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Biomedical subjects

J W Gilger

Publications and source records attributed to J W Gilger.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Differential assortative mating found for academic and demographic variables as a function of time of assessment.

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in spousal similarity that occur as a function of time of assessment and to assess the extent to which assortment is a function of initial versus "realized" similarity. Similarity for academic achievement test scores obtained when adults were in elementary and high-school grades was examined in approximately 170 couples. Similarity for occupational and educational traits achieved in adulthood and during marriage was also assessed. The data suggest small but significant assortative mating for test data obtained while husbands and wives were in elementary school. This is in contrast to the larger and significant spousal correlations observed for high-school test scores. Further adjustment procedures indicated that most of the significant high-school test score correlations remained, even after elementary school academic abilities were controlled for. Moreover, spousal correlations for academic-related variables assessed after marriage, such as occupation and college education, were only slightly higher than high-school test score correlations and showed some shrinkage after controlling for school-aged academic performance. Some minor convergence was found for one of the variables assessed after marriage using a multiple regression procedure advocated by Price and Vandenburg (1980). The discontinuity in assortment found for elementary, high-school, and adult variables is related to the mate selection procedure and how it appears to be based on the phenotype best approximating that of an adult.

Achievement↗
PubMed1991

Reliability and validity of retrospective self-reports of the age of pubertal onset using twin, sibling, and college student data.

This study presents a methodology, derived from behavioral genetic research, designed to evaluate the validity of retrospective self-report inventories. The application of this technique to college student, twin, and sibling data demonstrated the reliability and validity of a retrospective self-report questionnaire on the timing of pubertal onset. Support was provided by four main findings: (1) substantial test-retest reliability coefficients for individual items (r ranged from .73 to .97) were obtained for a sample of college students; (2) nearly all of the monozygotic twin (MZ) intraclass correlations exceeded those for dizygotic twins (DZ); (3) the magnitude of the test-retest and intraclass correlations for recall of the timing of pubertal onset followed theoretical expectations for a trait demonstrating significant genetic influence (i.e., r for the same individual tested twice greater than r for MZs greater than r for DZs greater than r for siblings); (4) the expected secular trend of a cross-generational decrease in the age of sexual maturation was demonstrated for retrospective self-reports of family members representing three different generations. Moreover, the size of the mean differences across generations mirrored those reported for nonretrospective assessments of the actual age of pubertal onset. Finally, the value of retrospective self-report surveys in psychological research is discussed, and the relative merits of these instruments as indices of individual differences in pubertal development, as opposed to indices of the actual age of sexual maturation, are emphasized.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

A twin study of Bannatyne's "genetic dyslexic" subtype.

Bannatyne's proposed "genetic dyslexic" subtype of reading disability (RD) was evaluated using data obtained from 60 (30 monozygotic and 30 dizygotic) pairs of affected twins (in which at least one member of each pair has a reading disorder) and 60 pairs of control twins. The predicted spatial greater than conceptual greater than sequential pattern of means was found to be reliable and specific to the RD sample. While this study does not provide conclusive evidence on the genetic etiology of the proposed subtype, our results do indicate that individuals with this particular profile may constitute a specific subtype of reading disability.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Effects of menstrual cycle on spatial information-processes.

The present study examined effects of menstrual cycle (i.e., ovulatory vs menstrual phase) on performance on spatial information-processes. Participants included 20 spontaneously cycling women (with regular 28- to 30-day menstrual cycles) who were tested on a reaction-time task developed to assess specific spatial information-processes and the Spatial Relations subtest of the PMA battery. For the spatial information-processing task, women responded faster and applied relatively less stringent criteria in the decision process during the ovulatory phase. No effects of cycle changes were found for accuracy of performance on either of the spatial tasks. It is suggested that studies examining effects of menstrual cycle on spatial ability consider an information-processing approach in measuring spatial performance and an application of signal-detection theory to separate components (strategy vs aptitude) of problem solving.

Achievement↗
PubMed1985

Performance on the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Test Battery-Children's Revision: a comparison of children with and without significant WISC-R VIQ-PIQ discrepancies.

Fifty-six children, aged 8 to 13, were divided into three groups based on the degree and direction of their WISC-R VIQ-PIQ discrepancies. Group 1 was composed of 13 males and 6 females whose PIQ exceeded their VIQ by at least 12 points (V less than P); Group 2 was made up of 12 males and 6 females with VIQs that exceeded their PIQs by 12 or more points (P less than V); Group 3 was comprised of 9 males and 10 females whose V-P differences failed to exceed 8 points in either direction (P = V). The performance of these children on the 11 subscales of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery-Children's Revision was compared. Univariate F-tests revealed significant differences among the groups on the Receptive Speech, p less than .01, and Expressive Language subscales, p less than .001. Further analyses that utilized two-tailed t-tests found the V less than P group to perform significantly less well than the P = V group on the Receptive Speech and Expressive Language scales. The V less than P group was also significantly worse than the P less than V group on the Expressive Language scale. These results suggest a possible differential sensitivity of the children's Luria-Nebraska to verbal and nonverbal cognitive deficits.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗
PubMed1984

The Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery-Children's Revision: comparison of learning disabled and normal children matched on full scale IQ.

17 academically normal and 17 reading disabled children were matched on Full Scale IQ and compared on the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery-Children's Revision. The academically normal group performed significantly better on the Expressive Language, Writing, Reading, and Rhythm subscales, which suggests that the Luria-Nebraska may be sensitive to deficits not reflected in Full Scale IQ. Results are consistent with previous research and support the validity of the Luria-Nebraska, although simplistic interpretation of the battery's subscales should be avoided.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Genotype-environment correlations for language-related abilities: implications for typical and atypical learners.

Recent behavioral genetic research has shown that genetic propensities are associated with individual differences in experiences, and thus, what may appear to be environmental effects can reflect genetic influence. This study examines passive genotype-environment correlations (GECs) for language-related abilities by comparing environment-child language associations in adoptive and nonadoptive families. The results provide evidence for the genetic mediation of the association between home environmental variables, such as the provision of toys and games, maternal involvement, and degree of intellectual/cultural orientation with children's language-related abilities. Developmental changes in passive GECs are considered, and the implications for typical and atypical learners are discussed.

Adoption↗