteem counterparts (Study 2). Strongly pro-choice participants whose esteem was threatened also displayed more contrast in their judgments of another person's attitude on abortion, relative to esteem-bolstered participants (Study 3). Discussion centers on the implications of these findings for theory on social comparison, self-affirmation, and social judgment.

Achievement↗

PubMed2000

The homogeneity assumption in differential prediction analysis: does it really matter?

In simulation studies, the F test for differences in regression slopes has tended to distort nominal Type I and II error rates when the 2 subgroup error variances exceeded a 1.50:1 ratio. This study examines the frequency and extent that this ratio is violated within data sets relevant to applied psychology. The General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) validity study database contained ability data and overall job performance ratings. The Project A military database contained both ability and personality data, along with job performance factor scores and an overall job performance rating. Results suggest that subgroup (White-Black, male-female) error variances are often homogeneous enough to support F test results from past empirical work. Enough heterogeneity was found, however, to urge applied psychologists investigating differential prediction to explore their data and consider the possibility of alternative statistical tests.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

The role of verbal ability in the processing of complex verbal information.

This study investigated the relation between psychometric mental-ability test scores and several reaction-time measures; a simple-reaction task, a choice-reaction task, the Posner and Mitchell (1967) letter-identification task, and a variation of the sentence-verification task. Scores on the Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices and the Verbal Subtest of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SATV) were obtained. The less complex information-processing tasks replicate earlier studies in which general intelligence was only marginally related to reaction-time measures. The sentence-verification task systematically varied task complexity. Several direct and derived measures from the task were significantly correlated with psychometric mentalability measures. However, even though a number of precautions were taken to ensure that the sentence-verification task assessed purely verbal-processing efficiency, there was little evidence for an important task-specific relation between verification measures and verbal ability. Moreover, despite its relative verbal complexity, sentence verification did not reflect a greater relationship to verbal ability than other tasks did. Overall, the information-processing efficiency measures used in this study suggested a fairly general, rather than a task-specific, relationship to intellectual ability.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Correlation between EEG and cognitive abilities: sex differences.

EEG activity was recorded during rest in 9 male and 9 female volunteers, aged 23 and 27, from C3, C4, T3, T4, P3, P4, O1 and O2, referenced to the ipsilateral earlobe. In a separate session verbal, spatial and abstract reasoning subtests of the Differential Aptitude Test were administered. Samples of EEG activity of 20.48 s were analysed and the interhemispheric correlation was obtained. Interhemispheric correlation in the alpha band was significantly higher in women than in men at central, parietal and occipital derivations. Significant correlations were found between D.A.T. scores and interhemispheric correlation, positive for women with abstract and spatial aptitudes in the central cortex, and negative for men with spatial, abstract and verbal scores in most derivations recorded. The opposite sign of men and women's correlations suggests the existence of a different cerebral functional organization, women showing lower hemispheric differentiation than men.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans.

Stereotype threat is being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's group. Studies 1 and 2 varied the stereotype vulnerability of Black participants taking a difficult verbal test by varying whether or not their performance was ostensibly diagnostic of ability, and thus, whether or not they were at risk of fulfilling the racial stereotype about their intellectual ability. Reflecting the pressure of this vulnerability, Blacks underperformed in relation to Whites in the ability-diagnostic condition but not in the nondiagnostic condition (with Scholastic Aptitude Tests controlled). Study 3 validated that ability-diagnosticity cognitively activated the racial stereotype in these participants and motivated them not to conform to it, or to be judged by it. Study 4 showed that mere salience of the stereotype could impair Blacks' performance even when the test was not ability diagnostic. The role of stereotype vulnerability in the standardized test performance of ability-stigmatized groups is discussed.

Black or African American↗

PubMed1976

The effects of experimentally induced changes in self-concept on associative learning.

It has been hypothesized that self-concept influences ability to learn. This experiment systematically manipulated the self-concepts of learners regarding their abilities to learn a foreign language and measured their subsequent learning of a synthetic foreign language vocabulary list. Eleven Ss were randomly assigned to each of three groups: self-concept raised, self-concept lowered, control. Ss were college freshman who were not enrolled in a foreign language course or had not previously taken more than one semester of a foreign language. Self-concepts were measured as self-description of ability to learn a foreign language. Self-concepts were raised or lowered by providing false scores on a foreign language aptitude test. Learning was measured as performance on a paired-associates task utilizing random shapes and CVCs. Ss with lowered self-concepts learned more slowly than control Ss or Ss with raised self-concepts.

Achievement↗

PubMed2001

[The application of external knee stabilizers - Influence on mechanical stabilization and physical performance].

The aim of the study was, to assess the influence of a knee brace on the development of anterior instability after anterior cruciate ligament rupture and to test aptitude for physical strain. 46 subjects with arthroscopically proven anterior cruciate ligament rupture were divided equally in a randomised order into two groups. Both groups carried out a standardized physical therapy program, while one group (0) received additional stabilization by means of a functional knee brace (SofTec, Bauerfeind). In addition, important features of the brace (stabilization capacity, safety perception and physical performance) were tested and compared to the non-braced contralateral leg among 23 healthy physical education students by means of a standardized scaled questionnaire (observational study). 0 showed lower (p < 0.05) development of the anterior instability by 46 % and lower (p < 0.05) reduction in circumference of the femur muscles by 25 %. Increasing the time interval between accident and beginning of the brace treatment, increased the difference of the therapeutical effect of the brace. In the observational study, the brace received a better evaluation regarding all test parameters. The reduction of developing anterior instability by means of a brace should facilitate - apart from an individual operation-time-arrangement - especially a conservative approach within the framework of anterior instability and physical activity. Aside from the improvement of the mechanical stabilization, indications for suitability in strain situations could be detected for the tested brace.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

On not "giving psychology away": the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and public controversy over testing in the 1960s.

Psychological tests, especially the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, became the center of public controversy and Congressional scrutiny during the 1960s. This unwanted attention actually helped American psychologists more than they imagined. Assisted by those on Capital Hill, psychologists were able to defend their science in a manner that avoided imposed forms of public accountability. Social questions were reformulated as technical problems. The need to adjust intelligence and aptitude tests reinforced psychologists' control over them. Conversely, personality tests were not made more transparent and nonintrusive, unless psychologists thought these changes were scientifically necessary. This episode prompted tighter regulation of test use and demonstrated that traditional forms of testing were far too important to popularize and "give away".

History, 20th Century↗