Lisa Best - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Lisa Best

Some forms of personality dysfunction that are associated with substance use and other externaliz... more Some forms of personality dysfunction that are associated with substance use and other externalizing behaviors, such as Narcissistic Personality Disorder, are characterized by low five-factor Agreeableness. Low Agreeableness and high Extraversion are both associated with the Behavioral Approach System in the revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality (RST; McNaughton & Corr, 2008).

Abstract Scientists use inscriptions, such as tables, graphs, and illustrations to provide reader... more Abstract Scientists use inscriptions, such as tables, graphs, and illustrations to provide readers with a visual representation of data. A sample of articles from the journal, Science was collected and a random selection of eight articles was drawn from each decade from inception to the present decade (2008-2010). Overall, we found different trends in the use of graphs, tables, and non-graph illustrations.

Abstract Biologists sometimes make perceptual judgments when collecting data. For example, a scal... more Abstract Biologists sometimes make perceptual judgments when collecting data. For example, a scale of lichen quality or an estimate of amount leaf consumption by beetles might be part of data collection. But how accurate are these estimates? Should one base data collection on perceptual observations? And, should we worry about bias in the observations? Can forest quality be estimated only on a relatively imprecise1–5 scale or a 1–7 scale? Or might more accurate estimates be possible?

Agnello, Jessica 802 Aguinis, Herman 916 Ahmad, Saadia A. 71 Algina, James 224 Allen, Tammy D. 10... more Agnello, Jessica 802 Aguinis, Herman 916 Ahmad, Saadia A. 71 Algina, James 224 Allen, Tammy D. 1030 Androulakakis, Voula 22 Ashton, Michael C. 992 Barchard, Kimberly A. 437 Barron, Kenneth E. 365 Benjamin, Woan-Jue J. 319 Bentler, Peter M. 737 Best, Lisa A. 99 Bishop, David I. 1019 Block, Richard A. 916 Blohm, Stephen W. 347 Boies, Kathleen 992 Bolden, Mark A. 185 Bosco, Georgetta L. 475 Boudrias, Jean-Sébastien 861 Brannen, Cyndi 99 Brown, Christa 185 Capobianco, Sal 707 Caruso, John C.

Abstract This dissertation investigated several factors involved in the perception of nonlinear r... more Abstract This dissertation investigated several factors involved in the perception of nonlinear relationships in time series graphs. To model real-world data sets, the graphed data included different sample sizes and levels of variability, and represented different underlying trends. Graph format was also varied. The purpose of the experiments was to determine how these factors affect both trend discrimination and extrapolation accuracy, with the overall goal of determining what types of graphs are optimal in different situations.

Research in graphical perception and cognition has focused on determining if specific graphical e... more Research in graphical perception and cognition has focused on determining if specific graphical elements aid in comprehension and learning. More specifically research on graphs has focused on determining which graphical elements enhance the readability of a display. Graphs are important teaching aids and information mediums whereby children gain invaluable mathematical understanding and adults can assimilate enormous amounts of quantitative information. The lack of a graphical medium for those who are visually impaired is of great concern. An experiment was conducted to determine if the haptic system is able to perceive curvature that is present in pie graph slices. The performance of the haptic system was compared to that of the visual system and the cross-modal visual-haptic system. Interestingly, the haptic system was found to have both memory and recognition ability comparable to that of the visual and visual-haptic system. Results indicate that well-defined curvature should be the focus in the development of haptic pie graphs.

Journal of General Psychology, 2011

The reporting of exaggerated effect size estimates may occur either through researchers accepting... more The reporting of exaggerated effect size estimates may occur either through researchers accepting statistically significant results when power is inadequate and/or from repeated measures approaches aggregating, averaging multiple items, or multiple trials. Monte-Carlo simulations with input of a small, medium, or large effect size were conducted on multiple items or trials that were either averaged or aggregated to create a single dependent measure. Alpha was set at the .05 level, and the trials were assessed over item or trial correlations ranging from 0 to 1. Simulations showed a large increase in observed effect size averages and the power to accept these estimates as statistically significant increased over numbers of trials or items. Overestimation effects were mitigated as correlations between trials increased but still remained substantial in some cases. The implications of these findings for meta-analyses and different research scenarios are discussed.

