Resources for psych/cognitive science students

Some very good URL links for students (and faculty) in the areas of psychology and the cognitive sciences (e.g., 100 most influential cognitive science publications; classics in the history of psychology) over on the Mind Hacks. As stated in the BB post:

• "As the new academic year is in full flow, students might find themselves with a raft of information and little to paddle with. Mind Hacks has collected a list of favourite internet resources for mind and brain sciences students to help with getting yourselves ashore"

Keywords: Teaching tools

Executive function and autism

Over on the MyomancyBlog is a post about executive function and autism.

John Horn's comments on general intelligence (g)

Over on the IAP-CHC listserv there has been a spirited exchange on the existence of g and the strengths and weaknesses of different test g-scores. During the exchange, my friend and colleague, Dr. Sam Ortiz, resurrected (thanks Sam...youdaman!) two long comments made by John Horn (yes, the "H" in CHC theory) to an early version of the IAP-CHC listserv (in June of 1999).

I've taken that resurrected post, converted it to a pdf file, and have posted a link to this file (click here). This is an important informal communication from John Horn regarding his postion on g.

Mental time keeping

A very interesting post on the Science Blog re: the importance of mental/interval time keeping abilities in human performance. Why do I find this sooooo interesting?

Recently, Dr. Gordon Taub, Dr. Tim Keith and I received funding (yes...this means a potential $ conflict of interest....reader beware) to conduct an independent evaluation of the effects of a synchronized metronome tapping (SMT) intervention (Interactive Metronome) on academic performance. I was very skeptical of the potential benefits of a non-academic intervention on school achievement. However, the results were hard to dismiss.

When our positive findings were combined with the finding that SMT (IM in particular) has demonstrated significant effects across a very diverse array of human performance domains, we set out to review the literature to determine if a unified cognitive causal explanation might account for such findings (in a paper currently under review - Taub, McGrew & Keith - Improvements in Interval Time Tracking and Effects on Academic Achievement).

Low and behold...what literature did we identify as having the greatest chance to account for the positive intervention effects of SMT?- yep....mental/interval time keeping models research....ddodododododdodo (Twilight Zone music)!

A few tantilizing excerpts from our paper:

• From Abstract - This paper examines the effect of improvements in timing/rhythmicity on students’ reading and mathematics achievement. A total of 86 participants...completed pre- and post-test measures of reading and mathematics achievement from the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement, Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, Test of Word Reading Efficiency, , and Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency....Students in the experimental group participated in a 4 week intervention designed to improve their timing/rhythmicity by reducing the latency in their response to a synchronized metronome beat, referred to as a synchronized metronome tapping (SMT) intervention. The intervention required, on average, 15 daily 50 minute sessions, The results from this non-academic intervention indicate the experimental group’s post-test scores on select measures of reading and mathematics were significantly higher than the non-treatment control group’s scores at the end of 4 weeks.
  

• Many jobs and tasks require a critical sense of knowing how much time events or activities should take or how to internally judge intervals of time. This mental operation is often referred to as mental time keeping or interval timing. For example, proficient short-order cooks are master mental time/interval timers as they must prepare several different foods concurrently, each of which typically requires a different cooking time interval.


• Cognitive psychology’s interest in mental time-keeping has spanned decades. For example, cognitive differential psychologists first reported the identification of a temporal tracking.

• More recently, researchers in cognitive psychology studied the phenomenon of interval timing through the use of research paradigms that require individuals to maintain synchrony with auditory tones (e.g., from a metronome), also known as Synchronized Metronome Tapping (SMT).

• Recent mental time-keeper research studies have suggested a number of potentially useful applied applications across a diverse array of performance domains.

Ok....that's enough for now. I'm still a bit skeptical of the explanation for our findings, but I now have what might be called a healthy degree of positive skepticism. The article referenced in the Science Blog post leads me to believe that something important may lie in better understanding mental time keeping and related interventions. The original article can be viewed by clicking here.

Possibly more on this in the future.

Metacognition, Glr, and prefrontal lateral cortex

Also over on the Eide Neurolearning Blog - more information on the use of metacognitive strategies (e.g., chunking; organizing) in facilitating bettter Glr for acquired domains of knowledge (Grw, Gq, Gc, Gkn). At the bottom of the post are a number of links - the fMRI article, which implicates the prefrontal lateral cortex in the organization of memory, was particularly interesting (IMHO).

