Reading comprehension, learning strategies and verbal reasoning: possible relationships / Compreensão de leitura, estratégias de aprendizagem e raciocínio verbal: possíveis relações / Comprensión lectora, estrategias de aprendizaje e raciocinio verbal: posibles relaciones

Abstract This article aimed to analyze the level of reading comprehension in elementary school students; to verify differences between school years for the Cloze test; investigate possible relationships between reading comprehension, learning strategies and verbal reasoning, and verifying whether verbal reasoning can predict the other variables. The participants were 470 students from grades 2 to 9 from the public network of a city in the north of Paraná, who answered the Cloze test and the Assessment Scale of Learning Strategies. Of the total sample, 45 students were selected to respond to the Wechsler Scale Verbal Scale of Abbreviated Intelligence. The sample presented a level of independent reading comprehension, and significant differences were found among students of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years in comparison to the other school years. Statistically significant and positive correlations were obtained between the constructs, and the verbal reasoning showed to predict the other variables. AU

Resumo Este artigo objetivou analisar o nível de compreensão de leitura em estudantes do ensino fundamental; verificar diferenças entre os anos escolares para o teste Cloze; investigar possíveis relações entre a compreensão de leitura, as estratégias de aprendizagem e o raciocínio verbal e verificar se o raciocínio verbal pode prever as demais variáveis. Participaram 470 alunos do 2º ao 9º anos provenientes da rede pública de uma cidade do norte do Paraná, que responderam ao teste Cloze e à Escala de Avaliação das Estratégias de Aprendizagem. Do total da amostra, foram selecionados 45 alunos para responder a Escala Verbal da Escala Wechsler de Inteligência Abreviada. A amostra apresentou nível de compreensão de leitura independente, sendo encontradas diferenças significativas entre estudantes do 2º, 3º e 4º anos em comparação aos demais anos escolares. Foram obtidas correlações estatisticamente significativas e positivas entre os construtos, e o raciocínio verbal demonstrou prever as demais variáveis. AU

Resumen Este artículo tuvo por objetivo analizar el nivel de comprensión lectora en estudiantes de Enseñanza Primaria; verificar diferencias entre los años escolares para el test Cloze; investigar posibles relaciones entre comprensión lectora, estrategias de aprendizaje y razonamiento verbal y verificar si el mismo puede predecir las demás variables. Participaron 470 alumnos de 2º a 9º año provenientes de la red pública de una ciudad del norte de Paraná, que respondieron el test Cloze y la Escala de Evaluación de Estrategias de Aprendizaje. Del total de la muestra, se seleccionaron 45 alumnos para responder la Escala Verbal de la Escala Wechsler de Inteligencia Abreviada. La muestra presentó nivel de comprensión lectora independiente, encontrándose diferencias significativas entre los estudiantes de 2º, 3º y 4º año comparados con los de los otros años. Se obtuvieron correlaciones estadísticamente significativas y positivas entre los constructos, y el razonamiento verbal demostró predecir las demás variables. AU

Computerized Working Memory Battery (BIMeT-V): Studying the Relation between Working Memory, Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension / Bateria Computadorizada de Memória de Trabalho (BIMeT-V): Estudo da Relação entre a Memória de Trabalho, o Raciocínio Verbal e a Compreensão de Leitura / Batería Computarizada de Memoria de Trabajo (BIMeT-V): Estudio de la relación entre la Memoria de Trabajo, el Razonamiento Verbal y la Comprensión Lectora

Abstract Working memory refers to all the systems and processes linked to the maintenance and active retention of information relevant to the performance and execution of complex cognitive tasks. Individual differences in working memory have been shown to explain differences in other cognitive abilities, such as comprehension and reasoning. The purpose of the present work was to study the relationship between verbal working memory, verbal reasoning and text comprehension, for which a verbal working memory battery was designed and validated: The verbal Computerized Working Memory Battery (Batería Informatizada de Memoria de Trabajo Verbal [BIMeT-V]). Results showed that the tests administered presented a very good reliability due to internal consistency and, in terms of validity, two latent factors saturated the tests: one of storage and one of storage and concurrent processing of verbal information. Likewise, verbal reasoning skills and the ability to comprehend expository texts are supported by working memory's concurrent storage and processing of verbal information, and to a lesser extent, or with a lesser role, the verbal information storage component.

