28th International Congress of Psychology August 8 ... - U-netSURF

4111.6 Comparing the SAT performance between American and international students: A
historical perspective, Xiang Wang, Wayne Camara, Amy Schmidt, Ying Zhou, The College
Board, USA
Based on the historical College Board data over the past 11 years, this paper will first compare the
international and American students regarding their overall SAT performance trends as well as
those conditioned on gender and other demographic variables. Second, this study is to establish
statistical models that will effectively account for the factors that significantly impact international
students’ SAT performance. Such statistical models for international students will be compared
with those for American students. Discussion will also be devoted to methodological issues, such
as theory formulation, model fit and variable selections.
4111.7 Construction of composite measures, Lee Sechrest, University of Arizona, USA
Construction of composite measures requires detailed specification of the construct, the metric
properties to be represented, the elements or items needed to capture the wanted information, and
the method for scoring or weighting the items in order to satisfy the other requirements. Scoring or
weighting of items is often dealt with in a perfunctory way that results in distortion of the
measurement outcome. The process of developing a composite measure is illustrated by the
example of a scale aimed at quantifying the value of scientific evidence. Use of expert judgments
and empirical weights for items result in different measures.
4111.8 Psychometric properties of composite measures, Katherine McKnight, University of
Arizona, USA
Assessment of the psychometric properties of composite measures is s not straightforward. That is
especially true when measures are not derived from a common factor model, e.g., variables are
emergent. When variables are measured, rather than latent, the concept of accuracy but not
internal consistency is applicable. What is usually referred to as test-retest reliability of a measure
is, instead, the stability of the measured characteristic. The concept of validity is also not relevant,
but utility is critical to the worth of the measure. These ideas are made clear by consideration of
examples from current laboratory and field research.
4112 ORAL
Attention and perception
Chair: Mika Lorien Morgan MacInnis, USA
4112.1 The research on the characteristic of the retrospective temporal duration, Yonghong
Zhang, Taojiang county, Hunan province, China
In the retrospective paradigm, participants do not know in advance that they will later be asked to
carry out tasks about temporal duration, Studying the retrospective temporal duration has
important value. This research selected 14 public news events and 15 private events, then asked
subjects to recall temporal duration. The result indicated that: (1) Retrospective temporal duration
is influenced by interactions of true duration and delay duration. (2) subjects usually overestimate
short temporal duration while underestimating long temporal duration.(3) Retrospective temporal
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