Humans and chimpanzees differ in a number of phenotypic traits chief among them being a larger sized human brain and an increased propensity for cancer in humans. Apoptosis or programmed cell death plays a role during brain development and disease progression to cancer. Results from my study, based on gene expression analysis, suggest that the apoptotic function may be generally reduced in humans relative to chimpanzees. In this thesis, I test the hypothesis that the apoptotic function is generally reduced in humans relative to chimpanzees by gene expression and experimental data. The experimental data are consistent with the hypothesis and also suggest that the apoptotic function may be reduced in humans relative to chimpanzees and macaques, suggesting that the reduced apoptotic function may be an evolutionary derived condition within the human lineage. I also evaluate the role of this reduced function in humans during brain development and disease progression to cancer. In addition, I also correlate Insertion/Deletion sequence variation between humans and chimpanzees with differences in gene expression between the two species.

This study investigated the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Satisfaction with Life (SWL) among community college students. Some researchers suggest a relationship exists between EI and important outcome variables (e.g., occupational success & satisfaction with life). However, other researchers suggest measures of EI may simply assess personality variables known to predict these variables. I used the Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) to investigate how much additional variance in SWL, EI predicts after three personality variables (self-esteem,depression, and locus of control). A convenience sample of 200 Central Florida Community College Students completed the following instruments: 1) MSCEIT(Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, 2002) to assess EI. 2) RSES (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, 1965) to assess self-esteem. 3) BDI-II (Beck Depression Inventory ll) Beck, Steer, and Brown (1997) to assess depression . 4) I-E Scale (Internal-External Locus of Control Scale) Rotter (1966) to assess locus of control. 5) SWLS (Satisfaction with Life Scale) Diener, Emmons, Larsen, and Griffin (1985) to assess overall (global) satisfaction with life. Bivariate correlations between the known predictor variables (self-esteem, depression, and locus of control) and the dependant measure (SWL) are in agreement (size and direction) with prior research. However, correlational analysis suggested no correlation between EI as well as all four components of EI with SWL or the known predictor variables. These findings agree with prior research reporting correlations between EI or components of EI with SWL. A series of five hierarchical regression analyses was conducted to investigate whether EI or any of the four components of EI contributes in the prediction of SWL after accounting for known predictors (self-esteem, depression, and locus of control). The results of all five hierarchical regression analysis suggest s EI as well as the components of EI do not account for additional variance in SWL among community college students.Therefore, results of the study suggest EI is not an important predictor of SWLamong community college students. Limitations of the study as well as suggestions for future research are discussed. In the final sections conclusions as well as some implications for practice in higher education are presented.

The purpose of this study was to explore the construct validity of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II; Kaufman & Kaufman, 2004a) and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition (WJ-III COG; Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) with a sample of 200 preschool children, ranging in age from 4 years, 0 months to 5 years, 1 1 months, and attending preschool and daycare programs in and around a Midwestern city. This study attempted to determine if the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) factor structure represented on these tests can be identified with young children. Individual confirmatory factor analyses were conducted separately with the KABC-II and WJ-III COG. Moreover, a joint confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using both the KABC-II and WJ-III COG. The results of the individual KABC-II factor analyses indicated a two-tiered Gf Gc model provided the best fit to the data, although the three-tiered CHC model also fit the data well. This suggests the underlying factor structure of the KABC-II is well represented by the CHC theory. The WJ-III COG was best represented by an alternative CHC model, in which the Gf factor and subtests had been removed, indicating not all CHC constructs represented on the WJ-III COG can be reliably identified among young children. The joint confirmatory factor analysis indicated the strongest measures of the shared CHC factors on the KABCII and WJ-III COG, which can help to guide cross-battery assessment with preschool children. Overall, the results confirmed multiple CHC abilities can be assessed with young children, implying clinicians should be using preschool tests that provide scores for several cognitive abilities. This study also revealed the constructs of the CHC theory may be represented somewhat differently on preschool tests due to developmental influences. Strong correlations were evident between unrelated tasks, primarily because the verbal and linguistic demands of many subtests caused them to load unexpectedly on the Gc factor. Suggestions for future research include conducting the same study using preschool children with suspected disabilities, as well as with older children, examining other instruments that include a Gf factor, and conducting exploratory factor analysis with subtests from the KABC-II and WJ-III COG that contain significant components of more than one ability. / Department of Educational Psychology

