Ana Delgado - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ana Delgado

European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 1998

This study examined the validity of an item-writing rule concerning the optimal number of options... more This study examined the validity of an item-writing rule concerning the optimal number of options in the design of multiple-choice test items. Although measurement textbooks typically recommend the use of four or five options -and most ability and achievement tests still follow this rule -theoretical papers as well as empirical research over a period of more than half a century reveal that three options may be more suitable for most ability and achievement test items. Previous results show that three-option items, compared with their four-option versions, tend to be slightly easier (i. e., with higher traditional difficulty indexes) without showing any decrease in discrimination. In this study, two versions (with four and three options) of 90 items comprising three computerized examinations were applied in successive years, showing the expected trend. In addition, there were no systematic changes in reliability for the tests, which adds to the evidence favoring the use of the three-option test item.

Intelligence, 2004

Sex-related differential studies on mathematical abilities have hardly taken into account the med... more Sex-related differential studies on mathematical abilities have hardly taken into account the mediator role of the verbal factor, which contrasts with the interest shown in the mediator role of visuospatial aptitude. We predicted that if sex-related differences were found, mental rotation would mediate mathematical abilities typically favoring males (geometry and verbal problems) and lexical access would mediate the one favoring females (arithmetic). Data from 455 participants with a median age of 13 were analyzed, showing that sex-related effect sizes in mathematical criteria were small, ranging from d=−.16 to .18 (corrected by attenuation), as expected for unselected samples. Lexical access scores were consistent predictors for every mathematical subdomain, and mental rotation added to the prediction only for geometry and word problems.

Anales de Psicología, 2012

Universitas Psychologica, 2013

Consistent with current emotion theory, we should note that contempt is not a homogeneous categor... more Consistent with current emotion theory, we should note that contempt is not a homogeneous category but rather shows intracategorial variability.

Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment, 2003

Escritos de Psicología / Psychological Writings, 2013

Predictores de dependencia en mayores de 65 años: una revisión sistemática Escritos de Psicología... more Predictores de dependencia en mayores de 65 años: una revisión sistemática Escritos de Psicología -Psychological Writings, vol. 6, núm. 3, septiembre-diciembre, 2013, pp. 25-33 Universidad de Málaga Málaga, España Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=271030534004 Cómo citar el artículo Número completo Más información del artículo Página de la revista en redalyc.org Sistema de Información Científica Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal

Quality and Quantity, 2009

The hypothesis that there would be a consistently ordered sequence of basic emotion words in Span... more The hypothesis that there would be a consistently ordered sequence of basic emotion words in Spanish-a phenomenal claim-has been strongly corroborated on 103,184 emotion terms from a representative corpus of 188,975,000. The observed sequence of miedo, pena, sorpresa, alegría, rabia, desprecio and asco-linguistic exemplars of emotion "families" corresponding to fear, sadness, surprise, happiness, anger, contempt and disgustis highly consistent diachronically (through current and modern Spanish), and synchronically (through various countries, among them-Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, USA and Venezuela). These results converge with evidence of emotion universals from cognitive psychology and neuroscience, as well as with predictions from functional approaches. By analogy with the colour-perception domain, it is proposed that this sequence be hypothesized as a ranking of psychological salience.

Intelligence, 2004

Sex-related differential studies on mathematical abilities have hardly taken into account the med... more Sex-related differential studies on mathematical abilities have hardly taken into account the mediator role of the verbal factor, which contrasts with the interest shown in the mediator role of visuospatial aptitude. We predicted that if sex-related differences were found, mental rotation would mediate mathematical abilities typically favoring males (geometry and verbal problems) and lexical access would mediate the one favoring females (arithmetic). Data from 455 participants with a median age of 13 were analyzed, showing that sex-related effect sizes in mathematical criteria were small, ranging from d = À .16 to .18 (corrected by attenuation), as expected for unselected samples. Lexical access scores were consistent predictors for every mathematical subdomain, and mental rotation added to the prediction only for geometry and word problems. D 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intelligence, 2008