Cleveland and McGill [10] concluded that dot plots are effective when one judges position along a... more Cleveland and McGill [10] concluded that dot plots are effective when one judges position along a common scale. We assessed the ability of graph readers to detect sample mean differences in multipanel dot plots. In Experiment 1, plots containing vertically arranged panels with different sample sizes and levels of variability were presented. Sensitivity was greater with large samples and low variability. In Experiment 2, sensitivity depended on the location of the comparison sample, with vertical and superimposed arrays yielding greater sensitivity than horizontal or diagonal arrays. Horizontal arrays also produced a bias to judge data in right-most panels as having higher means. Experiment 3 showed that ordering of data had little effect on sensitivity or bias. The results suggest that good graph design requires attention to how the specific features of a graphical format influence perceptual judgments of data

… Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of …, Jan 1, 2010

In the present study, we were interested in determining if library instruction would be more effe... more In the present study, we were interested in determining if library instruction would be more effective if personal response systems (clickers) were used during instruction. Furthermore we were interested in examining if students in a class could benefit from clicker technology even if they did not have access to a personal clicker. To examine these issues, we conducted 3 library instruction sessions: Session 1-half of the students were randomly assigned a clicker; Session 2-all students had individual clickers; and Session 3-clickers were not used. Although half of the students in Session 1 did not have clickers, they were presented with all of the information, were aware of the clicker questions, and were presented with the graphs of responses. Students in all 3 sessions completed a pretest and posttest and difference scores were calculated such that positive numbers indicated higher scores. Overall, scores were significantly higher for students who had access to clickers. A comparison of specific clicker use showed that both the individual and group clicker sessions led to significantly higher difference scores. Results indicated that the benefits of clickers are not limited to individual access and group clicker use was as effective. Overall, these results confirm research supporting the integration of technology into classroom instruction.

The Journal of general …, Jan 1, 2010

Published psychological research attempting to support the existence of small and medium effect s... more Published psychological research attempting to support the existence of small and medium effect sizes may not have enough participants to do so accurately and, thus, repeated trials or the use of multiple items may be used in an attempt to obtain significance. Through a series of Monte-Carlo simulations, this paper describes the results of multiple trials or items on effect size estimates when the averages and aggregates of a dependent measure are analyzed. The simulations revealed a large increase in observed effect size estimates when the numbers of trials or items in an experiment were increased. Overestimation effects are mitigated by correlations between trials or items but remain substantial in some cases. Some concepts such as a P300

Perceptual and motor …, Jan 1, 2008

Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 2007

IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT PROPERLY conducted interviews in sensitive clinical contexts are negligibl... more IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT PROPERLY conducted interviews in sensitive clinical contexts are negligibly stressful. The present study sought to extend these results and determine the perception of stress by research participants in nonclinical settings. Students enrolled in first year psychology courses typically have the option to receive class credit for research participation in studies assumed to pose minimal risk to participants. The perceptions of 101 student volunteers were examined to determine if they felt that research participation was stressful and, if so, what components of the process caused their stress. Participants completed a short survey indicating the reasons they served as research participants and the degree to which participation was stressful. They indicated that research participation was a valuable learning experience and the majority felt no stress associated with participation. Stress was reported by some due to concerns about confidentiality and evaluation by others of their personal performance. In addition, the majority of students reported having no knowledge of the ethical review process that preceded their participation. It is suggested that students should be informed of the ethical review process.

Personality and Individual Differences, 2010

The personality traits of aggression–hostility, impulsive sensation seeking and neuroticism–anxie... more The personality traits of aggression–hostility, impulsive sensation seeking and neuroticism–anxiety were examined for their ability to predict styles of defense against threat. Students (N = 193) completed the Zuckerman–Kuhlman personality questionnaire ( 25 and 44) and selected their most likely reactions to a set of human threat scenarios that were developed by Blanchard, Hynd, Minke, Minemoto, and Blanchard (2001). Low aggression–hostility and female sex predicted the tendency to orient away from threats. Female sex also predicted high intensity of chosen responses to threats. Male sex and trait aggression–hostility may contribute to a confrontational style of reaction to threatening situations. These results support a disconnection of aggressive behavior from the negative affective states accompanying avoidance motivation and the behavioral inhibition system.

