Related Posts

• Speaking More than One Language may Delay Onset of Dementia

  A recent study of 648 older adults in India suggests that those who were bilingual developed dementia more than four years later, on average, than those who spoke only one language—regardless of educational level. Published recently in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the study found that speaking two languages seems to have a protective effect against three types of dementia: Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and vascular dementia. “Speaking more than one language is thought to lead to better development of the areas of the brain that handle executive functions and attention tasks, which may help protect from the onset of dementia,” said study author Suvarna Alladi, DM, with Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, India, in a press release from the AAN. The study subjects, all of whom were diagnosed with dementia, had an average age of 66. Approximately half spoke two or more languages; 14 percent were illiterate. “These results offer strong evidence for the protective effect of bilingualism against dementia in a population very different from those studied so far in terms of its ...

• In Her Own Words: Kristin Greco

  

  With March being Women’s History Month, PAR is proud to spotlight female leaders within our organization. Throughout the month, we will share inspiring stories to recognize and celebrate the remarkable women who contribute to the success of PAR.  Each of these profiles will explore the unique experiences and perspectives of our women leaders, shedding light on their paths to success. We will explore the challenges they've overcome, the lessons they've learned, and the impact they've had on our organization.  We share their hopes and aspirations for the next generation of women. By unveiling these stories of inspiration and resilience, we aim to not only celebrate the accomplishments of our women leaders but also to inspire and empower others within and beyond our organization.  To kick off Women's History Month, the first “In Her Own Words” profile features PAR CEO Kristin Greco.  Kristin Greco, is the Chief Executive Officer for PAR, Inc. Kristin is responsible for the development and implementation of the company’s core strategic goals and objectives and ensuring the company stays true to its core values and mission.  Inspirational Influences  Q: Who has been the ...

• When should a test be updated or revised?

  

  This week, Sierra Iwanicki, PhD, clinical psychologist and project director at PAR, explains the background to a question PAR often receives—when and why does a test need to be updated or revised?  PAR frequently receives questions about the need to update or revise the instruments we publish. We often look for guidance from published literature and professional organizations such as the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the American Psychological Association (APA) to help guide our decisions. Although there are no absolute rules regarding when to update or revise, these professional guidelines and ethical codes provide examples of situations that would prompt the need for test revision. Here is some of the guidance we follow when determining when and if a revision is necessary:  The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing states that “revisions or amendments are necessary when new research data, significant changes in the domain, or new conditions of test use and interpretation suggest that the test is no longer optimal or fully appropriate for some of its intended uses” (pp. 83). The Standards also notes that the decision to revise or update psychological tests may be considered when there is a change in the conceptualization ...

• In Her Own Words: Brooke Maynard

  

  With March being Women’s History Month, PAR is proud to spotlight female leaders within our organization. Throughout the month, we will share inspiring stories to recognize and celebrate the remarkable women who contribute to the success of PAR.  Each of these profiles will explore the unique experiences and perspectives of our women leaders, shedding light on their paths to success. We will explore the challenges they've overcome, the lessons they've learned, and the impact they've had on our organization.  This week, we are proud to present Brooke Maynard. Brooke is the vice president of marketing at PAR.  Who has been the most significant inspiration in your career?  Bowing to the cliché of parental inspiration, I would have to tap my mother, Grace Treadway, as the role model who inculcated those qualities that I have drawn on for the past 20 years of my adult life. Majoring in chemistry in the 1960s, a predominantly male field in that era, opening an environmental laboratory that endured for almost two decades, obtaining licensing in flying and scuba diving, all while balancing the business/family/home relationships that can ...

• In Her Own Words: Melissa Messer

  

  With March being Women’s History Month, PAR is proud to spotlight female leaders within our organization. Throughout the month, we will share inspiring stories to recognize and celebrate the remarkable women who contribute to the success of PAR. Each of these profiles will explore the unique experiences and perspectives of our women leaders, shedding light on their paths to success. We will explore the challenges they've overcome, the lessons they've learned, and the impact they've had on our organization.  This week, we are proud to present Melissa Messer, MHS. Melissa is PAR’s Vice President and Chief Product Officer.  Brief Bio  Share a brief overview of your professional journey and how you arrived at your current role.  I was interested in psychology and mental health at a very young age and started working at a private practice office in high school. When I began college, I quickly became fascinated with research, specifically in children with chronic illness, medication adherence, and quality of life. I had the opportunity to develop several measures during my undergraduate and graduate training as well as use many PAR assessments as part ...

• In Her Own Words: Jenny Greene

  

  With March being Women’s History Month, PAR is proud to spotlight female leaders within our organization. Throughout the month, we will share inspiring stories to recognize and celebrate the remarkable women who contribute to the success of PAR.  Each of these profiles will explore the unique experiences and perspectives of our women leaders, shedding light on their paths to success. We will explore the challenges they've overcome, the lessons they've learned, and the impact they've had on our organization.  This week, we are proud to present Jenny Greene. Jenny is PAR’s digital assessment product owner.  Share a brief overview of your professional journey and how you arrived at your current role.  I started out working part-time at PAR as an intern while I completed my master’s degree. It was truly surprising to me that such a place even existed, as even though I had completed my bachelor’s in psychology, I had never really thought much about test development. In fact, though tests and measures was offered as an undergraduate elective, I was told to take experimental design instead because I planned to go ...