Teaching
Much of my current teaching is in the School and Applied Child Psychology program, particularly in the areas of psychological assessment and the clinical supervision of graduate students in U-CAPES. I have also taught courses in the history of psychology and ethics. Prior to coming to the U of C, I taught courses in learning, development, statistics and measurement, personality, cognition, and psychopathology. The scientist-practitioner model is incorporated into my courses on assessment, intervention planning, and prevention with a strong emphasis also on individual differences and positive psychology. I also frequently present lectures and workshops at conferences and for various professional organizations and groups.
Research
Much of my time is devoted to research and I have added a second attachment that lists some of my more recent books, book chapters and journal articles. My research focuses on the study of individual differences with a particular emphasis on personality and intelligence, including emotional intelligence. These studies and resulting publications are theoretical and practical as well as correlational and experimental. The opportunity for cross-cultural studies has significantly broadened the scope of this research. Also, my recent research interests in emotional intelligence, including emotions and social cognition is motivated by the current emphasis on prevention, resiliency, psychological health, and building capacity. Please click on to the next attachment to see a listing of some of this published research work.
Service
I am active in various university committees as well as national and international psychology associations such as the Canadian Psychological Association, Canadian Association of School Psychologists, Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Programs, and the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences. I am the editor of two journals (Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, Canadian Journal of School Psychology), Associate Editor for Personality and Individual Differences and a book series editor on Human Exceptionality. I frequently consult to the Psychological Corporation on the development of intelligence tests including the Wechsler scales for children and adults.
Download my CV [PDF, 170 KB]
Media
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Education faculty and students test the nation
Chances are, that one time or another over the course of your life, you’ll be asked to take an IQ test. So how do you think you’d stack up against others in your field? Or twins? Or athletes, or politicians? Read More |
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Making life better for survivors of profound brain injury
U of C Education Prof teams with the Association for the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured (ARBI) on innovative project. Read More |
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Selected Writings
Lawrence G. Weiss, Pearson Assessment, San Antonio, TX, USA Donald H. Saklofske, University of Calgary, Canada Diane L. Coalson, Pearson Assessment, San Antonio, Texas, USA Susan Engi Raiford, Pearson Assessment, San Antonio, Texas, USA
This guide to the WAIS-IV is written to help clinical practitioners achieve efficient and accurate interpretations of test results. The only interpretive guide to be based on data obtained while standardizing the test, this reference source provides the most authoritative information for interpreting results, as well as practical information on diagnostic validity, and accuracy of the tests in measuring intelligence and memory. Read More [Download PDF, 85 KB]
Assessing Emotional Intelligence Theory, Research, and Applications
Edited by Con Stough, Donald H. Saklofske, James D.A. Parker
Managing human emotions plays a critical role in everyday functioning. After years of lively debate on the significance and validity of its construct, emotional intelligence (EI) has generated a robust body of theories, research studies, and measures. Assessing Emotional Intelligence: Theory, Research, and Applications strengthens this theoretical and evidence base by addressing the most recent advances and emerging possibilities in EI assessment, research, and applications.
Emotional Intelligence Symposium, 2007. International Society for the Study of Individual Differences, Giessen, Germany.
Edited by Gregory J. Boyle, Gerald Matthews, Donald H. Saklofske.
A definitive, authoritative and up-to-date resource for anyone interested in the theories, models and assessment methods used for understanding the many facets of human personality and individual differences. Read more [Download PDF, 2.7 MB]
Edited by Aurelio Prifitera, Pearson Assessment, San Antonio, TX, USA; Donald H. Saklofske, University of Calgary, Canada; Lawrence G. Weiss, Pearson Assessment, San Antonio, TX, USA
The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children: Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) is one of the most often used measures to assess intelligence and cognitive functions in children, ages 6-16 years. The second edition of the WISCIV Clinical Interpretation and Intervention includes new information obtained from the clinical use of the WISC-IV in practice. Information on the basic use of the assessment tool is condensed from three chapters into one, with four new chapters discussing how to use and interpret WISC-IV with additional clinical populations. These new populations include pervasive developmental disorders including autism, social and emotional disorders, psychiatric disorders, and medical disorders that may affect intelligence. An additional new chapter discusses intervention planning across patient populations. Each of the chapters (revised original chapters and new chapters) also includes case studies including diagnosis and intervention. Overall, the material in the book is 65% changed, new, and updated. These changes make the second edition better able to meet clinician’s needs in using and interpreting this test. Read more [Download PDF, 112KB]
Spearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns in Normative Samples for the WISC-IV and WAIS-III
Donald H. Saklofske, Zhiming Yang, Jianjun Zhu, and Elizabeth J. Austin