Educational and …, Jan 1, 2004

Abstract This article presents a psychometric study of the short form of the Social and Emotional... more Abstract This article presents a psychometric study of the short form of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA-S). Data were collected via self-report measures and mail surveys from several samples including university students, spouses of military personnel, and psychiatric patients. A total of 1,526 individuals took part in this study. Results indicated that the scores from the three scales of the SELSA-S were highly internally reliable. Concurrent validity for the scales was indicated by the statistically significant ...

Addictive behaviors, Jan 1, 2010

a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o Keywords: Addictive behaviors Polysubstance Norms Students

Eating behaviors, Jan 1, 2009

Applied psychophysiology and …, Jan 1, 2007

The core deficit in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be a deficiency in execut... more The core deficit in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be a deficiency in executive functions, particularly the processes that are associated with the inhibition of predominant responses. To test this notion in the adult population, healthy undergraduate volunteers and students with ADHD symptoms performed a visual Stop Signal Task (Logan et al. J Exp Psychol: Hum Percept Perform 10:276-291, 1984) while Event-Related brain Potentials were recorded. The two groups did not differ on behavioral measures of performance, but there was a significant difference in the N2-P3 component. These results underline the robustness of an N2-P3 difference between healthy adults and people with ADHD symptoms that have persisted into young adulthood.

Personality and Individual …, Jan 1, 2010

... The simple PG subtype had normal-range scores on all NEO PI-R domain and facets, but the hedo... more ... The simple PG subtype had normal-range scores on all NEO PI-R domain and facets, but the hedonic and demoralized types both had low Dutifulness (C facet) and non-normative scores on four facets that reflect aspects of impulsivity (Whiteside & Lynam, 2001). ...

Personality and Individual Differences, Jan 1, 2010

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is the deliberate inflicting of physical injury to one's ... more Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is the deliberate inflicting of physical injury to one's own body that is not due to accident or conscious attempt at suicide. This study examined NSSI, other excessive or potentially addictive behaviors, and borderline personality features. Undergraduates (N= 151) completed the Deliberate Self Harm Inventory (Gratz, 2001), the NEO PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992), and the Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire (SPQ; Christo et al., 2003). The SPQ measures impulsive or compulsively motivated behavior, such as ...

Perceptual and motor skills, Jan 1, 2007

Health professionals recognize the benefits of moderate physical activity and encourage clients t... more Health professionals recognize the benefits of moderate physical activity and encourage clients to engage in some form of activity on a regular basis. In spite of these recognized benefits, there are growing concerns that some may exercise at levels detrimental to health. The term exercise dependence refers to those individuals whose extreme exercise schedules interfere with their social, occupational, and family lives. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between weekly exercise habits and scores on the Exercise Dependence Questionnaire in a sample of undergraduate students (213 women and 79 men). Overall, participants who reported high activity scored higher than those reporting low activity on subscales measuring interference with family and social life, positive reward, withdrawal, exercise for social reasons, exercise for health reasons, and stereotyped behavior.

Journal of General Psychology, 2011

… Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of …, Jan 1, 2010

The Journal of general …, Jan 1, 2010

Perceptual and motor …, Jan 1, 2008

Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 2007

Personality and Individual Differences, 2010

Educational and …, Jan 1, 2004

Addictive behaviors, Jan 1, 2010

a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o Keywords: Addictive behaviors Polysubstance Norms Students

Eating behaviors, Jan 1, 2009

Applied psychophysiology and …, Jan 1, 2007

Personality and Individual …, Jan 1, 2010

Personality and Individual Differences, Jan 1, 2010

Perceptual and motor skills, Jan 1, 2007

Social studies of …, 2000

Abstract Studies comparing the cognitive status of the sciences have long sought to identify the ... more Abstract Studies comparing the cognitive status of the sciences have long sought to identify the distinguishing features ofhard'andsoft'science. Attempts by philosophers of science to ground such distinctions in abstract principles and by sociologists of science to detect relevant differences (for example, in consensus levels) have met with limited success. However, recent investigations of scientists' concrete practices of data representation provide new leads on this problem. In particular, Bruno Latour has argued that graphs are ...

