The Rationality Quotient


Book Description

How to assess critical aspects of cognitive functioning that are not measured by IQ tests: rational thinking skills. Why are we surprised when smart people act foolishly? Smart people do foolish things all the time. Misjudgments and bad decisions by highly educated bankers and money managers, for example, brought us the financial crisis of 2008. Smart people do foolish things because intelligence is not the same as the capacity for rational thinking. The Rationality Quotient explains that these two traits, often (and incorrectly) thought of as one, refer to different cognitive functions. The standard IQ test, the authors argue, doesn't measure any of the broad components of rationality—adaptive responding, good judgment, and good decision making. The authors show that rational thinking, like intelligence, is a measurable cognitive competence. Drawing on theoretical work and empirical research from the last two decades, they present the first prototype for an assessment of rational thinking analogous to the IQ test: the CART (Comprehensive Assessment of Rational Thinking). The authors describe the theoretical underpinnings of the CART, distinguishing the algorithmic mind from the reflective mind. They discuss the logic of the tasks used to measure cognitive biases, and they develop a unique typology of thinking errors. The Rationality Quotient explains the components of rational thought assessed by the CART, including probabilistic and scientific reasoning; the avoidance of “miserly” information processing; and the knowledge structures needed for rational thinking. Finally, the authors discuss studies of the CART and the social and practical implications of such a test. An appendix offers sample items from the test.




The Rational Test


Book Description




Software Test Engineering with IBM Rational Functional Tester


Book Description

Praise for Software Test Engineering with IBM Rational Functional Tester "Finally, a manual for the Software Test Engineer! Many manuals on the market today are geared toward developers, and none exist for Rational Functional Tester. This is one of the first manuals geared toward the Automated Test Engineer acknowledging the depth of knowledge required for a very complex job. The manual will assist all levels of test engineering with very specific steps and hands-on advice. This manual is a reference book that no Automated Test Engineer using RFT should be without!" --Penny Bowser, CTFL, CHE, QA Manager "The authors succeed in walking a line between sharing a wealth of technical knowledge and providing enough context to ensure the readers understand what they need to do and why. Novices and skilled practitioners alike should find the work a good read and a solid reference. Automating functional testing tends to receive less investment than it should, to the detriment of organizations everywhere. If the reader is seeking to improve his knowledge of Rational Functional Tester and make an impact using that knowledge, there is no better reference than this excellent distillation of years of field-proven experience." --David J. Trent, Market Manager of Process and Best Practices Segment for Rational Software, IBM "As a former manager of the group that tested IBM''s Rational Functional Tester, like a few others, I see clearly how this book can help teams multiply the benefits they derive from this product." --Ted Rivera, Senior Agile Transformation Architect, IBM Software Group "This book is a wonderful, in-depth resource for novice and expert users alike." --Brian McCall, former IBM IT Specialist "This collection of Rational Functional Tester information is a ''must have'' for anyone using this solution. Everyone from beginners to advanced users will find this book very helpful." --Lew Cote, IBM Technical Solution Architect "This much-needed book effectively describes the value of Rational Functional Tester for functional testing needs. The book is well organized, thought through, and has all the latest information. The authors are no doubt subject matter experts." --Kamala Parvathanathan, Senior Manager, IBM Rational The Indispensable Resource for Automated Testing Automated software testing has become a critical exercise, especially for developers utilizing iterative and agile methods. However, to achieve the full benefits of automated testing, teams need a deep understanding of both its principles and their testing tools. If you''re among the thousands of developers using IBM Rational Functional Tester (RFT), this book brings together all the insight, examples, and real-world solutions you need to succeed. Eight leading IBM testing experts thoroughly introduce this state-of-the-art product, covering issues ranging from building test environments through executing the most complex and powerful tests. Drawing on decades of experience with IBM Rational testing products, they address both technical and nontechnical challenges and present everything from best practices to reusable code. Coverage Includes Integrating IBM RFT into your development processes Building highly efficient test environments, test harnesses, and test scripts Using RFT Visual Editor to extend testing automation to novice users Mastering basic scripting techniques, from data capture to script synchronization Managing script data using RFT Datapools Efficiently debugging scripts using Eclipse(tm) or Visual Studio� Managing execution flow: playback settings, logic, error handling, and more Handling domains that are not supported by RFT Using advanced techniques, such as mouse delays and custom verification pointsTesting specialized software, including mainframe, SAP, Siebel, and Adobe� Flex� applications Extending RFT with external libraries Developing RFT support for third-party Java(tm) or .NET controls Using RFT in both Linux� and Windows� environments Configuring internationalized testing within the RFT framework




