Test višestrukih rešenja - deo II - evidencija o konstrukt i prediktivnoj validnosti

In this study, we complement data on Multiple solutions test (MST) by examining its construct and predictive validity. Unlike conventional matrices where a single solution is required, MST sets three types of problems before the participants, requiring them to solve matrices for the best, the second-best, and the least accurate solution. A total sample of 235 individuals (age M = 22.65, SD = 3.33, 199 females) participated in the study. Construct validity of each task within MST was tested in relation to the KOG9 battery of intellectual abilities (N = 156), while predictive value of individual tasks and full-scale performance was tested in relation to scholastic achievement measured by GPA (N = 235). The results have shown high between-task correlations, but also pointed to the specificities of each of them. Additionally, differential difficulties among the tasks were found with the least accurate task being the most difficult, followed by the second-best, and the best one. The test showed satisfactory convergent validity in relation to Gf/Gv test markers within KOG9 battery. Furthermore, MST has shown predictive validity, along with the incremental value of alternative tasks above the standard one (when the scholastic achievement was taken as a criterion), as well as incremental validity in predicting GPA above the KOG9 battery. In general, MST has shown to be a valid instrument for an intelligence assessment, and its alternative tasks have a potential to be a useful addition to standard matrices with one type of solution.U ovom istraživanju dopunjujemo podatke o Testu višestrukih rešenja (eng. Mutiple solutions test - MST) ispitujući konstrukt i prediktivnu validnost instrumenta. Za razliku od konvencionalnih matrica gde se traži samo jedno rešenje, MST pred ispitanike postavlja tri tipa problema, tražeći od njih da reše matricu navodeći najbolje, drugo najbolje i najmanje tačno rešenje. U istraživanju je učestvovalo ukupno 235 ispitanika (starosti M = 22.65, SD = 3.33, 199 ženskog pola). Konstrukt validnost svakog od zadataka MST testirana je u odnosu na bateriju intelektualnih sposobnosti KOG9 (N = 156), dok je prediktivna validnost pojedinačnih zadataka i postignuća na testu u celini testirana u odnosu na školsko postignuće koje je operacionalizovano kao prosečna ocena (N = 235). Rezultati su pokazali visoke korelacije između zadataka, ali i ukazali na specifičnosti svakog od njih. Dodatno, dobijene su i razlike u težinama između zadataka, pri čemu je zadatak nalaženja najmanje tačnog rešenja bio najteži, potom zadatak nalaženja drugog najboljeg rešanja i naposletku zadatak nalaženja najboljeg rešenja. Test je pokazao zadovoljavajuću konvergentnu validnost u odnosu na testovne markere Gf/Gv iz KOG9 baterije. MST je pokazao i prediktivnu validnost, kao i inkrementalnu vrednost alternativnih zadataka u odnosu na standardni (kada se školski uspeh uzme za kriterijum), kao i inkrementalnu validnost u predviđanju prosečne ocene u odnosu na KOG9 bateriju. U celini, MST se pokazao kao valjan instrument za procenu inteligencije, a njegovi alternativni zadaci pokazuju potencijal da budu koristan dodatak standardnim matricama sa jednom vrstom rešenja

The effects of transcranial neuromodulation of fronto-parietal functional network on higher cognitive functions

