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• Assessing Gifted Students: An Interview with Cecil R. Reynolds (Part 2)

  Cecil R. Reynolds, co-author of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS) and recently revised RIAS-2, is one of the leaders in the field of gifted assessment. The following is part two of a two-part interview conducted with Dr. Reynolds concerning the use of assessments in gifted and talented programs. Did you miss part one of this series? Click here.Q: What originally prompted you to design an assessment for gifted identification?CR: To reduce the confounds present in most traditional measures of intelligence. We wanted to have better instrumentation for identifying the intellectually gifted using methods that are less influenced by culture than most tests—the RIAS is not “culture-free,” nor do such psychological tests exist, and the desirability of a culture-free test is questionable conceptually as well. We live in societies, not in isolation. That said, confounds such as motor coordination, especially fine motor coordination and speed, interpretation of directions that have cultural salience, and even short-term memory can all adversely influence scores on intelligence tests, and these variables are not associated strongly with general intelligence. For programs that seek to ...

• Assessing Gifted Students: An Interview with Cecil R. Reynolds (Part 1)

  Cecil R. Reynolds, co-author of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS) and recently revised RIAS-2, is one of the leaders in the field of gifted assessment. The following is part one of a two-part interview conducted with Dr. Reynolds concerning the use of assessments in gifted and talented programs. Q: Theoretically speaking, what do you believe would be the most effective way to identify a gifted student? Cecil Reynolds: I am often asked what tests or other processes should be used to identify children for participation in a gifted and talented program in the schools. My answer is almost always something along the lines of “What are the goals of the program itself?” and “What are the characteristics of the children you wish to identify?” The most important thing we can do is match the children to the program so they have the highest likelihood of success. So, for example, if the program is intended to promote academic achievement among the most academically able students in the school, I would recommend a very different selection process and different tests than if ...

• A current test of complex processing speed: Introducing the RIT

  The latest test from popular author Cecil R. Reynolds, PhD, the new Reynolds Interference Task (RIT) is a test of complex processing speed that assesses general neuropsychological integrity.  It is suitable for measuring the effects of traumatic brain injury, stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain tumors. It is also useful as a measure of attention and complex processing speed deficits and as a rapid means of measuring recovery from concussion. Measurement of speeded processing is popular in psychological testing, and most measures are exceedingly simple. Measuring how quickly one can perform simple tasks that, given unlimited time, almost everyone would complete perfectly is a reflection of speeded processing. The RIT adds a layer of cognitive processing difficulty—inhibition and attention-shifting—to simple tasks, which slows performance and requires extra mental effort, making the tasks more complex and thus more indicative of cognitive flexibility and selective attention. The RIT features two timed Stroop-style subtests, Object Interference and Color Interference, which combine to provide a Total Score. This provides greater coverage, enhanced consistency, and more reliability than similar measures featuring a single subtest. It was ...

• Introducing... InVista

  

  Looking for a more objective and effective way to assess talent? Introducing InVista, a revolutionary new platform designed to help you identify talent, develop employees, and grow your business. You know recruiting is too important to leave to chance. Hiring the wrong person lowers performance, destroys organizational morale, and costs you money. InVista was designed to bring science and objectivity into the recruitment and hiring process so you can hire the right person the first time. Developed by experienced I-O psychologists, InVista draws on 40 years of scientifically reliable, valid, and predictive success in psychometric and clinical assessment. It offers individual tests for targeted and precise measurement needs, role-specific solutions that measure specific competencies linked to job performance, and advanced solutions for leadership or high-potential staff assessment. Our products help you identify the necessary abilities for job performance and link those abilities to customized hiring solutions. We can develop tests to measure virtually any competency, skill, or knowledge domain relevant to your business. Learn more about how InVista can help your business as Craig Dawson, PhD, InVista’s director of HR ...

• Earn CEUs on PAR assessments on demand!

  

  Earn CEUs on PAR assessments on demand! You can now earn CEU credits on select PAR assessments through our partnership with the Global Institute of Forensic Research (GIFR). These on-demand courses are available through the GIFR Web site. Continuing education credits are available from more than 150 state, provincial, and national boards to support professional licensure and license renewal. Trainings are delivered by the authors or developers of each respective instrument or by a certified trainer, giving you extra insight into the measure. Currently, the following courses are available, with many more coming soon: Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth™ (SAVRY™) Miller Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test™ (M-FAST™) Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms, 2nd Edition (SIRS-2) Personality Assessment Inventory® (PAI®) Training for Forensic Evaluators Don’t miss this opportunity to earn CEUs and learn about these instruments from ...

• Words of “Wisdom” from Some of Psychology’s Favorite Names

  While the forefathers of psychology established many theories that became building blocks of what we study today, sometimes some of our highest-regarded researchers came up with some ideas that don’t necessarily fit with today’s view of the world of psychology. The following are some bits of “wisdom” from some familiar names. “I wish that one would be persuaded that psychological experiments, especially those on the complex functions, are not improved [by large studies]; the statistical method gives only mediocre results; some recent examples demonstrate that. The American authors, who love to do things big, often publish experiments that have been conducted on hundreds and thousands of people; they instinctively obey the prejudice that the persuasiveness of a work is proportional to the number of observations. This is only an illusion.” — Alfred Binet (1903). L' Études expérimentale de l'intelligence (p. 299). Paris, France: Schleicher. “Being in love with the one parent and hating the other are among the essential constituents of the stock of psychical impulses which is formed at that time and which is of such importance in determining the symptoms ...