What Intelligence Tests Miss


Book Description

Critics of intelligence tests writers such as Robert Sternberg, Howard Gardner, and Daniel Goleman have argued in recent years that these tests neglect important qualities such as emotion, empathy, and interpersonal skills. However, such critiques imply that though intelligence tests may miss certain key noncognitive areas, they encompass most of what is important in the cognitive domain. In this book, Keith E. Stanovich challenges this widely held assumption.Stanovich shows that IQ tests (or their proxies, such as the SAT) are radically incomplete as measures of cognitive functioning. They fail to assess traits that most people associate with good thinking, skills such as judgment and decision making. Such cognitive skills are crucial to real-world behavior, affecting the way we plan, evaluate critical evidence, judge risks and probabilities, and make effective decisions. IQ tests fail to assess these skills of rational thought, even though they are measurable cognitive processes. Rational thought is just as important as intelligence, Stanovich argues, and it should be valued as highly as the abilities currently measured on intelligence tests.




A Rational Expectations Approach to Macroeconometrics


Book Description

A Rational Expectations Approach to Macroeconometrics pursues a rational expectations approach to the estimation of a class of models widely discussed in the macroeconomics and finance literature: those which emphasize the effects from unanticipated, rather than anticipated, movements in variables. In this volume, Fredrick S. Mishkin first theoretically develops and discusses a unified econometric treatment of these models and then shows how to estimate them with an annotated computer program.




The Rational Animal


Book Description

Why do three out of four professional football players go bankrupt? How can illiterate jungle dwellers pass a test that tricks Harvard philosophers? And why do billionaires work so hard -- only to give their hard-earned money away? When it comes to making decisions, the classic view is that humans are eminently rational. But growing evidence suggests instead that our choices are often irrational, biased, and occasionally even moronic. Which view is right -- or is there another possibility? In this animated tour of the inner workings of the mind, psychologist Douglas T. Kenrick and business professor Vladas Griskevicius challenge the prevailing views of decision making, and present a new alternative grounded in evolutionary science. By connecting our modern behaviors to their ancestral roots, they reveal that underneath our seemingly foolish tendencies is an exceptionally wise system of decision making. From investing money to choosing a job, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, our choices are driven by deep-seated evolutionary goals. Because each of us has multiple evolutionary goals, though, new research reveals something radical -- there's more than one "you" making decisions. Although it feels as if there is just one single "self" inside your head, your mind actually contains several different subselves, each one steering you in a different direction when it takes its turn at the controls. The Rational Animal will transform the way you think about decision making. And along the way, you'll discover the intimate connections between ovulating strippers, Wall Street financiers, testosterone-crazed skateboarders, Steve Jobs, Elvis Presley, and you.




