Sergio Escorial

Intelligence test scores underpin high-stakes educational, clinical, and occupational decisions, which makes the metric quality of these instruments a central concern for professional practice. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric and documentary quality of intelligence tests reviewed by the Spanish National Test Commission, compare this quality with that of tests measuring other psychological constructs, and examine the influence of publisher and evaluation cohort on quality. To this end, 37 intelligence tests and 78 tests of other constructs, reviewed across 13 editions (2010–2026) of the project, were coded using the Revised Test Review Questionnaire (CET-R), which comprises 14 quality characteristics grouped into four dimensions: General, Validity, Reliability, and Norms. Intelligence tests did not report more information than tests of other constructs, showing similar omission rates. However, when information was reported, intelligence tests obtained higher scores on the General, Validity, and Norms dimensions, with no differences in Reliability. Publisher accounted for a substantial share of the variance in quality, whereas the evaluation cohort showed no significant influence on any psychometric characteristic once corrected for multiple comparisons (FDR). Item bias analyses and item-response-theory-based reliability remained the most consistently underreported forms of evidence across the manuals of all tests analyzed. These findings underscore the need to uphold high, transparent standards in the documentation of intelligence tests and provide empirical criteria to support the responsible selection of instruments by practitioners.

The assessment of the quality of psychological tests is a fundamental task for guaranteeing ethical and effective professional practice. This paper presents the results of the 13th edition of the evaluation project for tests published in Spain, an ongoing initiative by the Test Commission of the General Council of the Spanish Psychological Association. In this edition, six instruments were analyzed (five commercial: ATENTO, BFQ-2, EBE, EVT-3, PPVT-5; and one non-commercial: CoPsoQ-Istas21) using the Revised Test Evaluation Questionnaire (CET-R v1.1) and an expert peer-review system. The results reveal marked heterogeneity. While the quality of the materials and theoretical foundation was generally high, critical deficiencies were noted in the reported psychometric evidence. Specifically, shortcomings were detected in some sections of the validity evidence. These findings underscore the need for professionals to critically appraise the tests they plan to use, and for publishers and authors to strengthen the psychometric justification of their instruments.

The purpose of the present study is to analyze the difference between the long-term memories of victims and witnesses/observers of a traumatic event and the effect of post-traumatic symptoms on the quality of memories. The event was the 11th of March, 2004, terrorist attacks in Madrid. Results showed that the victims characterized the event with higher quality and accessibility than the witnesses, particularly flashbulb memories. These differences could be related to the victims’ greater emotional reaction experienced during the event and the relevance/importance attributed to it, supporting the emotional-integrative and the importance-driven emotional reactions models of flashbulb memory formation. The intensity and quantity of post-traumatic symptoms present in the victims significantly affected the quality and accessibility of memories, as well as the associated emotions. The ‘Continuous Accessibility Model of Memory’ could explain the accessibility of autobiographical memories, where limitations to remembering could range from amnesia to PTSD, with flashbulb memories being the non-pathological prelude to the latter. El propósito del presente estudio es analizar la diferencia entre las memorias a largo plazo de las víctimas y los testigos/observadores de un evento traumático, así como el efecto de los síntomas postraumáticos en la calidad de esas memorias. El hecho analizado fue el atentado terrorista del 11 de marzo de 2004 en Madrid. Los resultados mostraron que las víctimas caracterizaron el evento con mayor calidad y accesibilidad que los testigos, especialmente con recuerdos vívidos. Estas diferencias podrían estar relacionadas con la mayor reacción emocional experimentada por las víctimas durante el evento y la relevancia/importancia atribuida al mismo, respaldando los modelos de formación de memoria vívida basados en la integración emocional y la importancia emocional. La intensidad y la cantidad de síntomas postraumáticos presentes en las víctimas afectaron significativamente a la calidad y accesibilidad de los recuerdos, así como las emociones asociadas. El “Modelo Continuo de Accesibilidad de la Memoria” podría explicar la accesibilidad de los recuerdos autobiográficos, donde las limitaciones para recordar podrían ir desde la amnesia hasta el TEPT, siendo los recuerdos fotográficos un preludio no patológico de este último.

Here we test the hypothesis that if the Raven Progressive Matrices Test (RAPM) is the best available single measure of the general factor of intelligence (g), then their brain correlates must show a greater overlap with g than that observed for other intelligence measures. For that purpose, gray matter correlates were analyzed at different levels of the intelligence hierarchy checking for consistencies and discrepancies among measurements and constructs. A group of 104 young adults completed a battery of nine intelligence tests measuring fluid-abstract (Gf), crystallized-verbal (Gc), and spatial (Gv) intelligence. They also undertook MRI scanning. Psychometric scores were computed for a higher-order factor representing general intelligence (g), first-order group factors representing Gf, Gc, and Gv, and, finally, the nine specific measures. Optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and cortical surface-based morphometry (SBM, cortical thickness and cortical surface area) assessments were obtained and related to the scores. Overlaps among resulting brain maps were systematically inspected, controlling for sex, age, and handedness. VBM findings identified an overlap in a right middle frontal gyrus cluster, whereas cortical surface area results showed a key overlap in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, for the RAPM, Gf, and g. These results were seen as consistent with the main hypothesis and, therefore, support the RAPM as the best single estimate of g.

