Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices'

Background: Until date, no IQ test has been standardized to be used to test the intelligence of Libyan students. Lack of standardized intelligence tests creates many problems such as the misuse of some non-standardised tests. These tests are carried out to estimate the mental ability of mentally retarded or gifted children. This problem prompted the researcher to study the SPM test which is considered by many researchers as one of the most used culturally-fair tests. The aim of this study was to standardize the SPM test to a Libyan setting to develop norms for the classic form of the SPM test to identify the distribution of IQ scores within Libyan students. Sample and methods: a total sample size of 2600 students (aged 8 to 21 years) was chosen using a multi-stage, cluster-disproportional stratified sampling method. During September and November 2007, the SPM test was administered to 1800 school students from 72 schools from 11 settlements (two cities and nine villages). In addition, during September and November 2008, the SPM test was administered to 800 university students from two different branches of Omar El-Mukhtar University located in two cities (Al-Baida and Al-Marj). Quantitative research designs (descriptive and comparative survey, correlational and cross-sectional) were used. In addition, a meta-analysis was performed to compare SPM test results with studies carried out in other countries. Data collected were imported into (SPSS) (version 16)software. Normality testing was carried out, the collected data were normally distributed which warranted the use of parametric tests. Results and conclusions: the main study showed that the results of SPM reliability, validity and item analysis indicated that the SPM test may be considered as an appropriate measure of mental ability for Libyan students. The average IQ for the fourteen tested Libyan age groups (8 years to 21 years) was 81. Gender and region variables were not important factors affecting Libyan students' scores on the SPM test. Gender differences in variability results indicated no consistent tendency. Age, academic discipline and study levels variables were an important factor affecting the Libyan students' scores on the SPM test. In general, all correlation coefficients between SPM and students' academic achievements were statistical significant for all groups. Age and achievement variables were predictors for SPM results, whereas gender and region variables were not significant predictors. The performance of Libyan students on the SPM can be considered lower than students from other countries. Meta-analysis study showed that the average IQ score for developed countries was 95, whereas the average IQ score of developing countries was 82. The IQ score of Libya was similar to that of developing countries. Development status and age variables were concluded as being important factors affecting the SPM. Gender variable was concluded as not being an important factor affecting the SPM. Gender differences in variability on SPM test thus results indicated no consistent tendency. Age and development status variables were predictors for SPM results. Whereas gender variable not significant predictors.The over all results were explained in terms of variation in education, environment,nutrition, child rearing, social income, confidence in test taking, family size, the "individual multiplier" and "social multiplier" and heterosis.

The capacity of Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) and the Booklet Category Test (BCT) to discriminate between groups of brain-injured, simulated malingering, and normal participants was investigated in this study. Exploratory analyses were also conducted to examine the differences between groups categorized as sophisticated and naive fakers. Clinical decision rules and discriminant function analyses were utilized to identify malingerers. Clinical decision rules ranged in hit rates from 41% to 78%, in sensitivity from 2% to 100%, and in specificity from 86% to 100%. Discriminant functions ranged in hit rates from 81% to 86%, in sensitivity from 68% to 73% and in specificity from 82% to 87%. Overall, the least helpful detection method examined was below chance responding on either measure, while the most efficient was gross errors for SPM.

Arising out of a need, expressed by Clinical Psychologists in the Grahamstown region, for the fair assessment of secondary School African pupils, norms for the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) were established. Two methods of presentation were used, the first using the original instructions of John Raven translated into the students' first language of Xhosa, hence-forth referred to as the Alternate sample. The second method of presenting the instructions was adapted, to include the use of visual aids and active participation in the instruction phase of the test, hence-forth referred to as the Normative sample. In addition to the establishment of norms, the two methods of test presentation were investigated to see if the method of presentation had an effect on the results of the Raven's SPM. The population was drawn from the three African Secondary Schools in the Grahamstown municipality. The total population consisted of 3 232 students. Classes were randomly sampled across the three schools, with the average age of the Normative sample being 19.3 years. The sample consisted of 812 pupils, 711 in the Normative sample and 101 in the Alternate Sample. The following results and conclusions arose from the study: 1) Norms generated were considerably lower than previously established norms in similar studies. 2) t-Test results indicated that the method of test presentation on the Raven's SPM is important when assessing students that may be regarded as 'disadvantaged'. 3) Respondents scored significantly higher when the method of presenting the instructions ensured a greater understanding of the task demanded of the respondents. 4) The analyses of covariance indicate that male subjects score significantly higher than female subjects, and that there is a significant difference between the ages and educational standard, on the scores of the Raven's SPM. 5) The differences found contradict previous findings using the test, and question the cultural fairness of the test.