Democracy and Distrust


Book Description

This powerfully argued appraisal of judicial review may change the face of American law. Written for layman and scholar alike, the book addresses one of the most important issues facing Americans today: within what guidelines shall the Supreme Court apply the strictures of the Constitution to the complexities of modern life? Until now legal experts have proposed two basic approaches to the Constitution. The first, “interpretivism,” maintains that we should stick as closely as possible to what is explicit in the document itself. The second, predominant in recent academic theorizing, argues that the courts should be guided by what they see as the fundamental values of American society. John Hart Ely demonstrates that both of these approaches are inherently incomplete and inadequate. Democracy and Distrust sets forth a new and persuasive basis for determining the role of the Supreme Court today. Ely’s proposal is centered on the view that the Court should devote itself to assuring majority governance while protecting minority rights. “The Constitution,” he writes, “has proceeded from the sensible assumption that an effective majority will not unreasonably threaten its own rights, and has sought to assure that such a majority not systematically treat others less well than it treats itself. It has done so by structuring decision processes at all levels in an attempt to ensure, first, that everyone’s interests will be represented when decisions are made, and second, that the application of those decisions will not be manipulated so as to reintroduce in practice the sort of discrimination that is impermissible in theory.” Thus, Ely’s emphasis is on the procedural side of due process, on the preservation of governmental structure rather than on the recognition of elusive social values. At the same time, his approach is free of interpretivism’s rigidity because it is fully responsive to the changing wishes of a popular majority. Consequently, his book will have a profound impact on legal opinion at all levels—from experts in constitutional law, to lawyers with general practices, to concerned citizens watching the bewildering changes in American law.




A Rational Approach to Clinical Infectious Diseases


Book Description

Written specifically for non-infectious disease specialists in both inpatient and outpatient settings, A Rational Approach to Clinical Infectious Diseases provides concise, practical guidance that mimics the decision-making process and reasoning employed by an ID physician. Using clear, understandable language, Dr. Zelalem Temesgen and his esteemed colleagues at the Mayo Clinic present the art and the context of infectious diseases together with the science, helping non-specialists apply a rational approach to the diagnosis and treatment of infectious conditions. - Clearly explains the rationale of opting for one particular treatment or length of course over another in order to arrange appropriate management and follow-up. - Provides focused ID decision support to questions such as: - What diagnostic test should I order? - What is the correct antibiotic for this patient/geographical region? - Are IV or oral antibiotics most appropriate? - How long should the antibiotic course be and when should it be de-escalated? - What special considerations should be taken in immunocompromised patients? - How often should complex infections be followed up? - Uses a succinct, easy-to-read writing style, following a consistent format: Important characteristics/epidemiology; Clinical related data; Rash characteristics; Ancillary diagnostic studies; Treatment; and Other. - Provides visual and quick-reference support with dozens of figures and tables throughout the text. - Contains invaluable guidance to help non-specialists provide the best care for patients, stem antibiotic misuse and resistance, avoid adverse drug events, and avoid unnecessary costs.




Restoring the Lost Constitution


Book Description

The U.S. Constitution found in school textbooks and under glass in Washington is not the one enforced today by the Supreme Court. In Restoring the Lost Constitution, Randy Barnett argues that since the nation's founding, but especially since the 1930s, the courts have been cutting holes in the original Constitution and its amendments to eliminate the parts that protect liberty from the power of government. From the Commerce Clause, to the Necessary and Proper Clause, to the Ninth and Tenth Amendments, to the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, the Supreme Court has rendered each of these provisions toothless. In the process, the written Constitution has been lost. Barnett establishes the original meaning of these lost clauses and offers a practical way to restore them to their central role in constraining government: adopting a "presumption of liberty" to give the benefit of the doubt to citizens when laws restrict their rightful exercises of liberty. He also provides a new, realistic and philosophically rigorous theory of constitutional legitimacy that justifies both interpreting the Constitution according to its original meaning and, where that meaning is vague or open-ended, construing it so as to better protect the rights retained by the people. As clearly argued as it is insightful and provocative, Restoring the Lost Constitution forcefully disputes the conventional wisdom, posing a powerful challenge to which others must now respond. This updated edition features an afterword with further reflections on individual popular sovereignty, originalist interpretation, judicial engagement, and the gravitational force that original meaning has exerted on the Supreme Court in several recent cases.




The Testing Charade


Book Description

America's leading expert in educational testing and measurement openly names the failures caused by today's testing policies and provides a blueprint for doing better. 6 x 9.