Some info on abilities of the gifted

For those interested in gifted individuals, the Eide Neurolearning Blog posted some information on the "evenness" of cognitive abilities in gifted individuals. A number of links to some related articles are included at the bottom of the post.

Expertise and Glr

Over on Cognitive Dailey is an interesting post about experts and memory that might relate to understanding the CHC domains of Glr (long-term storage and retrieval - getting stuff stored and later retrieved) and well-developed domain-specific knowledge (Gkn) and how it can improve performance.

American Academy of School Psychology - assessment position papers

FYI. For the school psychology readers of this blog.

If you are not yet aware of the important work of the American Academy of School Psychology, I would suggest you give their site a visit. Of particular interest, given all the NASP listserv chatter re: IDEA, RTI, the future of cognitive assessment, etc., are the following two position papers of the academy.

• ASPP Response to Report of the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education(Acrobat format) 9/17/02

• ASPP Statement on Comprehensive Evaluation for Learning Disabilities (Acrobat format) 2/21/04

Test accommodations workshop - for kids with disabilities

FYI. I just receieved notice regarding the following assessment related conference on March 19-21, 2006.

• "Accommodating Students with Disabilities on State Assessments: What Works?" in Charleston, SC. Conference co-sponsored by ETS, the College Board, Council for Exceptional Children, and the National Institute for Urban School Improvement.

No registration information is currently available. If you are interested, monitor the ETS Conference Calendar page.

WJ III CHC test classifications - revised & updated

I just posted a new document that provides my revised/updated CHC classifications of the WJ III cognitive and achievement tests. The document also includes the most current working list of CHC abilitiy definitions as outlined in a chapter in Flanagan and Harrison's CIA 2nd edition (online version of the chapter is availble here).

Left click to view online and right click to download to your hard drive. Enjoy.

CHC, intelligence, neuropsychology, clinical diagnosis research reports available

The following 13 brief research reports have been posted to the Woodcock-Munoz Foundation (WMF) Programs of Research/Bulletin Board. More will follow. Reports can either be viewed online or downloaded to your hard drive.

Conflict of interest disclosure: I, the blogmaster of this blog, am employed by the WMF as Research Director. None of the opinions expressed on this blog reflect the position of the WMF.

• Children with Mild Mental Retardation: Characteristics of Performance on Measures of CHC Broad Cognitive Abilities (2003)

• Ability Profiles of Children with Low and High Reading Comprehension Ability: The Importance of General and Specific Aptitudes (2004(

• Explaining Reading Comprehension Across Childhood, Adolescence, and Early Adulthood is Somewhat Simple (2004)

• Joint Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System and the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (2004)

• Relations Between Executive Function Measures and Measures of the g Factor (2004)

• Woodcock-Johnson III Factor Clusters: g Loadings and Specificity (2005)

• Confirmatory Factor Analysis of CHC Theory with a Neurologically Impaired Sample (2005)

• Are Similar Achievement Deficits Caused by Different Cognitive Processing Profiles for Individuals with ADHD and TBI? (2005)

• Can Sensory and Motor Skills Successfully Differentiate Patients with CVA's from Patients with TBI's? (2005)

• Sensory Motor Differences in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury (2005)

• Classification and Regression Tree Analysis of Individuals with ADHD (2005)

• Predicting Cognitive Processing Abilities Using Construction Tasks from a Neurologically Impaired Sample (2005)

• Differential Cognitive Processing Performance of Children with ADHD and Learning Disabilities (2005)

Predictive validity of cognitive tests in the UK - job performance

As reported on the British Psychological Society (BPS) Research Digest Blog. Meta-analytic support for the value of cognitive tests in predicting job performance

As reported at the blog:

• "The researchers found cognitive tests strongly predicted employees’ work and training performance, across all different job types investigated: clerical, engineer, professional, driver, operator, manager and sales. Both general mental ability tests and more specific tests (e.g. perceptual tests) predicted job performance. There was a tendency for the tests to be stronger predictors of performance for more complex jobs. The authors said: “Practitioners may believe, and indeed may have experienced, that such tests are less popular for senior appointments due to a misbelieve that they lack job-related validity; the results of our meta-analysis on a large sample of UK occupational groups strongly refutes this erroneous belief”.

Texas Hold'em and CHC cognitive abilities

It was inevitable given the popularity of Texas Hold'em poker. Someone is now attempting to hypothesize about the importance of g (general intelligence) and specific broad CHC abilities (e.g., Gf and Gc) in poker aptitude.