Stereotype threat has been invoked to explain underperformance on a variety of groups for whom th... more Stereotype threat has been invoked to explain underperformance on a variety of groups for whom the stereotypes allege inferior cognitive abilities. In math testing, stereotype threat has been used to explain sex differences in test performance. This paper describes an experimental study on a large sample (n = 313), in which the role of anxiety and mental rotation on math sex-related differences under stereotype threat has been analyzed in the tradition of Aptitude-Treatment-Interaction (ATI) designs. Results show that the manipulation effects are evident only in interaction with anxiety, which suggests that the construct validity of stereotype threat is itself seriously threatened. The analogy with the validity threat known as reactivity to the experimental situation is elaborated, and a more promising approach (the study of threat-related attentional bias in anxious and non-anxious individuals) suggested.

Intelligence, 1997

This study was designed to analyze whether Mental Rotation (MR) played a role as a mediating vari... more This study was designed to analyze whether Mental Rotation (MR) played a role as a mediating variable for sex-related differences in Visualization (VZ). Two psychometric tests measuring MR and VZ were applied to a representative sample of 309 males and 390 females in their last year of high school. Three non-zero correlations between sex and MR, sex and VZ, and MR and VZ were found, and the effect of sex on VZ was eliminated when MR was introduced as a covariable. When three subgroups of different VZ ability were made by dividing up the VZ distribution by the first and third quartiles, sex-differences were only found for the high-scorers group, for which previous results were replicated. Results clearly indicate that MR is a plausible mediator variable for sex differences in VZ when such differences do exist. Theoretical, methodological and practical consequences of these results are discussed.

Memory & Cognition, 1996

This study was designed to analyze some performance factors as a possible source of sex-related b... more This study was designed to analyze some performance factors as a possible source of sex-related bias in psychometric tests of visuospatial aptitude. Goldstein, Haldane, and Mitchell (1990) explored the effect of two response styles—slowness of performance and reluctance to guess—by using a 3-D mental rotation test (the task showing the largest cognitive sex difference) and found that time limits and raw scores contributed substantially to the male advantage. We applied two tests in thespeed-power continuum to a representative sample of 621 males and 821 females in their last year of high school in a 2 × 2 (gender × time) full factorial design. Reluctance to guess was similar for males and females. Males obtained more correct responses on both tests, and for both time conditions, than did females. These results are not only statistically significant but also are of substantial practical consequence.

British Journal of Psychology, 2004

The hypothesis that the colour sequence would be replicated in Spanish colour-word usage has been... more The hypothesis that the colour sequence would be replicated in Spanish colour-word usage has been corroborated on 131,028 colour words from a representative corpus (N = 188,975,000). The observed sequence of white, black, red, green, blue, yellow, grey and brown is highly consistent diachronically (through current and contemporary Spanish), synchronically (through various countries) and with the expected order. Considering the divergence of Spanish vocabularies among geographical areas in the last centuries, the almost total agreement did not have a high prior probability under hypotheses of culturally arbitrary colour vocabularies. It is dif cult to see how linguistic relativity could adequately account for such a robust result. The use of ordinal statistics and non-reactive measures to study cultural products constrained by epigenetic rules, such as colour vocabularies, is presented as an exercise of methodological consilience.

British Journal of Psychology, 2003

This study examines the effects of item feedback on multiple-choice test responses. In the rst ex... more This study examines the effects of item feedback on multiple-choice test responses. In the rst experiment, a positive effect was predicted under instructions advising a penalty for errors; a larger bene cial effect on female scores was expected, given the (presumed) tendency of female participants toward omission when uncertain. Feedback effects were either negligible or negative, and the expected interaction effect with gender was not found. The second experiment was a high-powered replication of the feedback effect on errors, controlling for participants' ability. The discussion takes into account other evidence to state that recommendations of providing item feedback in the context of testing are neither theoretically nor empirically founded.