Resumo A memória de trabalho refere-se a todos os sistemas e processos ligados à manutenção ativa e à retenção de informações relevantes para a execução de tarefas cognitivas complexas. As diferenças individuais na memória de trabalho mostraram estar ligadas com as diferenças nas habilidades, como a compreensão e raciocínio. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a relação entre a memória de trabalho verbal, o raciocínio verbal e a compreensão, para o qual foi projetada e validada uma bateria de memória de trabalho verbal (Bateria de memória de trabalho verbalizada computadorizada, BIMeT-V). Os resultados mostraram que os testes administrados mostraram uma boa confiabilidade em relação a consistência interna, quanto à validade, dois fatores latentes saturavam os testes: um fator de armazenamento e outro de armazenamento e processamento simultâneo. Da mesma forma, as habilidades de raciocínio verbal e de compreensão são tarefas que são suportadas pela capacidade verbal de armazenamento e processamento simultâneo da memória de trabalho e, em menor grau, ou com um papel menos relevante, com o componente do armazenamento de informações verbais.

Resumen La memoria de trabajo se refiere a todos aquellos sistemas y procesos vinculados con el mantenimiento activo y la retención de información relevante para la ejecución de tareas cognitivas complejas. Diferencias individuales en memoria de memoria han mostrado explicar diferencias en habilidades, tales como la comprensión y el razonamiento. El propósito del presente trabajo consistió en estudiar la relación entre la memoria de trabajo verbal, el razonamiento verbal y la comprensión, para ello se diseño y validó una batería de memoria de trabajo verbal (Batería Informatizada de Memoria de Trabajo Verbal; BIMeT-V). Los resultados mostraron que las pruebas administradas mostraron una muy buena confiabilidad por consistencia interna, y en relación a la validez, dos factores latentes saturaron las pruebas: un factor del almacenamiento y otro de almacenamiento y procesamiento concurrente. Asimismo, las habilidades de razonamiento verbal y de comprensión son tareas que son soportadas por la capacidad verbal de almacenamiento y procesamiento concurrente de la memoria de trabajo, y en menor medida, o con un rol menos relevante el componente de almacenamiento de información verbal.

Validez convergente y discriminante del Inventario de Cociente Emocional (EQ-i) / Convergent and discriminant validaty of Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i)

Desde la aparición del constructo de inteligencia emocional (Salovey & Mayer, 1990) el campo de las habilidades emocionales se ha ido ampliando notablemente, debido a la aparición de diferentes conceptualizaciones, teorías e instrumentos de medición. Los desarrollos actuales se han centrado en el estudio de la validez de las pruebas utilizadas para medir la inteligencia emocional. El objetivo de la investigación que se informa fue estudiar la validez convergente y discriminante del Inventario de Cociente Emocional (EQ-i) de Bar-On (1997a, 1997b) en una muestra argentina de 100 personas adultas. Los instrumentos aplicados fueron: el EQ-i, el Inventario Revisado de Personalidad NEO (NEO PI-R) de Costa y McCrae (1992) y la Prueba de Inteligencia o de Razonamiento Verbal (RV) de Bennett, Seashore y Wesman (1992). Para analizar los datos se realizaron correlaciones entre el EQ-i, el NEO PI-R y RV y regresiones múltiples por pasos sucesivos entre los factores de personalidad del NEO PI-R y las escalas de inteligencia emocional del EQ-i. Los resultados obtenidos revelaron correlaciones muy bajas entre el EQ-i e inteligencia verbal (RV) (r = .07 a .27); en cambio se observaron correlaciones significativas entre el EQ-i y los factores de la personalidad, especialmente entre el factor neuroticismo y el EQ-i (r = -.66 a - .72). Asimismo, se observó que los cinco factores del NEO PI-R predicen significativamente al EQ-i, siendo el factor Neuroticismo el que más contribuye en la predicción del EQ-i. De acuerdo a la muestra estudiada se concluye que el EQ-i mide atributos que tienden a solaparse con los rasgos de personalidad.