Maybe I should develop a poker aptitude battery based on CHC theory and make a bundle on money selecting Texas Hold'em prodigies.

Keywords: CHC teaching tool Gf Gc

Mandatory intelligence testing in schools ?

I never thought I'd see the day where a person (Thomas Bixler) running for political office (Congress in South Dakota) has suggested mandatory intelligence testing for all children in schools! As noted at the South Dakota War College Blog, Bixler's position is presented as:

• Children should learn on certain grade levels based on personal intellect, therefore we should have mandatory intelligence testing for all students.

Didn't we try this decades ago with group IQ tests and tracking? Even I, a scholar of intelligence research and a coauthor of an intelligence battery (WJ III; Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability--Third Edition) do not believe that intelligence tests are that powerful and accurate (see my prior Forrest Gump post and report).

Can anyone say "South Dakota School Psychologists Full Employment Act?"

Gf (Induction) rule learning and brain function

Thanks to the Eide Neurolearning blog for a post (and link to pdf copy of original article) regarding new fMRI research that sheds possible light on regions of the brain possibly involved in rule-learning (aka., Gf-Induction in the land of CHC theory)

Executive function card game? Set?

Interesting post on the Brain Blog (thanks) regarding the game "Set" which, according to the Brain Blog, seems to call for a good dose of healthy frontal lobe functioning.

Tech tidbit: Google base - free online database

I haven't checked it out yet, but the blogsphere is buzzing about a new on-line free database service from Google. If any blog readers try it, please check back and make report via the comment box.

Autism, executive functioning and fMRI research

As seen over on the Science Blog - new fMRI research on the relations between autism and executive functioning.

In defense of psychological testing

Another "blast from the past" article that I'd like to share, as one who has spent much of his career developing, administering, interpreting, or investigating psychological tests (esp. intelligence tests). All emphasis added by this blog's (benevolent) dictator :)

Meyer, G. J., Finn, S. E., Eyde, L. D., Kay, G. G., Moreland, K. L., Dies, R. R., Eisman, E. J., Kubiszyn, T. W., & Reed, G. M. (2001). Psychological testing and psychological assessment: A review of evidence and issues. American Psychologist, 56(2), 128-165.

In 1996 the American Psychological Association's (APA) Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) established a Psychological Assessment Work Group (PAWG) to (a) evaluate contemporary threats to psychological and neuropsychological assessment services and (b) assemble evidence on the efficacy of assessment in clinical practice. Based on the review of this group, it was concluded that “there substantial evidence to support psychological testing and assessment.”
The group put the strength of psychological testing correlations into perspective via comparisions with other correlations (e.g., in medicine) that have resulted in signficant policy and health decisions. A few examples from the paper:

• Taking aspirin on a regular basis helps to reduce the risk of dying from a heart attack (r = 0.02)
• Impact of chemotherapy on breast cancer survival (r = .03)
• The association between a major league baseball player's batting average and his success in obtaining a hit in a particular instance at bat (r = .06)
• The value of antihistamines for reducing sneezes and a runny nose (r = .11)
• The impact of Viagra on improved sexual functioning (r = .38)

The APA PAWG group further concluded:

• In many respects, these findings highlight how challenging it is to consistently achieve uncorrected univariate correlations that are much above .30.

• For those who may be inclined to square the values and feel discouraged, we recommend an alternative, which is to re-conceptualize effect size magnitudes.

• Instead of relying on unrealistic benchmarks to evaluate the findings…it seems that psychologists studying highly complex human behavior should be rather satisfied when they can identify replicated univariate correlations among independently measured constructs that of the magnitude observed for antihistamine effectiveness (r = .11: Table 1, Entry 16), college grades and job performance (r = 16; Table 1, Entry 24), or criminal History and recidivism (r= .18; Table 1, Entry 29). Furthermore, it appears that psychologists generally should be pleased when they can attain replicated univariate correlations among independently measured constructs that approximate the magnitude seen for gender and weight (r = .26; Table 1, Entry 39), reliability and validity (r = .33; Table 1, Entry 47), or elevation above sea level and daily temperature (r = .34; Table 1, Entry 48). Finally, psychologists probably should rejoice when they find replicated evidence that uncorrected univariate correlations are of the same magnitude as those observed for gender and arm strength (r = .55. Table 1, Entry 58) or for latitude and and daily temperature (r = .60; Table 1, Entry 59).
  