Behavior Research Methods, 2007

Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials, 2002

Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials, 2002

Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials, 2002

Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials, 2002

Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials, 2002

European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 1998

This study examined the validity of an item-writing rule concerning the optimal number of options... more This study examined the validity of an item-writing rule concerning the optimal number of options in the design of multiple-choice test items. Although measurement textbooks typically recommend the use of four or five options -and most ability and achievement tests still follow this rule -theoretical papers as well as empirical research over a period of more than half a century reveal that three options may be more suitable for most ability and achievement test items. Previous results show that three-option items, compared with their four-option versions, tend to be slightly easier (i. e., with higher traditional difficulty indexes) without showing any decrease in discrimination. In this study, two versions (with four and three options) of 90 items comprising three computerized examinations were applied in successive years, showing the expected trend. In addition, there were no systematic changes in reliability for the tests, which adds to the evidence favoring the use of the three-option test item.

Intelligence, 2004

Sex-related differential studies on mathematical abilities have hardly taken into account the med... more Sex-related differential studies on mathematical abilities have hardly taken into account the mediator role of the verbal factor, which contrasts with the interest shown in the mediator role of visuospatial aptitude. We predicted that if sex-related differences were found, mental rotation would mediate mathematical abilities typically favoring males (geometry and verbal problems) and lexical access would mediate the one favoring females (arithmetic). Data from 455 participants with a median age of 13 were analyzed, showing that sex-related effect sizes in mathematical criteria were small, ranging from d=−.16 to .18 (corrected by attenuation), as expected for unselected samples. Lexical access scores were consistent predictors for every mathematical subdomain, and mental rotation added to the prediction only for geometry and word problems.

Anales de Psicología, 2012

Universitas Psychologica, 2013

Consistent with current emotion theory, we should note that contempt is not a homogeneous categor... more Consistent with current emotion theory, we should note that contempt is not a homogeneous category but rather shows intracategorial variability.

Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment, 2003

Escritos de Psicología / Psychological Writings, 2013

Predictores de dependencia en mayores de 65 años: una revisión sistemática Escritos de Psicología... more Predictores de dependencia en mayores de 65 años: una revisión sistemática Escritos de Psicología -Psychological Writings, vol. 6, núm. 3, septiembre-diciembre, 2013, pp. 25-33 Universidad de Málaga Málaga, España Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=271030534004 Cómo citar el artículo Número completo Más información del artículo Página de la revista en redalyc.org Sistema de Información Científica Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal

Quality and Quantity, 2009

The hypothesis that there would be a consistently ordered sequence of basic emotion words in Span... more The hypothesis that there would be a consistently ordered sequence of basic emotion words in Spanish-a phenomenal claim-has been strongly corroborated on 103,184 emotion terms from a representative corpus of 188,975,000. The observed sequence of miedo, pena, sorpresa, alegría, rabia, desprecio and asco-linguistic exemplars of emotion "families" corresponding to fear, sadness, surprise, happiness, anger, contempt and disgustis highly consistent diachronically (through current and modern Spanish), and synchronically (through various countries, among them-Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, USA and Venezuela). These results converge with evidence of emotion universals from cognitive psychology and neuroscience, as well as with predictions from functional approaches. By analogy with the colour-perception domain, it is proposed that this sequence be hypothesized as a ranking of psychological salience.

Intelligence, 2004

Sex-related differential studies on mathematical abilities have hardly taken into account the med... more Sex-related differential studies on mathematical abilities have hardly taken into account the mediator role of the verbal factor, which contrasts with the interest shown in the mediator role of visuospatial aptitude. We predicted that if sex-related differences were found, mental rotation would mediate mathematical abilities typically favoring males (geometry and verbal problems) and lexical access would mediate the one favoring females (arithmetic). Data from 455 participants with a median age of 13 were analyzed, showing that sex-related effect sizes in mathematical criteria were small, ranging from d = À .16 to .18 (corrected by attenuation), as expected for unselected samples. Lexical access scores were consistent predictors for every mathematical subdomain, and mental rotation added to the prediction only for geometry and word problems. D 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intelligence, 2008