General cognitive ability (GCA) shows increased stability as individuals age, but stability values are relatively low in early childhood. Remarkable changes in GCA scores are therefore expected during the first developmental stages. Here we address this main research question: which personal and situational factors help to distinguish children showing high cognitive ability at early age (4 and 7 yrs.) and keeping their high scores at later ages (12, 16, and 21 yrs.) from those who lose their high scores as time goes by? This question is complemented by the analysis of those showing normative ability scores at early ages for knowing if the operating factors identified for the main question also holds for this band of the cognitive ability distribution. Beginning with 11,119 participants from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), latent curve models (LCM’s) were estimated for studying developmental changes of interest in 1,580 high ability individuals (GCA115) and in 3,958 normative individuals (GCA100). The main findings reveal that most are cognitively mobile, so early identification of high ability children must be seen with reservations. The identified changes are mainly predicted by personal instead of situational factors, supporting the guiding force of nature through nurture.

Introduction: On average prison populations show lower cognitive scores than the general population, but it is also acknowledged that inmates are highly heterogenous and that verbal and non-verbal ability scores might uncover differential patterns. Method: We consider 140 participants divided into five groups: controls, non-sexual and non-homicidal inmates (other inmates), sex offenders with adult victims (AVS) and child victims (CVS), and homicide offenders. All participants completed two WAIS-III subtests to obtain reliable estimates of their verbal and non-verbal abilities. The quotient ‘matrices/similarities’ (UIQ) was also computed. Results: Homicide and AVS offenders showed lower general scores than controls; AVS and homicide offenders showed lower non-verbal scores than controls; homicide offenders showed lower verbal scores than the other groups; and homicide, AVS offenders and “other inmates” were the most dissimilar groups regarding UIQ. Conclusions: The findings support the relevance of distinguishing among criminal offenders to avoid unwarranted generalizations when cognitive abilities are considered. Introducción:, En promedio, la población penitenciaria presenta menores puntuaciones cognitivas que la población general, aunque los internos son muy heterogéneos, por lo que sus puntuaciones en test cognitivos de naturaleza verbal y no-verbal pueden revelar patrones diferenciales de interés. ,Método:, Consideramos 140 participantes divididos en cinco grupos: controles, internos no sexuales ni homicidas (otros internos), agresores sexuales con víctimas adultas (SVA) y con víctimas menores (SVM) y homicidas. Todos cumplimentaron dos subtest del WAIS-III para obtener estimaciones fiables de sus aptitudes verbales y no-verbales. Se calculó el cociente “matrices/semejanzas” (UIQ). ,Resultados:, Los homicidas y agresores SVA presentaron menor aptitud general que los controles; agresores SVA y homicidas mostraron menor aptitud no verbal que los controles, los homicidas tuvieron una menor aptitud verbal que los demás grupos y los homicidas, agresores SVA y “otros internos” presentaron los mayores desequilibrios en el UIQ. ,Conclusiones:, Los resultados apoyan la importancia de distinguir entre tipos de delincuentes para evitar generalizaciones infundadas al valorar sus capacidades cognitivas.

For the sake of prevention in high conflict families in process of separation or divorce who resolve situations by only attending court, and since there is no instrument to identify this trend, this paper aims to create a questionnaire for measuring characteristics predicting judicialization. This paper focuses on C-JUDIFA questionnaire’s content and internal validity, confirming that the items used accurately describe the characteristics to be measured while obtaining a good representativeness of the proposed scales. Factor analysis supports the three-factor structure theoretically proposed, while finding a strong correlation between all 9 suggested constructs. Likewise, further research is needed in order to analyze the relationship of all these factors in the judicialization tendency through the research of external validity. Dada la necesidad de abordar desde la prevención el problema de las familias en situación de separación o divorcio inmersas en alta conflictividad y que tienden a judicializar sus relaciones, y ante la inexistencia de un instrumento que sirva para identificar esta tendencia, se pretende elaborar un cuestionario que mida las características predictoras de judicialización. El trabajo se centra en la validación de contenido e interna del C-JUDIFA, pudiendo concluir que los ítems utilizados explican bien las características que pretenden medir, así como que se obtiene una buena representatividad de las escalas propuestas. El análisis factorial confirma la estructura de tres factores propuesta teóricamente para el instrumento, encontrando también una buena correlación entre los 9 constructos aportados. Asimismo, se requiere investigar sobre la relación que todos estos factores tienen realmente en la tendencia a judicializar los conflictos derivados de situaciones de separación, analizando su validez externa.

The present study aims to analyse the effect of the passage of time on the phenomenological characteristics of the memory of a traumatic event of social relevance. The terrorist attack that took place in Barcelona (Spain) in August 2017 was taken as the traumatic event. A priori, this event meets the criteria to produce a flashbulb memory (level of surprise, consequentiality and emotional activation). A total of 364 memories from different individuals (78% women and a mean age of 20 years) were studied at five different time points, between September 2017 and December 2018, using the CCFRA/PQAM questionnaire. The results show that the memories only comply with the characteristics usually associated with flashbulb memories in the medium term (about 7 months after the events). These characteristics do not appear in a clear way immediately and are lost just over a year after the event. Therefore, the passage of time seems to have a great influence on the characteristics of memories of violent events, such as terrorist attacks. However, this influence may depend more on the relevance given to the event than on the elapsed time, as it is the relevance that determines the number of subsequent recalls, influencing the maintenance of the memory.