• The validity coefficients found for psychological tests frequently exceed the coefficients found for many of the medical and psychological interventions. Taken together, the extensive array of findings offers compelling support for the value of psychological testing and assessment

More importantly, the APA PAWG group stated (emphasis added by blogmaster)

• Although psychological tests can assist clinicians with case formulation and treatment recommendations, they are only tools. Tests do not think for themselves, nor do they directly communicate with patients. Like a stethoscope, a blood pressure gauge, or an MRI scan, a psychological test is a dumb tool, and the worth of the tool cannot be separated from the sophistication of the clinician who draws inferences from it and then communicates with patients and other professionals

• Formal assessment is a vital element in psychology's professional heritage and a central part of professional practice today. This review has documented the very strong and positive evidence that already exists on the value of psychological testing and assessment for clinical practice. We have demonstrated that the validity of psychological tests is comparable to the validity of medical tests and indicated that differential limits on reimbursement for psychological medical tests cannot be justified on the basis of the evidence.

Importance of crystallized intelligence (Gc)

I've started strolling through my e-notes for articles I have read over the past few years and thought I'd post some of the more interesting tidbits and quotes. Here is one I enjoyed from Earl Hunt re: the neglect of Gc (crystallized intelligence; comprehension-knowledge) as an active area of research by many intelligence scholars. I liked the metaphor.

Hunt, E. (2000). Let's hear it for crystallized intelligence. Learning and Individual Differences, 12(1), 123-129.

• Gc is the wallflower of the intellectual trio. Researchers want to go dancing (or to be less lyrical) to understand Gf and Gv. After all, is it not more important to study things that are fluid and dynamic than to study something that is crystallized and just sits there in memory? Besides, if Gf and g are identical, studying Gf kills two birds with one stone. Studies of Gv can be justified by dramatic examples of its importance in glamorous situations (e.g., aviation) or because of its fairly close ties to biology, and especially male-female differences. Like the wallflower it is, Gc languishes in the corner. How can you start a controversy about who acquires and uses culturally defined problem-solving methods? Who, but a few educators, are interested in such nearsighted, bookish behavior?

• Offering the wallflower metaphor for the very last time in this paper, I think that it is time for researchers to ask Gc to put away the horn-rimmed glasses, put on a party dress, and take turn on the dance floor. Understanding the nature of Gc is as important to the study of intelligence as finding Cinderella was to the Prince.

Free software - OpenOffice 2.0 ready for download

Tech break.

If you are tired of paying for Windows software and want to try a free open source suite of programs, you may want to know the OpenOffice 2.0 has been officially released and is available for download. When I can find the time I plan to try some of the modules.

Have any readers of this blog tried this open-source suite of programs? If you have, please share your reactions via the "comment" feature.

Brain-Mind Institute and IBM to build virtual brain

Thanks to the Neurodes for the FYI post regarding a collaborative effort between the Brain Mind Institute and IBM (and their Blue Gene Super Computer) to build a computer-based model of the circuitry of the neocortex. Here is a brief explanatory blurb from the IBM Press room

• "Over the next two years scientists from both organizations will work together using the huge computational capacity of IBM's eServer Blue Gene supercomputer to create a detailed model of the circuitry in the neocortex -- the largest and most complex part of the human brain. By expanding the project to model other areas of the brain, scientists hope to eventually build an accurate, computer-based model of the entire brain."

Neruo knowledge management software

Interesting post on the Brain Blog about a post by the Neurodudes regarding knowledge management software for neuroscientists.

Off task - pleasure reading: Top 100 novels

If you are looking for some pleasure reading in the form of a "top 100" English-speaking novel (since 1923), as designated by NY Times critics Lev Grossman and Richard Lacayo, check out this link.

Neurobiology of Intelligence review article

Thanks to the Eide Neurolearning blog for posting information re: an interesting review article on the Neurobiology of Intelligence. According to the ENL blog post:

• "Here's a review which seeks to reconcile current information about the biology intelligence with the extensive psychological literature that precedes it. Intelligence appears to be influenced by nature (genetics) as well as nurture (environment)"

At the bottom of the blog post they provide a link to a pdf copy of the article for those who want to read it. The colorful graphics are worth a peak.

Growth of the blogosphere- doubles every 5 months

An interesting report (with a number of interesting graphs....for those with a Gv preference) on the growth of blogging over at Sifry's Alerts.