Inteligencija i egzekutivne funkcije predstavljaju ključne koncepte individualnih razlika u kognitivnom funkcionisanju. Psihometrijske relacije između ovih konstrukata višestruko su dokumentovane u postojećoj empirijskoj građi koja ukazuje na diferencijalno učešće različitih izvršnih funkcija u kogniciji višeg reda, pri čemu se kapacitet radne memorije/egzekutivna funkcija ažuriranja izdvaja kao najbolji prediktor različitih kognitivnih sposobnosti. Poslednjih godina sve veća pažnja neuronauka usmerena je na otkrivanje neuralnih supstrata individualnih razlika u egzekutivnim funkcijama i kognitivnim sposobnostima. Nalazi ovih studija ukazuju na to da celokupna viša kognicija počiva na široko distribuiranoj neuralnoj mreži prefrontalnih i parijetalnih oblasti velikog mozga, te se psihometrijske relacije između kognitivnih sposobnosti i egzekutivnih funkcija objašnjavaju njihovim deljenim neuralnim osnovama. Za razliku od neuroimidžing studija koje su korelacionog karaktera i studija koje izučavaju bihejvioralne posledice moždanih lezija, studije neinvazivne neuromodulacije, budući da omogućavaju modulaciju aktivnosti kortikalnih zona zdravog mozga u kontrolisanim uslovima, imaju potencijal da putem eksperimentalne manipulacije, modulacijom definisanih lokusa, budu osnova za izvođenje kauzalnih zaključaka o neuralnim osnovama, ulozi i diferencijalnom značaju moždanih regija u višoj kogniciji. Jedna od takvih tehnika je transkranijalna neuromodulacija jednosmernom strujom (tDCS) putem koje se, kroz aplikaciju slabe električne struje između dve (ili više) površinski postavljenih elektroda različitog polariteta (anoda i katoda), direktnim putem utiče na kortikalnu ekscitabilnost ispod lokusa aplikacije. Cilj ovog rada je provera mogućnosti neuromodulacije viših kognitivnih funkcija primenom anodne tDCS ključnih čvorišta fronto-parijetalne funkcionalne mreže – dorzolateralnog prefrontalnog korteksa (DLPFC) i posteriornog parijetalnog korteksa (PPC). Dodatno, u okviru ove studije razmotrena je lateralizacija i doprinos anteriornih i posteriornih moždanih lokusa u višoj kogniciji, globalnost odnosno specifičnost efekata neuromodulacije, kao i učešće izvršnih funkcija kognicije u višim kognitivnim procesima. Studija je sprovedena u tri faze...Intelligence and executive functions represent the key concepts of individual differences in cognitive functioning. Psychometric relations between these constructs are well documented in the current literature. Namely, findings indicate the differential contributions of various executive functions in higher cognition, with updating, i.e. the capacity of the working memory being the best predictor of cognitive abilities. In recent years, neuroscience has increasingly focused on the detection of neural substrates of individual differences in executive functioning and cognitive abilities. The findings of these studies show that the higher cognition lies within the widely distributed neural network of the prefrontal and parietal brain areas. Consequently, the psychometric relationships between cognitive abilities and executive functions are usually attributed to their shared neural bases. In contrast to neuroimaging studies that are inherently correlational and studies investigating the behavioral effects of brain lesions, studies that use non-invasive neuromodulation, since it enables modulation of the activity of a healthy brain in controlled conditions, have the potential to extract causal conclusions about the neural basis, the role and the differential significance of brain regions in higher cognition. One such technique is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which, through the application of weak electrical currents between two (or more) surface electrodes of different polarities (anode and cathode) affect the cortical excitability under the locus of the application. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of neuromodulation on higher cognitive functions using the anodal tDCS over key regions of the frontoparietal functional network – namely, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC). In addition, this study aimed to explore the lateralization of cognitive functions and the contribution of anterior and posterior brain loci to higher cognition; the globality-specificity of the effects of neuromodulation; as well as the contribution of the executive functions to higher cognitive processes. The study was conducted in three phases

Multiple-criteria analysis as a method for defining medium-sized cities: the example of central Serbia

Decentralization and the inclination towards a balanced regional development bring about a redistribution of cities' functions: certain responsibilities are transferred from centres at higher hierarchy levels to regional centres (mostly medium-sized cities). In this context, the authors have analysed the importance of medium-sized cities in the settlement network and discussed the issue of their identification within the national urban system. The purpose of this study is to establish a method for the identification of the set of medium-sized cities within the network of urban settlements, with particular reference to Central Serbia. The authors also compare the method with the one used in Slovenia in order to demonstrate that the phrase "medium-sized city" may have different meanings depending on the context in which it is defined. Along with the demographic size as the most important indicator in defining medium-sized cities, economic, social, functional, infrastructural and institutional criteria have also been taken into consideration