An assessment procedure to measure the learning potential of mildly and moderately mentally handicapped adults was investigated in this study. The procedure was developed to overcome the limitations of previously established learning potential assessment procedures by meeting the specific orientation necessary when assessing the mentally handicapped, by avoiding practice and mechanical memory effects, and by requiring the subjects to show the ability to retain and apply new cognitive skills. Thirty institutionalized mentally handicapped adults were matched on IG and then randomly assigned to an assessment or control group. For the assessment group the intervention procedure involved the Coloured Progressive Matrices test as a pretest measure, in four treatment sessions each two to three days apart, and as a posttest measure. Verbal and/or figural aids were provided when an incorrect response was given on a test item during the treatment sessions. The control group was provided the same number of administrations of the test but without the treatment intervention. Significant differences were found between the pre and post test performance levels of the assessment group. The control group showed no significant gains. The learning potential assessment procedure used in this study provided a measure of the learning potential of mentally handicapped institutionalized adults.The results indicate that the mentally handicapped can perform at much higher levels than those assessed by standardly used intellectual measures. Implications are that through the use of this approach a clearer discrimination of intellectual ability within the broad classifications of the mentally handicappped can be gained. Such information could be used to aid in the selection of peers, developmental programming decisions, and provide prescriptive information about the most efficacious modes of learning for an individual.

Much of cognitive science research and almost all of AI research into problem solving has focused on the use of verbal or propositional representations. However, there is significant evidence that humans solve problems using different representational modalities, including visual or iconic ones. In this dissertation, I investigate visual problem solving from the perspectives of autism, psychometrics, and AI. Studies of individuals on the autism spectrum show that they often use atypical patterns of cognition, and anecdotal reports have frequently mentioned a tendency to "think visually." I examined one precise characterization of visual thinking in terms of iconic representations. I then conducted a comprehensive review of data on several cognitive tasks from the autism literature and found numerous instances indicating that some individuals with autism may have a disposition towards visual thinking. One task, the Raven's Progressive Matrices test, is of particular interest to the field of psychometrics, as it represents one of the single best measures of general intelligence that has yet been developed. Typically developing individuals are thought to solve the Raven's test using largely verbal strategies, especially on the more difficult subsets of test problems. In line with this view, computational models of information processing on the Raven's test have focused exclusively on propositional representations. However, behavioral and fMRI studies of individuals with autism suggest that these individuals may use instead a predominantly visual strategy across most or all test problems. To examine visual problem solving on the Raven's test, I first constructed a computational model, called the Affine and Set Transformation Induction (ASTI) model, which uses a combination of affine transformations and set operations to solve Raven's problems using purely pixel-based representations of problem inputs, without any propositional encoding. I then performed four analyses using this model. First, I tested the model against three versions of the Raven's test, to determine the sufficiency of visual representations for solving this type of problem. The ASTI model successfully solves 50 of the 60 problems on the Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) test, comparable in performance to the best computational models that use propositional representations. Second, I evaluated model robustness in the face of changes to the representation of pixels and visual similarity. I found that varying these low-level representational commitments causes only small changes in overall performance. Third, I performed successive ablations of the model to create a new classification of problem types, based on which transformations are necessary and sufficient for finding the correct answer. Fourth, I examined if patterns of errors made on the SPM can provide a window into whether a visual or verbal strategy is being used. While many of the observed error patterns were predicted by considering aspects of the model and of human behavior, I found that overall error patterns do not seem to provide a clear indicator of strategy type. The main contributions of this dissertation include: (1) a rigorous definition and examination of a disposition towards visual thinking in autism; (2) a sufficiency proof, through the construction of a novel computational model, that visual representations can successfully solve many Raven's problems; (3) a new, data-based classification of problem types on the SPM; (4) a new classification of conceptual error types on the SPM; and (5) a methodology for analyzing, and an analysis of, error patterns made by humans and computational models on the SPM. More broadly, this dissertation contributes significantly to our understanding of visual problem solving.