With the advent of computer technology and the popularity of the Internet as an informationgather... more With the advent of computer technology and the popularity of the Internet as an informationgathering tool, the academic environment has changed. In today's digital age, students expect their education to include technology. Given the shift in information delivery and the expectations of students, it is important to assess how well students are able to learn when presented with different types of information. Graphs have proven to be an effective communication and presentation tool, but as technology has advanced the methods available for displaying data have multiplied. The primary goal of this study was to explore individual differences in graph comprehension. Overall results suggested that students who have high mathematical problem solving scores and are able to correctly identify the function of different displays are better able to accurately extract information from visual displays. Implications for education are discussed.

Two experiments were conducted to examine Cleveland and McGills’ theory of graph perception. In E... more Two experiments were conducted to examine Cleveland and McGills’ theory of graph perception. In Experiment 1 participants made judgments about the individual perceptual elements. In Experiment 2, participants were presented with graphs that isolated specific perceptual elements. Although the original hierarchy included ten elements, the current research suggested that, depending on the task, there may be no more than three or four individual rankings. This research presents the first attempt at a comprehensive examination of the relationship between the perception of isolated graph elements and how these elements affect graph reading.

The purpose of these experiments was to examine the ability of experienced and inexperienced part... more The purpose of these experiments was to examine the ability of experienced and inexperienced participants to predict future curve points on time-series graphs. To model real-world data, the graphed data represented different underlying trends and included different sample sizes and levels of variability. Six trends (increasing and decreasing linear, exponential, asymptotic) were presented on four graph types (histogram, line graph, scatterplot, suspended bar graph). The overall goal was to determine which types of graphs lead to better extrapolation accuracy. Participants viewed graphs on a computer screen and extrapolated the next data point in the series. Results indicated higher accuracy when variability was low and sample size was high. Extrapolation accuracy was higher for asymptotic and linear trends presented on scatterplots and histograms. Interestingly, although inexperienced participants made expected underestimation errors, participants who were aware of the types of trends they would be presented with made overestimation errors.

American …, Jan 1, 2002

Because graphs provide a compact, rhetorically powerful way of representing research findings, re... more Because graphs provide a compact, rhetorically powerful way of representing research findings, recent theories of science have postulated their use as a distinguishing feature of science. Studies have shown that the use of graphs in journal articles correlates highly with the hardness of scientific fields, both across disciplines and across subfields of psychology. In contrast, the use of tables and inferential statistics in psychology is inversely related to subfield hardness, suggesting that the relationship between hardness and graph use is not attributable to differences in the use of quantitative data in subfields or their commitment to empiricism. Enhanced "graphicacy" among psychologists could contribute to the progress of psychological science by providing alternatives to significance testing and by facilitating communication across subfields.

Social studies of …, Jan 1, 2000

Page 1. Social Studies of Science http://sss.sagepub.com/ Scientific Graphs and the Hierarchy of ... more Page 1. Social Studies of Science http://sss.sagepub.com/ Scientific Graphs and the Hierarchy of the Sciences: : A Latourian Survey of Inscription Practices Laurence D. Smith, Lisa A. Best, D. Alan Stubbs, John Johnston and ...

American Psychologist, Jan 1, 2000

Page 1. Psychology Without p Values Data Analysis at the Turn of the 19th Century Laurence D. Smi... more Page 1. Psychology Without p Values Data Analysis at the Turn of the 19th Century Laurence D. Smith, Lisa A. Best, Virginia A. Cylke, and D. Alan Stubbs University of Maine Although the fledgling psychology of 100 years ago ...