Stereotype threat has been invoked to explain underperformance on a variety of groups for whom th... more Stereotype threat has been invoked to explain underperformance on a variety of groups for whom the stereotypes allege inferior cognitive abilities. In math testing, stereotype threat has been used to explain sex differences in test performance. This paper describes an experimental study on a large sample (n = 313), in which the role of anxiety and mental rotation on math sex-related differences under stereotype threat has been analyzed in the tradition of Aptitude-Treatment-Interaction (ATI) designs. Results show that the manipulation effects are evident only in interaction with anxiety, which suggests that the construct validity of stereotype threat is itself seriously threatened. The analogy with the validity threat known as reactivity to the experimental situation is elaborated, and a more promising approach (the study of threat-related attentional bias in anxious and non-anxious individuals) suggested.

Intelligence, 1997

This study was designed to analyze whether Mental Rotation (MR) played a role as a mediating vari... more This study was designed to analyze whether Mental Rotation (MR) played a role as a mediating variable for sex-related differences in Visualization (VZ). Two psychometric tests measuring MR and VZ were applied to a representative sample of 309 males and 390 females in their last year of high school. Three non-zero correlations between sex and MR, sex and VZ, and MR and VZ were found, and the effect of sex on VZ was eliminated when MR was introduced as a covariable. When three subgroups of different VZ ability were made by dividing up the VZ distribution by the first and third quartiles, sex-differences were only found for the high-scorers group, for which previous results were replicated. Results clearly indicate that MR is a plausible mediator variable for sex differences in VZ when such differences do exist. Theoretical, methodological and practical consequences of these results are discussed.

Memory & Cognition, 1996

This study was designed to analyze some performance factors as a possible source of sex-related b... more This study was designed to analyze some performance factors as a possible source of sex-related bias in psychometric tests of visuospatial aptitude. Goldstein, Haldane, and Mitchell (1990) explored the effect of two response styles—slowness of performance and reluctance to guess—by using a 3-D mental rotation test (the task showing the largest cognitive sex difference) and found that time limits and raw scores contributed substantially to the male advantage. We applied two tests in thespeed-power continuum to a representative sample of 621 males and 821 females in their last year of high school in a 2 × 2 (gender × time) full factorial design. Reluctance to guess was similar for males and females. Males obtained more correct responses on both tests, and for both time conditions, than did females. These results are not only statistically significant but also are of substantial practical consequence.

British Journal of Psychology, 2004

The hypothesis that the colour sequence would be replicated in Spanish colour-word usage has been... more The hypothesis that the colour sequence would be replicated in Spanish colour-word usage has been corroborated on 131,028 colour words from a representative corpus (N = 188,975,000). The observed sequence of white, black, red, green, blue, yellow, grey and brown is highly consistent diachronically (through current and contemporary Spanish), synchronically (through various countries) and with the expected order. Considering the divergence of Spanish vocabularies among geographical areas in the last centuries, the almost total agreement did not have a high prior probability under hypotheses of culturally arbitrary colour vocabularies. It is dif cult to see how linguistic relativity could adequately account for such a robust result. The use of ordinal statistics and non-reactive measures to study cultural products constrained by epigenetic rules, such as colour vocabularies, is presented as an exercise of methodological consilience.

British Journal of Psychology, 2003

This study examines the effects of item feedback on multiple-choice test responses. In the rst ex... more This study examines the effects of item feedback on multiple-choice test responses. In the rst experiment, a positive effect was predicted under instructions advising a penalty for errors; a larger bene cial effect on female scores was expected, given the (presumed) tendency of female participants toward omission when uncertain. Feedback effects were either negligible or negative, and the expected interaction effect with gender was not found. The second experiment was a high-powered replication of the feedback effect on errors, controlling for participants' ability. The discussion takes into account other evidence to state that recommendations of providing item feedback in the context of testing are neither theoretically nor empirically founded.

Behavior Research Methods, 2007

Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials, 2002

Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials, 2002

Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials, 2002

Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials, 2002

Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials, 2002