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Psychology

This study investigated the utility of the cognitive measures of the Dean-Woodcock Neuropsychological Assessment System (D-WNAS) in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer dementia (AD) from depression. Past research has found an overlap of symptoms in the early stages of AD and those found in geriatric depression. In both instances, patients are likely to report memory loss, attention deficits, and mood disturbances. As a result of this similarity, differentially diagnosing one from another is a vexing problem for the clinical practitioner. Although a number of screening measures have been offered, none have proven to be clinically useful. Some have proposed this is the result of reliance upon use of single-factor measures. Indeed, many have proposed a multiple factor assessment model would be of more utility in diagnosing AD and depression. Considering the importance of an accurate diagnosis in treatment, this study utilized a multiple factor cognitive model offered by the Dean-Woodcock Neuropsychological Assessment System to differentiate AD from depression.Specifically, subtest scores of the Woodcock-Johnson III - Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ-III; cognitive measure of the Dean-Woodcock Neuropsychological Assessment System) were compared. Participants (n = 172) fell into one of three groups (i.e. Depressed, Demented, or Normal) based on the diagnoses of a board certified neurologist and neuropsychologist. Results showed clinical groups performed more poorly than normal participants on tests of the WJ-III. In addition, AD participants differed significantly from depressed participants on the Visual Matching and Spatial Relations tests of the WJ-III. However, in all, the WJ-III demonstrated a classification hit rate of less than 70%. Although groups were found to differ in specific ways, the classification hit rate of the WJ-III suggested it could not differentially diagnose AD from depression alone. / Department of Educational Psychology

The overall purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of the relationship between a recently revised, multidimensional intelligence test (WJ III COG) and a short form of an older, well-established intelligence test (WISC-III) with intellectually gifted children. As such, this study examined the implications of using a theoretically and empirically sound choice (WJ III COG) as compared to a more practical alternative (i.e., WISC-III short form); it also explored the impact of different cut-off and eligibility criteria upon eligibility decisions. Participants were solicited from a group of 75 students who had been nominated for a gifted program at a small elementary school located on the urban fringe of a midsize city in the Midwest. Thirty-five students, ranging in age from 9 years, 2 months to 11 years, 1 month, participated in this study. The sample included 15 students who were admitted into the program and 20 students who were deemed ineligible. The WISC-III short form exhibited a positive relationship with the WJ III COG, as its FSIQ estimate correlated significantly with both the WJ III COG GIA-Std and BIA scores, accounting for approximately 33% and 35% of the variance, respectively. The eligible group performed significantly higher on the WISC-III short form than the WJ III COG, whereas the ineligible group performed consistently across all global measures of intelligence. The eligibility of 46% of the sample varied as a result of the test and restrictiveness of the cut-off criteria. More students were identified as intellectually gifted when flexible, rather than strict, cut-off criteria were used to make eligibility decisions. Moreover, the eligibility of approximately 63% of the participants varied as a result of the test and whether eligibility criteria involved general and specific intellectual abilities or solely general intellectual ability. More students were deemed eligible when general and specific intellectual abilities were considered as compared to decisions based only on general intellectual ability. / Department of Educational Psychology

Based on phenomenology, traditional methods of diagnoses of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder-combined type (ADHD/C) and reading disorder (RD) are neither precise, nor do they provide explicit information relevant to intervention. Consequently, current researchers have called for diagnostic techniques based on etiological rather than traditional symptom-based markers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not WJ III cognitive profiles of individual students provided meaningful diagnostic evidence of ADHD/C and/or RD congruent with prominent theories and group scores from quantitative studies. Six holistic student cases were examined. Two were prequalified with ADHD/C, two with RD, and two with ADHD/C+RD using traditional symptom-based diagnosis. Data were drawn from archived psychoeducational evaluation case files including background information, psychosocial evaluations, and WJ III cognitive profiles. Contextual mediators such as testing room conditions, behavioral observations, and developmental histories were examined that might influence the interpretation of cognitive profiles within the school setting.Among the four students prequalified with RD, three students displayed the requisite cognitive profile of weaknesses on clusters of Phonemic Awareness-3 and/or Cognitive Fluency. A review of distinctive contexts in the fourth student's case as well as the absence of the expected RD cognitive profile supported the determination that his reading problems were secondary to ADHD/C. These findings produced theoretical as well as literal replications of the double-deficit theory of RD. Results were less clear among the four students prequalified with ADHD/C due to varying performances on tests of Broad Attention and Executive Processes--cognitive factors documented by the behavioral inhibition theory of ADHD/C. As expected, students prequalified with ADHD/C+RD displayed a wider range of deficits, presumably due to the additive effect of having two disorders. The mediating influence of idiosyncratic contexts underscored the importance of professional judgment in cognitive profile interpretation.Although it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between academic performance deficits associated with ADHD/C and skills deficits associated with RD, it was shown that cognitive profiles in concert with a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation can, in some cases, provide etiological evidence for differential diagnosis and a guide for intervention. More practice-based research within ecologically valid environments is recommended. / Department of Educational Psychology