Behavioural processes, Jan 1, 2001

Since the early 19th century, graphs have been recognised as an effective method of analysing and... more Since the early 19th century, graphs have been recognised as an effective method of analysing and representing scientific data. However, levels of graph use have varied widely since then, partly due to increasing reliance on inferential statistics in some fields. Recent studies indicate that graph use is closely related to the 'hardness' of scientific disciplines, and that this finding holds for journal articles and textbooks across the subfields of psychology. In the area of animal behaviour, journals devote about one-sixth of their page space to graphs, a level of graph use approximating that of biology and physics. Implications for the training of scientists in the use of visual displays are considered.

Campus-Wide Information …, Jan 1, 2009

In recent years there has been a growing emphasis on graph literacy and researchers have begun to... more In recent years there has been a growing emphasis on graph literacy and researchers have begun to focus on determining how to best construct effective visual displays. The overall purpose of this study was to examine if university students could accurately extract information from different graphs presented on a computer screen. Participants were presented with two (2D) and three dimensional (3D) bar and pie charts in a PowerPoint presentation and were asked to extract specific information from the displays. Results indicated that 2D graphs led to better comprehension, particularly when complex information was presented. These results confirm previous findings and suggest that, when possible, 2D graphs are preferable to 3D graphs. Accuracy was similar for colour and black and white graphs; however, it is possible that differences were not observed because both types of graphs used in this study could be considered to have contained colour information.

Diagrammatic Representation and Inference, Jan 1, 2006

Researchers in all areas of science recognize the value of graphical displays and research on gra... more Researchers in all areas of science recognize the value of graphical displays and research on graphs has focused on determining which graphical elements enhance readability. To date, no research has examined the physiological processing of graphs. The purpose of this project was to examine the event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with the processing of bivariate scatterplots. Participants viewed scatterplots depicting different linear relationships (positive and negative; strong and weak) and their ERPs were analyzed. Results indicate interesting differences in how scatterplots are processed. Overall, there was differential processing in posterior, medial, and anterior brain sites. Sites on the left and right sides of the brain showed different patterns of activity in response to the scatterplots. In addition, results suggest that different relationships are processed differently in the brain (confirming previous research that has suggested that the perception of covariation is dependent upon the type of relationship depicted on a scatterplot).

... First, if all knowledge claims are relative, why claim that graphicacy, or any approach to me... more ... First, if all knowledge claims are relative, why claim that graphicacy, or any approach to method, is better than any other? ... Any unfamiliarity of psychol-ogists with such displays only underscores a need for enhanced graphicacy in the field. ...

Perceptual and motor skills, Jan 1, 2007

This study investigated several factors influencing the perception of nonlinear relationships in ... more This study investigated several factors influencing the perception of nonlinear relationships in time series graphs. To model real-world data, the graphed data represented different underlying trends and included different sample sizes and amounts of variability. Six trends (increasing and decreasing linear, exponential, asymptotic) were presented on four graph types (histogram, line graph, scatterplot, suspended bar graph). The experiment assessed how these factors affect trend discrimination, with the overall goal of judging what types of graphs lead to better discrimination. Six participants (two psychology professors, four psychology graduate students) viewed graphs on a computer screen and identified the underlying trend. All participants were familiar with the types of trends presented and were aware of the purpose of the experiment. Analysis indicated higher accuracy when variability was lower and sample size was higher. Choice accuracy was higher for nonlinear trends and was highest when line graphs were used.

annual meeting of the …, Jan 1, 1999

Diagrammatic Representation and Inference, Jan 1, 2008

Abstract Trickett and Trafton [7, 8] suggested an integrative model of graph comprehension that a... more Abstract Trickett and Trafton [7, 8] suggested an integrative model of graph comprehension that accounts for the role that spatial cognition plays in comprehension. This paper presents a preliminarily examination of spatial and object imagery abilities in relation to Trickett and Trafton&amp;#x27;s three levels of graph comprehension [8]. Results confirmed Trickett and Trafton&amp;#x27;s levels of comprehension and suggested that spatial imagers have higher levels of graph comprehension.

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