Cognitive Psychology Commons^™

Over the last years, psychological research has increasingly used computer-supported tests, especially in the analysis of complex human decision making and problem solving. The approach is to use computer-based test scenarios and to evaluate the performance of participants and correlate it to certain attributes, such as the participant's capacity to regulate emotions. However, two important questions can only be answered with the help of modern optimization methodology. The first one considers an analysis of the exact situations and decisions that led to a bad or good overall performance of test persons. The second important question concerns performance, as the choices …

The Tailorshop simulation is a computer based complex problem solving task in which participants have to lead a fictional company for twelve months. The present study investigated if the performance in the Tailorshop simulation can be measured reliably and validly. The participants were 156 employees from different companies. Structural equation models were used to test tau-congeneric and tau-equivalent measurement models. The results indicate that the trends of the total capital between the second and the twelfth month are reliable measurements. Furthermore, this measure can predict real-life job performance ratings by superiors and is associated with the performance in another complex …

The present study investigated cognitive performance measures beyond IQ. In particular, we investigated the psychometric properties of dynamic decision making variables and implicit learning variables and their relation with general intelligence and professional success. N=173 employees from different companies and occupational groups completed two standard intelligence tests, two dynamic decision making tasks, and two implicit learning tasks at two measurement occasions. We used structural equation models to test latent-state-trait measurement models and the relation between constructs. The results suggest that dynamic decision making and implicit learning are substantially related with general intelligence. Furthermore, general intelligence is the best predictor for …

Based on recent affect-cognition theories (Bless et al., 1996; Fiedler, 2001; Sinclair, 1988), the present study predicts and shows a differentiated influence of nice and nasty environments on complex problem solving (CPS). Environments were constructed by manipulating the target value ‘capital’ of a complex scenario: Participants in the nice environment (N = 42) easily raised the capital and received positive feedback, whereas those in the nasty environment (N = 42) hardly enhanced the capital and got negative feedback. The results showed that nasty environments increased negative and decreased positive affect. The reverse was true for nice environments. Furthermore, nasty environments …