A considerable about of research has concentrated on studying the performance of high achieving children on measures of intellectual functioning. Findings have indicated high achieving children display differences in performance patterns as well as in the cognitive constructs measured when compared to their average peers. The conceptualization of intelligence has evolved over time and contemporary theories of intelligence have described cognitive ability as consisting of multiple constructs which are often interrelated. Currently. one of the most comprehensive and empirically supported theories of intelligence is the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory (Cattell, 1941; Horn, 1968: Carroll, 1993). The multidimensional and hierarchical CHC theory has served as the foundation for the development and recent revisions of cognitive ability measures such as the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability– Third Edition (WJ-III COG; McGrew & Woodcock 2001) and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales – Fifth Edition (SBS: Raid, 2003b). The purpose of this study was to explore the construct validity of the WJ-III COG and SB5 with a sample of high achieving children. Individual confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using the WJ-III COG and SB5. Additionally. a joint confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using both the WJ-III COG and SB5. The results indicated an alternative six-factor WJ-IlI COG and four-factor SB5 models provided the best fit to the data of a high achieving sample, supporting previous research suggesting high achieving children display differences in cognitive constructs when compared with their average counterparts. The joint-confirmatory factor analysis indicated the best measures for the CHC factors measured by both the WJ-III COG and SB5 to help guide cross-battery assessments with high functioning children. Clinical applications of the findings are discussed. / Department of Educational Psychology

Significant evidence from the legislation, medical/clinical, or professional practice perspective all points to the advantages and necessity of conducting comprehensive assessment of cognitive abilities, especially in young children, to identify cognitive deficits, arrive at an accurate diagnosis, and establish bases for developing interventions and recommending services. Cross-battery assessment approach provides school psychologists a useful tool to strengthen their preferred cognitive battery by adopting and comparing subtests from other batteries to build up a comprehensive and theoretically sound evaluation of an individual’s cognitive profile to increase the validity of test interpretation. Using joint confirmatory factor analysis, this study explored the combined underlying construct validity of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition (WJ-III COG) and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition (SB5) with an independent sample of preschool children. Seven models were examined and the results showed that relatively, the underlying construct of the two tests was best represented by a threestratum alternative CHC model in which the Gf factor and subtests had been removed. This indicates that not all the CHC constructs shared by both tests can be reliably identified among young children. Constructs of the CHC theory may be represented differently on preschool cognitive batteries due to developmental influences. Although WJ-III COG and SB5 tests as a whole did not demonstrate good results for purposes of cross-battery assessment, certain subtests (e.g., subtests representing crystallized intelligence) from each battery offer interpretative value for individual broad ability factors, providing school psychologists an in-depth understanding of a preschooler’s crystallized knowledge. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted with subtests from WJ-III COG and SB5 representing the four shared broad factors (Gc, Gf, Gv, and Gsm). Results revealed that a 4-factor solution is a better model fit to the data. Future research includes recruiting young children with disabilities or special needs to explore best representative underlying construct of combined WJ-III COG and SB5, allowing for cross-battery assessment. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Department of Educational Psychology

The past two decades have seen a substantial increase in the availability of numerical data that individuals are faced with on a daily basis. In addition, research uncovering the multiple facets of statistical reasoning has become increasingly prominent. Both gender differences and the effect of experience or training have emerged as two key factors that influence performance in statistics. Surprisingly, though, the combined effects of these two variables have not been studied. This gap in understanding the joint effect of gender and experience on statistical reasoning is addressed in the present dissertation with six studies. In Study 1 (N = 201), participants with various levels of experience in statistics were asked to complete the Statistical Reasoning Assessment (SRA; Garfield, 2003). Although the performance of both genders improved with experience, the gender gap persisted across all experience levels. Multiple measures of individual differences were used in a confirmatory structural equation model. This model supported the idea that differences in statistical reasoning are not uniquely a matter of cognitive ability. In fact, gender was found to influence statistical reasoning directly, as well as indirectly through its influence on thinking dispositions. In Studies 2 (N = 67), 3 (N = 157), and 4 (N = 206), the role of stereotype threat was examined as a potential cause of the persisting gender gap in statistics, and value affirmation was tested as an intervention to overcome stereotype threat. Despite the fact that many women believed negative stereotypes about the ability of women in statistics, value affirmation had no significant impact on performance. To help explain this lack of effect, and in keeping with the results of the structural equation model suggesting a multi-pronged approach, efforts were turned towards a different (and potentially richer) cognitive factor. Specifically, mental representations were explored to help shed light on the root causes of those conceptual understanding differences in statistics. In Studies 5 and 6, gender differences in mental representations of statistical features were examined using a categorization paradigm. In Study 5 (N = 219), extending some of the key findings in Studies 1, 3 and 4, it was established that two courses in statistics are necessary to create a significant difference in the quality of mental representations of statistical concepts. More importantly, Study 6 (N = 208) demonstrated how constraining the task format particularly benefits women in that the quality of their reasoning significantly improved, where that of men was equal across tasks. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.