Structure of subjective experience of classical music

Prethodna istraživanja subjektivnog doživljaja muzike nisu rezultovala nedvosmislenim nalazima u pogledu broja i sadržaja dimenzija koje leže u osnovi doživljaja koji se javlja prilikom susreta sa različitim muzičkim delima. Takođe, dosadašnja istraživanja nisu rezultovala nalazima koji bi rasvetlili strukturu subjektivnog doživljaja klasične muzike. Cilj ovog istraživanja je utvrđivanje broja strukturalno distinktnih dimenzija doživljaja klasičnih muzičkih dela, kao i utvrđivanje relacija između dobijenih dimenzija. Istraživanje je sprovedeno u dve faze. U prvoj fazi, 28 ispitanika je opisivalo svoj doživljaj 44 kratkih segmenata muzičih dela. U drugoj fazi, uzorak od 44 ispitanika procenjivao je isti set muzičkih dela na skali najfrekventnijih deskriptora dobijenih u prvoj fazi studije. Rezultati su pokazali da se deskriptori grupišu u pet međusobno koreliranih dimezija muzičkog doživljaja: estetski doživljaj, afektivni ton, napetost, punoća sadržaja i struktura. U radu je diskutovana priroda ovih dimenzija, njihov međusobni odnos, te prikazana komparacija sa dimenzijama utvrđenim u ranijim istraživanjima muzičkog doživljaja, kao i doživljaja umetnosti u drugim modalitetima.Previous studies on the subjective experience of music did not give unambiguous results related to the number and content of dimensions underlying the experience that one has in contact with various musical pieces. Furthermore, previous studies have provided no evidence relating to the structure of subjective experience of classical music pieces. The aim of this study was to determine the number of structurally distinct dimensions of the musical experience of classical music pieces and the relations among obtained dimensions. The research was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, 28 participants were asked to produce descriptions of their subjective experience of 44 short segments of music pieces. In the second phase, 44 participants rated the same set of musical pieces using a scale comprised of the most frequent descriptors obtained in the first phase of the study. Results have shown that musical experience descriptors are grouped into five interrelated dimensions of musical experience: the Aesthetic Experience, Affective Tone, Tension, Content-Fullness, and Structure. The paper discusses the nature of these dimensions, their relationship and compares them to those obtained in previous studies both related to the experience of music as well as art in other modalities

Ambulatory assessment of language use: Evidence on the temporal stability of Electronically Activated Recorder and stream of consciousness data

The ambulatory assessment offers a wide range of methods enabling researchers to investigate psychological, behavioral, emotional, and biological processes. These methods enable us to gather data on individual differences in language use for psychological research. Two studies were conducted with an aim to evaluate and compare the temporal stability of language measures extracted by LIWC software form data obtained by two frequently used methods for assessment of language use, i.e., Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) and stream of consciousness (SOC) task. Additionally, we examined the amount of variance in language use (assessed by both methods) that can be attributed to intra-individual variability and stable individual differences. Study 1 was focused on investigating language use obtained from 74 respondents using the EAR for 3 consecutive days. Study 2 was conducted on 250 respondents participating in a SOC task where verbal production was collected at ten time points over a 2-month period. Results show that measures obtained using the SOC task have higher temporal stability and consistency, and to a certain extent enable better detection of individual differences. Taking into account certain situational variations improves the reliability of EAR measures

Psychometric evaluation of the Serbian dictionary for automatic text analysis - LIWCser

LIWC (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count) is widely used word-level content analysis software. It was used in large number of studies in the fields of clinical, social and personality psychology, and it is adapted for text analysis in 11 world languages. The aim of this research was to validate empirically newly constructed adaptation of LIWC software for Serbian language (LIWCser). The sample of the texts consisted of 384 texts in Serbian and 141 texts in English. It included scientific paper abstracts, newspaper articles, movie subtitles, short stories and essays. Comparative analysis of Serbian and English version of the software demonstrated acceptable level of equivalence (ICCM=.70). Average coverage of the texts with LIWCser dictionary was 69.93%, and variability of this measure in different types of texts is in line with expected. Adaptation of LIWC software for Serbian opens entirely new possibilities of assessment of spontaneous verbal behaviour that is highly relevant for different fields of psychology

