Improved iodine status is associated with improved mental performance of schoolchildren in Benin.

Background: An adequate iodine supply in utero and shortly after birth is known to be crucial to an individual's physical and mental development. The question of whether iodine supplementation later in life can exert a favorable influence on the mental performance of iodine-deficient populations was addressed in various studies, but with contradictory results. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an improvement in iodine status on mental and psychomotor performance of schoolchildren (7-11 y) who were moderately to severely iodine deficient. Design: The study, which was originally planned as a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled intervention, was carried out in an iodine-deficient population of schoolchildren (n = 196) in northern Benin. As the population began to have access to iodized salt during the 1-y intervention period, the study population was split post hoc - on the basis of urinary iodine concentrations - into a group with improved iodine status and a group with unchanged iodine status. Changes in mental and psychomotor performance over the intervention period were compared. Results: Children with increased urinary iodine concentrations had a significantly greater increase in performance on the combination of mental tests than did the group with no change in urinary iodine concentrations. Conclusions: An improvement in iodine status, rather than iodine status itself, determined mental performance in this population, which was initially iodine deficient. These findings suggest a 'catch-up' effect in terms of mental performance

Cross-cultural comparisons

Abstract:Cross-cultural comparison is a specific research strategy aimed at understanding the way child development may take similar or different trajectories based on the sociocultural niche in which children grow up. In this entry, some of the methodological challenges facing crosscultural child psychology are highlighted, and strategies discussed for addressing these challenges. We conclude with a presentation of areas of methodological topics relevant for advancing cross-cultural studies concerned with child development

How to adapt tests for Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract: Researchers and practitioners interested in monitoring child development in the African context often feel hampered by the lack of appropriate scales and measures. Given this shortage, it would be possible for them to adopt (an existing instrument), adapt (an existing instrument), or assemble (a new instrument) as a means of dealing with the problem. We discuss and highlight the pros and cons of each of these procedures. In addition, we propose systematic procedures that can be used to carry different processes (i.e., adoption, adaptation, or assembly) alongside approaches for evaluating the level of success in providing an adequate measure for the context in which they are working

Investigating measurement invariance in the South African Personality Inventory: English version

We are interested in the psychometric properties of the South African Personality Inventory, a personality measure developed to apply equally to speakers of all official languages in South Africa, by testing for measurement invariance across the four ethnocultural groups in South Africa. We conducted an exploratory structural equation modelling analysis to eliminate any restrictions on the variables and to allow them to covary. While measurement invariance was found on configural and metric levels, scalar invariance was not found. The results advance the aim of the South African Personality Inventory to comply with stipulations in South Africa’s Employment Equity Act regarding fair and unbiased assessments

Investigating measurement invariance in the South African Personality Inventory : English version

Abstract: We are interested in the psychometric properties of the South African Personality Inventory, a personality measure developed to apply equally to speakers of all official languages in South Africa, by testing for measurement invariance across the four ethnocultural groups in South Africa. We conducted an exploratory structural equation modelling analysis to eliminate any restrictions on the variables and to allow them to covary. While measurement invariance was found on configural and metric levels, scalar invariance was not found. The results advance the aim of the South African Personality Inventory to comply with stipulations in South Africa’s Employment Equity Act regarding fair and unbiased assessments

A historical analysis of empirical studies published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 1970-2004

Based on a random sample of 200 empirical articles, the present study made a historical analysis of the contents of Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (JCCP) in the period between 1970 and 2004. In comparison to older studies, recent studies tended to be more social-psychological, and more often employed self-reports, based the choice of cultures on theoretical grounds, and adopted a hypothesis-testing approach. A persistent strong focus on cross-cultural differences and a simultaneous underrating of cross-cultural similarities was found. The majority of studies in which only cross-cultural differences were expected, reported differences and similarities. Methodological and conceptual improvements characterized the past 35 years of publications in JCCP