In the last few years, the emotional intelligence construct, defined by Salovey and Mayer (1990) as a domain of abilities specifically linked to the perception and utilization of emotions, has been the main core of different researches which have made an effort to measure and study this construct, yet there is no consensus regarding its definition and model. Integrating the theories existing up to this moment, Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso (2000) suggested that it is possible to distinguish between models based on ability (Mayer, Di Paolo & Salovey, 1990; Mayer & Salovey, 1997), and models based on features or mixed models (Goleman, 1996, 1999; Bar-On, 1997a, 1997b). Models founded on ability are based in the original conceptualization of emotional intelligence as defined by Salovey and Mayer (1990), which is characterized as a set of the abilities to perceive, understand and regulate emotions, and which are evaluated by means of tasks or tests of performance. On the other hand, mixed models, or based on features of emotional intelligence, are those which consider that abilities are associated to the processing and the use of emotions, combining those abilities with a wide variety of personality aspects, and which are evaluated by means of self-report measures. Bearing in mind that the approach used when measuring emotional intelligence could influence the validity of the construct, the latest developments have been focused in the study of psychometric properties of the tests. Specifically, most of the current research on this topic is centered in the study of what the test measures, in the most adequate methods used to measure emotional intelligence and whether the tests may be differentiated from other tests that measure abilities and personality aspects (Brackett & Mayer, 2003; Chapman & Hayslip, 2005; Palmer, 2003). Taking into account previous research which took place in other countries, the objective of this paper was to study the convergent and discriminant validity of an emotional intelligence self-report test, the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), which is based in Bar-On's mixed or feature model (1997a; 1997b), in an Argentinean sample of 100 adults between 25 and 50 years old of both sexes. Tests administered were EQ-i, the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R) by Costa and McCrae (1992), and the Test of Verbal Intelligence or Reasoning (RV) by Bennet, Seashore and Wesman (1992). Correlations among EQ-i, NEO PI-R and RV and multiple stepwise regressions between NEO PI-R personality factors and EQ-i emotional intelligence scales were carried out in order to study the convergent and discriminant validity of the test. The results obtained showed very low correlations between EQ-i and verbal intelligence (r = .07 to .27). On the contrary, significant correlations were observed between EQ-i and personality factors, especially between the neuroticism factor and EQ-i (r = -.66 to -.72). Likewise, results showed that the five NEO PI-R factors contributed significantly to the prediction of EQ-i, being neuroticism the factor which contributed the most in the prediction of EQ-i. According to the results observed in the sample studied, we can conclude that the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) measures personality related attributes more likely than intelligence related attributes. The results attained in this study provide further support on the matter that EQ-i is not easily distinguished from the NEO PI-R. Indeed, they are similar to the findings of other studies which have taken place in different countries regarding the validity of the emotional intelligence construct.

La teoría de respuesta al ítem y su aplicación a una prueba de razonamiento verbal / The item response theory and its application to a verbal reasoning test

En este trabajo se presenta una introducción a la Teoría de Respuesta al Item señalando las ventajas que proporciona en la modelización de los tests con respecto a la teoría clásica. Se presentan el modelo logístico de un parámetro -también conocido como modelo de Rasch-, y los modelos de dos y tres parámetros discutiendo los beneficios de uno sobre otro en sus aplicaciones. Se introduce el concepto de curva característica del ítem y se comenta la utilidad del enfoque "ítem - rasgo latente" en la construcción de un banco de ítemes y en la confección de tests a medida, entre otras interesantes aplicaciones. Finalmente se muestran los resultados obtenidos al aplicar el modelo logístico de dos parámetros a veinte ítemes que evalúan la habilidad para identificar y discriminar relaciones, exhibiendo sus curvas características.