Coping with secondary traumatic stress

Exposure to the traumatic experiences of others can lead to secondary traumatization (STS), a condition comprising trauma-related symptoms. There is a lack of evidence on efficient ways to mitigate STS among professionals working with refugees, who are secondarily exposed to traumatic content. This study examines the latent structure of coping mechanisms and explores the predictive power of coping strategies for STS in a sample of professionals working with refugees. A total of 288 participants (age: M = 34.01, SD = 10.03; 57.3% female) working with refugees completed the COPE Inventory and Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale. Factor analysis of the COPE Inventory showed that coping mechanisms are grouped around four interrelated factors—Problem-focused, Socially supported emotion-focused, Avoidant, and Passive coping—which accounted for 46.7% of the variance. The regression model showed that Avoidant coping positively predicts negative alterations in cognition, mood, and reactivity (NACMR) and intrusions, and Passive coping was positively associated with NACMR and avoidance. Problem-focused coping was related to lower NACMR and avoidance, while Socially supported emotion-focused coping was not associated with any of the STS symptoms. In total, coping factors accounted for 10.8%, 6.3%, and 4.3% of the variance of NACMR, intrusions, and avoidance, respectively. The study provides a foundation for programs to mitigate STS among professionals working with refugees

Konstrukcija i empirijska provera testa homofobije

The paper presents development and empirical evaluation of the Homophobia scale (H25). The Homophobia scale consists of 25 items with a five-point Likert type scale. The sample of 476 subjects participated in the research. The results shown good psychometric properties of the H25 (KMO = .99, α = .97). Factor analysis revealed two highly correlated underlying dimensions of homophobia, which can be interpreted as 'homosexuality as a threat to a society' and 'homosexuality as a threat to me'. Convergent and predictive validities of the scale were also demonstrated. The H25 correlated with alternative measures of homophobia (feeling thermometer and connotative differential) as well as with discriminatory attitudes toward homosexuals. Additionally, homophobia was related to gender, political orientation, religiousness, contact with homosexuals and basic personality traits (i.e., Openness and Conscientiousness). In conclusion, the H25 proves to be a reliable and valid measure of homophobia in heterosexuals, which can be used for both research and practical purposes.U ovom radu predstavljena je konstrukcija i evaluacija Testa homofobije koji u sadržinskom smislu objedinjuje dosadašnja znanja i ideje o prirodi ovog fenomena. Test homofobije (H25) sastoji se od 25 stavki u formi tvrdnji kojima je pridružena petostepena skala Likertovog tipa. Na uzorku od 476 ispitanika proverene su psihometrijske karakteristike testa i njegova faktorska struktura. U celini test pokazuje dobre psihometrijske karakteristike (KMO = .99, α = .97). Faktorskom analizom ekstrahovana su dva visoko korelirana faktora, koja su interpretirana kao 'homoseksualnost kao pretnja za društvo' i 'homoseksualnost kao pretnja za mene'. Takođe, test je pokazao zadovoljavajuću konvergentnu validnost spram dve alternativne mere homofobije, kao i visoku predikciju diskriminatornih stavova prema osobama homoseksualne orijentacije. Dodatno, pokazano je da homofobija, merena konstruisanim instrumentom, ima veći broj socio-demografskih i personalnih korelata. Homofobiji su sklonije osobe muškog pola, religiozne osobe, osobe konzervativne političke orijentacije, zatim osobe koje imaju manje kontakta sa homoseksualnom populacijom, i osobe nižih skorova na dimeziji Otvorenosti, a viših na dimenziji Savesnosti. U celini, konstruisani instrument predstavlja pouzdanu i validnu meru heteroseksualnog stava prema homoseksualnoj populaciji, te predstavlja ekonomičan instrument pogodan za primenu, kako u istraživačke tako i u praktične svrhe

Psychometric properties and structural validity of the Serbian version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBIser)

Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) is a tool assessing fatigue and exhaustion as the core features of burnout. Despite its wide use and evidence of good psychometric properties, little is known about its structural validity. Therefore, this study aimed to examine internal psychometric properties and the latent composition of the Serbian version of CBI. A sample of 382 child welfare workers engaged in the work with the domestic population and professionals working with refugees and migrants completed a 19-item version of CBIser. Results showed that full-scale CBI despite having good psychometric properties lacks structural validity. A short-form of the instrument was empirically derived and several concurrent confirmatory models found in previous studies were tested. A three-factor model of personal, work-, and client-related burnout showed to be the best fitting one, and the 13-item form of CBI proved to be a structurally valid and psychometrically sound measure of burnout