What is the optimal penalty for errors in infant skill learning? Behavioral analyses indicate that errors are frequent but trivial as infants acquire foundational skills. In learning to walk, for example, falling is commonplace but appears to incur only a negligible penalty. Behavioral data, however, cannot reveal whether a low penalty for falling…

Objective: The current study aimed to examine whether brief online stress reduction exercises supplemented with sleep improvement strategies would reduce stress, arousal, and sleep difficulties in college students who were not required to use the sleep improvement strategies for participation. Participants: A sample of 114 college student…

Symmetry considerations are important in science, and Group Theory is a theory of symmetry. Classical Measurement Theory is the most used measurement theory in the social and behavioral sciences. In this article, the author uses Matrix Lie (Lee) group theory to formulate a measurement model. Symmetry is defined and illustrated using symmetries of…

To provide context surrounding the history of single-case research and to act as a benchmark for which future changes across the fields and disciplines that use single-case methods may be compared, we conducted this study to serve as an update and extension on the trends and prevalence of single-case research in the peer-reviewed literature. Our…

A new mode of knowledge production, known as the 'organic growth pattern', has emerged within the online learning environment. It exhibits several unique features, such as iterative growth, fuelled by collective intelligence, fuzzy complexity, etc. It is more valuable and adaptable to support knowledge innovation within rapidly changing fields. To…

The recently proposed "continuous-time latent curve model with structured residuals" (CT-LCM-SR) addresses several challenges associated with longitudinal data analysis in the behavioral sciences. First, it provides information about process trends and dynamics. Second, using the continuous-time framework, the CT-LCM-SR can handle…

This paper aims to advocate for a balanced approach to model fit evaluation in structural equation modeling (SEM). The ongoing debate surrounding chi-square test statistics and fit indices has been characterized by ambiguity and controversy. Despite the acknowledged limitations of relying solely on the chi-square test, its careful application can…

The replication crisis in social and behavioral sciences has raised concerns about the reliability and validity of empirical studies. While research in the literature has explored contributing factors to this crisis, the issues related to analytical tools have received less attention. This study focuses on a widely used analytical tool -…

The current study adds to a growing body of behavioral research aimed at learning about changes in behavior over time. In this proof-of-concept study, functional analyses were conducted every 6-8 weeks with eight children diagnosed with ASD receiving early intervention services at a community-based clinic. The goal of this study was to develop a…

Background: There has been a rapid increase in the number of, and demand for, organisations offering behavioural science advice to government over the last ten years. Yet we know little of the state of science and the experiences of these evidence providers. Aims and objectives: To identify current practice in this emerging field and the factors…

Data in social and behavioral sciences typically contain measurement errors and also do not have predefined metrics. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is commonly used to analyze such data. This article discuss issues in latent-variable modeling as compared to regression analysis with composite-scores. Via logical reasoning and analytical results…

The detection of differential item functioning (DIF) is important in psychological and behavioral sciences. Standard DIF detection methods perform an item-by-item test iteratively, often assuming that all items except the one under investigation are DIF-free. This article proposes a Bayesian adaptive Lasso method to detect DIF in graded response…

Mediation analysis plays an important role in understanding causal processes in social and behavioral sciences. While path analysis with composite scores was criticized to yield biased parameter estimates when variables contain measurement errors, recent literature has pointed out that the population values of parameters of latent-variable models…