University of Calgary, Canada, Psychological Corporation, San Antonio, TX, USA, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Abstract. In order to explain observed variations in intelligence test scores, Spearman (1927) proposed the “law of diminishing returns” (SLODR). It states that the g saturation of cognitive ability tests decreases as a function of ability or age. Published studies have shown mixed results. However, a recent review (Hartmann & Nyborg, 2004) suggests that there is evidence for differences in g saturation by ability level, but that observed age effects on g saturation are most likely to be a consequence of the ability effect. The current study analyzed the standardization data of the most recent Wechsler scales for both children and adults from several different countries. This study did not find evidence to support either the ability or age version of SLODR by using large normative samples for the WISC-IV from the United States, Canada, and Australia, and for the WAIS-III from the same three countries and also from The Netherlands. Read more [Download PDF, 144 KB]
Donald H. Saklofske, University of Calgary Vicki L. Schwean, University of Calgary Riva Bartell, University of Manitoba Juanita M.K. Mureika, School District 18, New Brunswick Jac Andrews, University of Calgary Jeffrey Derevensky, McGill University Henry L. Janzen, University of Alberta
School psychologists in Canada have struggled to achieve a unique professional identity in Canadian schools and other educational contexts, as well as within psychology associations and regulatory bodies. School psychology, as a specialty area of professional psychology, has found itself embedded in a system in which it is sometimes similar or complementary and other times unique and even misunderstood. School psychologists’ roles in relation to those of other educational professionals have led to competition for discrete territory. However, the past few years have witnessed some positive and optimistic changes that bode well for the future of school psychology in Canada. Read more [Download PDF 236 MB]
R. Stewart Longman, Donald H. Saklofske and Tak S. Fung Assessment 2007; 14; 426
Intellectual assessment is a usual component of vocational, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological testing. Full-scale, domain IQ, and index scores, reflecting a summary of data from several (or more) subtests, can provide an indication of current cognitive abilities, aptitude and potential performance at various occupations, or indicate whether skills are markedly below expectations for academic and occupational background, perhaps as a consequence of an acquired injury or illness. The Wechsler tests are among the most often used for such assessments and include the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS-R; Wechsler, 1981) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Third Edition (WAIS-III; Wechsler, 1997a). Read more [download PDF 96 KB]
Donald H. Saklofske, Elizabeth J. Austin, Betty A. Rohr and Jac J.W. Andrews J Health Psychol 2007; 12; 937
Abstract The associations of personality and self-report emotional intelligence (EI)with attitudes to exercise and selfreported exercise behaviour were investigated in a sample of 497 Canadian undergraduates. A positive attitude to exercise was negatively associated with Neuroticism and uncorrelated with other personality traits and EI. Exercise behaviour was positively associated with Extraversion and EI and negatively associated with Neuroticism. Structural equation modelling indicated that EI mediated the relationship between personality and exercise behaviour. The interpretation of this result in terms of EI having some properties of a coping style is discussed. Read more [download PDF 96 KB]
Stephen C. Bowden University of Melbourne, Australia Rael T. Lange, Riverview Hospital, Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada Lawrence G. Weiss, Harcourt Press Inc., San Antonio, Texas Donald Saklofske, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
A measurement model is invoked whenever a psychological interpretation is placed on test scores. When stated in detail, a measurement model provides a description of the numerical and theoretical relationship between observed scores and the corresponding latent variables or constructs. In this way, the hypothesis that similar meaning can be derived from a set of test scores can be tested by examination of a measurement model across groups. This study examines the invariance of a measurement model underlying Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Third Edition scores in the U.S. and the Canadian standardization samples. The measurement model, involving four latent variables, satisfies the assumption of invariance across samples. Subtest scores also show similar reliability in both samples. However, slightly higher latent variable means are found in the Canadian normative sample. Read more [download PDF 96 KB]
Schoenberg, Mike R., Lange, Rael T. and Saklofske, Donald H. (2007) Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 29:8, 867 - 878
Establishing a comparison standard in neuropsychological assessment is crucial to determining change in function. There is no available method to estimate premorbid intellectual functioning for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). The WISC-IV provided normative data for both American and Canadian children aged 6 to 16 years old. This study developed regression algorithms as a proposed method to estimate full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) for the Canadian WISC-IV. Participants were the Canadian WISC-IV standardization sample (n=1,100). The sample was randomly divided into two groups (development and validation groups). The development group was used to generate regression algorithms; 1 algorithm only included demographics, and 11 combined demographic variables with WISC-IV subtest raw scores. The algorithms accounted for 18% to 70% of the variance in FSIQ (standard error of estimate, SEE=8.6 to 14.2). Estimated FSIQ significantly correlated with actual FSIQ (r=.30 to .80), and the majority of individual FSIQ estimates were within ±10 points of actual FSIQ. The demographic-only algorithm was less accurate than algorithms combining demographic variables with subtest raw scores. The current algorithms yielded accurate estimates of current FSIQ for Canadian individuals aged 6–16 years old. The potential application of the algorithms to estimate premorbid FSIQ is reviewed. While promising, clinical validation of the algorithms in a sample of children and/or adolescents with known neurological dysfunction is needed to establish these algorithms as a premorbid estimation procedure. Read more [download PDF 96 KB]
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