Here is a snippet from the complete report:

• "Well, first, the basics. The chart below (above in this blog post) shows the continued growth of the blogosphere. Technorati is now tracking 19.6 Million weblogs, and the total number of weblogs tracked continues to double about every 5 months. This trend has been consistent for at least the last 36 months. In other words, the blogosphere has doubled at least 5 times in the last 3 years. Another way of looking at it is that the blogosphere is now over 30 times as big as it was 3 years ago"

Webblog usability - if you want to start blogging

Some interesting and useful information on how to design useful webblogs from Jackob Nielsen. I think I need to read and follow some of these ideas in this blog.

Continuous math progress monitoring materials from NCSPM

The National Center on Student Progress Monitoring just posted the training materials (PPT slides, handouts, manuals) form the 2005 Summer Institute on Student Progress Monitoring (July 7-8, 2005). The following descriptions come from their web page.

The second annual Summer Institute focused on using Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) in mathematics. A full day was dedicated to learning how to implement, score, and graph probes in mathematics, as well as how to interpret the data for decision making purposes. In addition, breakout sessions on the following topics were held: administrative issues relating to CBM implementation; introduction to using CBM in reading; and advanced applications of using CBM in reading. All presentation materials from the 2005 Summer Institute follow below.


Using Curriculum-Based Measurement for Progress Monitoring in Mathematics

• Lynn S. Fuchs and Douglas Fuchs, Tracey Hall, John Hintze, Michelle Hosp, Erica Lembke, Laura Sáenz, & Pamela Stecker

• This inclusive package contains an instruction manual on how to implement CBM in Mathematics. The handouts contain examples that are referenced in the manual. A companion PowerPoint presentation is included to help you share this information with others in your state, district, or school.

Monitoring Student Progress: Administrative Issues History of Using Progress Monitoring in Minneapolis Schools

• Doug Marston & John Hintze

• This session discusses issues related to successfully implementing CBM at the school or district level, including administrative leadership and support for staff. In addition, you will learn how CBM can be used in early intervention and response-to-intervention models, and how it can help you keep your school or district on track for achieving Adequate Yearly Progress.

Introduction to CBM in Reading

• Michelle K. Hosp & Laura Sáenz

• This session will provide hands-on training in CBM Reading. You will learn how to administer, score, and interpret CBM probes for grade levels K-5, including letter sound fluency, word identification fluency, passage reading fluency, and maze fluency.

Advanced Applications of CBM in Reading: Instructional Decision-Making Strategies

• Pamela M. Stecker, Ph.D. & Erica S. Lembke, Ph.D.

• This session is intended for those who participated in the 2004 Summer Institute on CBM Reading, those who have been trained in CBM Reading, or those who are currently implementing CBM Reading. Advanced issues to be covered include interpreting CBM reading data, and using the data to inform instructional decisions and select appropriate interventions.

Blood test for brain injury?

As posted on the Science blog....possible blood test for detecting brain injury

Quote to note: Facts and hypotheses

Edward Teller

• "A fact is a simple statement that everyone believes. It is innocent, unless found guilty. A hypothesis is a novel suggestion that no one wants to believe. It is guilty, until found effective."

There is a god (g)

There is a god (g)!!!!

How else can I explain the fact, that on the same day, I received my five "I'm an IAPCHC Listserv Lurker" shirts AND a complimentary copy of Tim Keith's (bound to be a classic and soon to be added to Oprah's book club) new "Muliple Regression and Beyond."

Life is good.

Prefontal lobe & executive function webcast

Thanks to the Brain Blog for the tip about a Webcast by Dr. Daniel Weinberger about COMT, Prefrontal Lobe, and Executive Function

Ind. differences in reading rate development - JEP fyi

Development of Individual Differences in Reading: Results From Longitudinal Studies in English and Finnish. by Parrila, Rauno; Aunola, Kaisa; Leskinen, Esko; Nurmi, Jari-Erik; Kirby, John R. from Journal of Educational Psychology. 2005 Aug Vol 97(3) 299-319

• The authors examined individual differences in reading development in English and Finnish. English-speaking Canadian children were assessed once per year in Grades 1-5, and Finnish children were assessed twice per year in Grades 1-2. Results from latent growth curve and simplex analyses showed that initial status was generally negatively associated with subsequent growth and that, although stable, individual differences were more likely to significantly decrease than to increase across the measurement points. Growth mixture models identified multiple groups of children whose reading development followed distinct patterns. The results indicate that it is possible for educational systems to significantly reduce individual differences in basic reading skills during early reading development.

