On the Relative Difficulty of Complex Discriminations

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse W. Whitlow
Keyword(s):  
Relative Difficulty

Responses of Language-Disordered Children to Wh-Questions

1986 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha M. Parnell ◽  
James D. Amerman ◽  
Roger D. Harting
Keyword(s):  
Relative Difficulty ◽  
Normal Children ◽  
Cognitive Linguistic ◽  
Wh Questions

Nineteen language-disordered children aged 3—7 years responded to items representing nine wh-question forms. Questions referred to three types of referential sources based on immediacy and visual availability. Three and 4-year-olds produced significantly fewer functionally appropriate and functionally accurate answers than did the 5- and 6-year-olds. Generally, questions asked with reference to nonobservable persons, actions, or objects appeared the most difficult. Why, when, and what happened questions were the most difficult of the nine wh-forms. In comparison with previous data from normal children, the language-disordered subjects' responses were significantly less appropriate and accurate. The language-disordered children also appeared particularly vulnerable to the increased cognitive/linguistic demands of questioning directed toward nonimmediate referents. A hierarchy of wh-question forms by relative difficulty was very similar to that observed for normal children. Implications for wh-question assessment and intervention are discussed.

Rate Limits of On-Beat and Off-Beat Tapping With Simple Auditory Rhythms

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno H. Repp
Keyword(s):  
Dependent Measure ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Pitch Accent ◽  
Finger Tapping ◽  
Adaptive Procedure ◽  
Metrical Structure ◽  
Relative Difficulty

THE RELATIVE DIFFICULTY of on-beat and off-beat finger tapping with simple auditory rhythms was assessed in four experiments with musically trained participants. The rhythms consisted of cyclically repeated TT0 or TTT0 patterns, where T denotes the presence and 0 denotes the absence of a tone. The tasks were to tap in synchrony with one of the T ("on-beat") positions or with the 0 ("off-beat") position. Experiments 1-3 used an adaptive procedure that determined the fastest tempo at which each task could be accomplished. Experiment 1 demonstrated that it is easier to tap on tones that carry a rhythmic grouping accent (T2 in TT0, T1 and T3 in TTT0) than on other tones or in the 0 position. Off-beat tapping was more difficult in TT0 than in TTT0 sequences. Experiment 2 showed that a dynamic ( pitch) accent on one of the tones facilitates synchronization with that tone and impedes synchronization with adjacent tones. Off-beat tapping was less affected by accent location. Experiment 3 required participants to "hear" different T positions as metrically accented (i.e., to construe them as the downbeat) while carrying out the various tapping tasks. Most participants found it difficult to maintain a cognitive downbeat at fast tempi when it did not coincide with their taps. However, when such a downbeat could be maintained, it did not seem to increase the difficulty of tapping (with one exception). This suggests a unidirectional dependence of metrical structure on action. In Experiment 4, the same tasks were presented at more moderate tempi, and the dependent measure was the variability of asynchronies. Metrical downbeat location still did not have any significant effect. Thus, synchronization difficulty seems to be affected only by a rhythm's physical structure, not by the cognitive interpretation that is given to that structure.

scholarly journals An Item Response Modeling Approach to Cognitive Load Measurement

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Fitzgerald Ehrich ◽  
Steven J. Howard ◽  
Sahar Bokosmaty ◽  
Stuart Woodcock
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Item Difficulty ◽  
Linear Measure ◽  
Mental Load ◽  
Relative Difficulty ◽  
Item Response Modeling ◽  
Modeling Approach ◽  
Response Modeling

The accurate measurement of the cognitive load a learner encounters in a given task is critical to the understanding and application of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). However, as a covert psychological construct, cognitive load represents a challenging measurement issue. To date, this challenge has been met mostly by subjective self-reports of cognitive load experienced in a learning situation. In this paper, we find that a valid and reliable index of cognitive load can be obtained through item response modeling of student performance. Specifically, estimates derived from item response modeling of relative difficulty (i.e., the difference between item difficulty and person ability locations) can function as a linear measure that combines the key components of cognitive load (i.e., mental load, mental effort, and performance). This index of cognitive load (relative difficulty) was tested for criterion (concurrent) validity in Year 2 learners (N = 91) performance on standardized educational numeracy and literacy assessments. Learners’ working memory (WM) capacity significantly predicted our proposed cognitive load (relative difficulty) index across both numeracy and literacy domains. That is, higher levels of WM were related to lower levels of cognitive load (relative difficulty), in line with fundamental predictions of CLT. These results illustrate the validity, utility and potential of this objective item response modeling approach to capturing individual differences in cognitive load across discrete learning tasks.

Relative Difficulty of Psychology Subfields Measure

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank C. Keil ◽  
Kristi L. Lockhart ◽  
Esther Schlegel
Keyword(s):  
Relative Difficulty

Cognitive Categories and Memory Span. III. Effects of Similarity on Recall

1969 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Sanders ◽  
J. J. F. Schroots
Keyword(s):  
Memory Span ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Relative Difficulty ◽  
Two Alternatives

The effects of similarity on short-term recall are investigated, by presenting lists of six consonants followed by short lists of consonants and more or less remote cognitive categories, i.e. digits, tones or spatial positions. Some evidence for release from interference, due to dissimilarity of interfering material, is found with consonants and tones, while almost complete release is shown when consonants are followed by spatial positions. Control experiments are included to account for alternative explanations, such as relative difficulty of the various categories, and different memorizing strategies for items, made up of many as opposed to two alternatives. The latter factor appeared to be of particular importance.

Relative Difficulty of High-School Subjects

1939 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-100
Author(s):  
L. G. Osborn
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Relative Difficulty ◽  
School Subjects

Government Fragmentation, Administrative Capacity, and Public Goods: The Negative Consequences of Reform in Burkina Faso

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 669-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trey Billing
Keyword(s):  
Public Goods ◽  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Public Goods Provision ◽  
Relative Difficulty ◽  
The Public ◽  
Administrative Capacity ◽  
Administrative Unit ◽  
Nighttime Light ◽  
Administrative Units

Although countries throughout the developing world continue to increase their number of subnational administrative units, the consequences of administrative unit creation remain poorly understood. This paper argues that newly created administrative units face relative difficulty generating resources and staffing a full and competent bureaucracy, and as a result, are less capable of providing public goods to their constituencies. These challenges to administrative capacity are less consequential within mother units that were carved apart to create new splinter units and are entirely absent in nonsplitting units. Proxying the local provision of public goods with a measure of nighttime light intensity in Burkina Faso, the findings indicate that the public goods provision in newly created splinter provinces dropped significantly relative to prefragmentation levels, while other administrative units remained largely unaffected.

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