Reconsideration of the type I error rate for psychological science in the era of replication.

Careful consideration of the tradeoff between Type I and Type II error rates when designing experiments is critical for maximizing statistical decision accuracy. Typically, Type I error rates (e.g.

Statistical Decision-Making Accuracies for Some Overlap- and Distance-based Measures for Single-Case Experimental Designs.

Unlabelled: Selecting a quantitative measure to guide decision making in single-case experimental designs (SCEDs) is complicated. Many measures exist and all have been rightly criticized. The two general classes of measure are overlap-based (e.

Development of a Distance-Based Effect Size Metric for Single-Case Research: Ratio of Distances.

This article describes the development of an effect size measure called Ratio of Distances (RD). The goal was to develop a measure of level change for single case experimental research that met several practical requirements: (a) the measure is adaptable to designs with varying numbers of observations per, and across, phases; (b) the measure is adaptable to situations in which slope does and does not exist; (c) the measure has no ceiling, as is the limitation with commonly used overlap-based measures of effect size; and (d) the measure is computationally transparent and easily computed using widely available analysis tools (e.g.

Knowledge assessment: Squeezing information from multiple-choice testing.

Knowledge assessment via testing can be viewed from two vantage points: that of the test administrator and that of the test taker. From the administrator's perspective, the objective is to discover what an individual knows about a domain of interest. From that of the test taker, the challenge is to reveal what one knows.

Rapid Teaching of Arbitrary Matching in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities.

This research extended to arbitrary matching-to-sample procedures a method that was successful in rapidly establishing identity matching in children with and without intellectual disabilities (Mackay et al., 2002). The method involves increasing the number of identical comparison stimuli in a choice array in order to create a homogenous background that makes the target more salient, thus likely to prompt selection.

Veridical and false pictorial memory in individuals with and without mental retardation.

Veridical and false pictorial recognition were assessed in individuals with mental retardation; groups were matched for MA and CA. Pictures were viewed in either a generative or static format at acquisition. The individuals with mental retardation and those in the MA-matched group had higher rates of false memories for critical items and lower hit rates than did their CA-matched peers.

Generative learning during visual search for scene changes: enhancing free recall of individuals with and without mental retardation.

Memory for scene changes that were identified immediately (passive encoding) or following systematic and effortful search (generative encoding) was compared across groups differing in age and intelligence. In the context of flicker methodology, generative search for the changing object involved selection and rejection of multiple potential solutions prior to identification of the correct object. Such "incorrect guesses" were designed to serve as effective retrieval cues during free recall.

Generative processing and false memories: when there is no cost.

Encoding manipulations (e.g., levels of processing) that facilitate retention often result in greater numbers of false memories, a pattern referred to as the more is less effect (M.

Detection of changes in naturalistic scenes: comparisons of individuals with and without mental retardation.

Abilities of individuals with and without mental retardation to search for and detect salient changes to naturalistic scenes were investigated using the flicker paradigm. Located in areas of central or marginal interest, changes involved an object's color, shape, or presence. Individuals with mental retardation required more time to detect changes of all types, and the magnitude of the group difference was more pronounced for marginal-interest changes.

Guiding visual attention during acquisition of matching-to-sample.

Matching-to-sample skills are involved in language acquisition and the development of basic reading and counting abilities. The rapid, even errorless, induction of matching performances in young children and individuals with mental retardation was demonstrated here through the structuring of a visual array so as to promote detection of the relevant stimulus. Implications for theory and application are discussed.

Guided visual search in individuals with mental retardation.

The ability of individuals with mental retardation to focus on task-relevant elements of complex visual arrays and increase visual-search efficiency was investigated. Initial assessments of visual-search efficiency were conducted to identify pairs of features for the form and size dimensions for which each participant demonstrated serial search. Subsequently, color was added as a defining feature that could guide search to a subset of the elements in the array.