ISIR Intelligence Conf - Dec 1-3, 2005

The Sixth Annual Conference of the International Society for Intelligence Research (ISISR) is being held Dec1-3, 2004, In Albuquerque, MN. Follow link to ISIR page where you can download a pdf file with registration information.

Components of executive function in TBI

Over on the Brain Blog is an abstract of an article dealing with the components of executive functioning in TBI.

Executive function in early childhood - journal issue

Recent Developmental Neuropsychology journal devoted to executive functioning in early childhood.

Record 1 of 7
Authors C Blair, PD Zelazo, MT Greenberg
Title The measurement of executive function in early childhood
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 561-571

Record 2 of 7
Authors MR Rueda, MI Posner, MK Rothbart
Title The development of executive attention: Contributions to the emergence of self-regulation
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 573-594

Record 3 of 7
Authors SA Carlson
Title Developmentally sensitive measures of executive function in preschool children
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 595-616

Record 4 of 7
Authors C Hughes, R Ensor
Title Executive function and theory of mind in 2 year olds: A family affair?
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 645-668

Record 5 of 7
Authors KA Espy, R Bull
Title Inhibitory processes in young children and individual variation in short-term memory
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 669-688

Record 6 of 7
Authors D Hongwanishkul, KR Happaney, WSC Lee, PD Zelazo
Title Assessment of hot and cool executive function in young children: Age-related changes and individual differences
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 617-644

Record 7 of 7
Authors A Diamond, SM Carlson, DM Beck
Title Preschool children's performance in task switching on the dimensional change card sort task: Separating the dimensions aids the ability to switch
Full source Developmental Neuropsychology, 2005, Vol 28, Iss 2, pp 689-729

Ga selective attention and the brain

Over on the Science blog is an interesting article related to audtiory selective attention (cocktail party phenomena).

If I can throw a CHC lens on the article, the findings may relate to the Ga narrow ability of Resistance to Auditory Stimulus Distortion (UR) [Ability to overcome the effects of distortion or distraction when listening to and understanding speech and language].

Brain's needed

Want your brain to keep on contributing once you pass away? Not quite "on target" for the main focus of this blog, but interesting.

National Center Student Progress Monitoring - monthly newsletter

The National Center on Student Progress Monitoring has published its first monthly on-line newsletter. Interested readers should check out the site for each new newsletter.

Conflict of interest discloure. I am a member on NCSPM National Advisory Committee.

Scientific American's Science & Technology Web Awards 2005

Thanks to the Brain Blog for pointing to Scientific American's Science and Technology Web 2005 Awards. I have recently started monitoring one that is mentioned....Mind Hacks and plan to add a few more to those on my blogline feeds. For some cool fMRI stuff, take a peak at the Harvard Whole Brain Atlas site. I'll send out FYI's to my blog when I find things of interest.

Glr and computer passwords - Glr overload?

As found on the Brain Blog - an interesting article about Glr overload due to increasing number of passwords we all need to remember.

A bit off-task: Non-invasive neuroprosthetics

Over on Mind Hacks is a brief note regarding an article in Nature that "reports that by simply recording the brain's electrical signals from electrodes on the scalp, researchers have enabled trained participants to reliably control computer equipment, a feat normally associated with physical implants in the brain."

More information at the MH site.

Quote to note: Million monkeys and the internet

Robert Wilensky

• "We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true."

MIT tackles autism

FYI. From the Science Blog. MIT tackles autism.

Gender differences and Raven's test - in press article

Mackintosh, N. & Bennett, T. (in press) What do Raven’s Matrices measure? An analysis in terms of sex differences, Intelligence.

Abstract

• Although it is sometimes claimed that Raven's Matrices provide an almost pure measure of that the easier items in the Standard Progressive Matrices and in Set I of the Advanced Matrices measure a perceptual or Gestalt factor distinct from the more analytic items in the rest of the tests. What one intelligence test measures: A theoretical account of the processing in the Raven's Progressive Matrices Test. published data suggests a new source of evidence for this further distinction: males do better than females on items requiring an addition/subtraction or distribution of two rule, but there is no sex difference on items requiring pairwise progression or distribution of three rules. A specially designed experiment confirmed this pattern of results.

Off task - just struck me as funny