Researchers and the general public alike continue to debate 'which is the smarter sex'? Research to date suggests that males outperform females, females outperform males, while others find no differences in mean or variance. These inconsistent results are thought to occur for two reasons. First, studies rely on opportunity samples rather than samples that represent the general population. Second, researchers have not availed themselves of advances in psychometrics that allow for identification of bias in test items and the reliable evaluation of group differences. This dissertation addresses these two identified needs in the literature. Using a large representative U.K. sample, 926 seven to 18 year olds were assessed with the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices Plus (SPM+), a measure considered to be one of the best measures of general intelligence. In assessing a one-factor model of general intelligence, four research aims were addressed. First, confirmatory factor analyses and assessment of measurement invariance revealed that the SPM+ is not biased to either sex. Second, multiple group confirmatory factor analyses revealed there to be no significant differences between males and females in either mean or variance. Third, analyses revealed no significant sex differences in mean or variability in younger or older participants. Finally, method effects of Gestalt and Visuospatial answering strategies explained some of the residual variance in the model. For the overall sample, males were significantly disadvantaged by the visuospatial element of some of the items. For older participants, the influence of the methods effects was equivalent. It can generally be concluded that there are no significant sex differences in mean or variability on the SPM+ suggesting that there is no sex difference in general intelligence. Future research should employ representative samples and robust statistical methodologies to assess sex differences on the Raven's from a multiple factor perspective.

Increasing focus is being placed on fair assessment practices in South Africa. Most psychological tests used in this country were designed and developed in other countries. Research has shown that when using these tests on a different target population, it is important to determine the suitability of the test for that population. This involves investigating reliability, validity and possible sources of bias. It is equally important to have local normative data with which scores can be compared and interpreted. Research in this area has been limited. The purpose of this study was to undertake such research by evaluating a widely used test, the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM), and its existing norms, for Zulu children in South Africa. The study also aimed to provide raw data, which could be used to assist with the compilation of local norms. The test was administered to a convenience sample of 522 primary school children between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. The sample was divided into two groups to represent two different geographical locations: rural and urban. The sample consisted of 284 rural children and 237 urban children. There were 263 males and 259 females in the sample. Findings indicated good test reliability for this sample. Test validity however could not be confirmed as possible sources of bias at the content and item levels were shown. Age had a significant effect on performance, but level of education appeared to be the strongest predictor of performance on the RCPM for this sample. Significant gender differences were found. There was a tendency for males to outperform females on the test. Location had a significant effect on scores, where urban children performed better than rural children. Comparison of Zulu sample scores with those produced by the British standardisation sample, revealed a large discrepancy in performance between the two different cultural groups. The Zulu sample mean scores were significantly lower than the British mean scores. These findings highlight the need for locally developed normative data. The validity of the test for the sample requires further investigation. Results indicate that test adaptation may be required for Zulu children.
Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

faculty of Humanities School of Human and Community Development 9807986h IsrealN@umthombo.wits.ac.za
The issue of bias, whether a psychological test measures what it claims to measure similarly across different groups, remains a fundamental concern within the field of psychometrics, particularly within South Africa, where a history riddled with oppression, discrimination and malpractice in the area has led to suspicion, mistrust and legislation banning the use of many psychological tests as invalid and unfair (Foxcroft & Roodt, 2001; Murphy & Davidshofer, 2001; Nell, 1999). There is thus clearly a need for additional and more detailed investigations of the way specific individual tests function in the South African context. This study attempted to creatively examine systematic differences in performance on one specific test, the Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM), on the basis of home language and gender, factors seldom investigated in the literature. A sample of one hundred Psychology first-year students completed a demographic questionnaire, the RAPM, the Similarities sub-test of the South African Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales (SAWAIS) and an adapted version of the Reading Comprehension subtest of the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT). The data gathered was then utilized to explore four main research questions. Firstly, in order to establish construct comparability, the relationship between the RAPM and a more verbally-oriented measure of g, the Similarities sub-test of the SAWAIS, was assessed. Results indicated a relatively strong positive relationship between the two measures (r = 0.66), and no significant differences between the correlations on the basis of either gender or home language. Secondly, in order to explore the relationship between the RAPM and English comprehension, the study assessed the relationship between overall, literal and inferential scores on an adapted version of the Reading Comprehension sub-test of the SDRT and the RAPM. Results indicated only a moderate relationship between the two tests (r = 0.65), no difference in the relationship between RAPM performance and literal comprehension or inferential comprehension, and no difference in the relationship between the two tests on the basis of either gender or home language. Thirdly, in order to establish whether items were found to be difficult in a similar way across the different gender and home language groups, p-values and regression lines were calculated. These indicated that significant differences in level of item difficulty were experienced between English and African language speakers, although no differences were apparent in item difficulty on the basis of gender. 5 Lastly, in order to establish whether qualitative differences in performance on the basis of ability (as estimated by performance on the RAPM), gender or language existed, a discrimination analysis examining the types of errors made by each group was performed. Repeated measures ANOVAs and multiple comparison post-hoc analyses revealed significant differences in the types of errors made on the basis of ability and home language, but not gender. The post-hoc analyses suggested that those of higher ability or first language English speakers were more likely to make incomplete correlate errors, while those of lower ability or speaking African first languages were more likely to make confluence of ideas errors. In general, the findings of the study seemed to suggest that the RAPM, while not biased on the basis of gender, might contain a deep-seated language bias despite their non-verbal presentation.

Test bias within the field of psychometrics is an issue of concern in the South African context. Bias refers to whether a test measures what it claims to measure across different groups. In South Africa, psychological testing has been associated with the oppressive and discriminatory practices of the Apartheid era, leading to many tests being banned and considered invalid and unfair (Foxcroft & Roodt, 2004). Research is required in South Africa to investigate the effects and functions of psychometric tests in the context of the country’s history and diverse population groups. This research investigated whether the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) is a good measure of non-verbal intelligence for high school children in the South African context, or whether it is biased by language and gender among Grade 8 and Grade 9 learners. The subjects were between 13 and 15 years old and attended an English medium government high school in Johannesburg. The archival data was collected over a two year period and the SPM was administered to some subjects in both Grade 8 and 9. A 2-way ANOVA tested for an overall difference on the SPM scores between learners who spoke English as a first language (EFL) and English as an additional language (EAL), as well as the performance of Male and Female learners. There was a significant difference between the language groups in Grade 8 but not Grade 9. There were no significant gender differences. An item analysis tested for a language or gender difference on the item level. Certain test items showed a gender difference while others a language difference, but no significant trend was found across the test. A matched paired t-test for the group that received the test in both Grade 8 and 9 determined that there was a significant increase in scores with greatest gains for the Male and Female EAL learners.

A research project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA by coursework and Research Report in the field of Industrial Psychology in the Faculty if Humanities, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 14 February 2015.
This research project examined the predictive validity of the Abstract Reasoning Test and the Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices on the academic results of first year engineering students. Additionally, biographical variables were examined in order to assess their contribution to the student’s scores on the psychometric tests. This research is important as the engineering department were looking to combat the high failure rate amongst first year engineering students. The department was looking to use the ART and the Raven’s to foresee the subjects in which students would struggle, enabling them to prepare extra assistance in this regard. The sample was the 2013 and 2014 first year engineering students at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (N=395). The analysis showed that the ART and Raven’s do not predict the academic results of engineering students in their first year of study. The academic results refer to the marks obtained in the first year subjects of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Economics and Mathematics. However, the biographical variables (especially those of home language and race) play an important role in contributing to the scores achieved on both psychometric tests.

Bibliographic Identification Name and surname of the author: Mgr. Jan Jirovec Name of dissertation: The level of influence of motor proficiency on the performance in the nonverbal aspect of intelligence in younger school-age children (6 - 11 years): A longitudinal study. Workplace: Department of Kinanthropology and Humanities Supervisor of the work: doc. PhDr. Martin Musálek, Ph.D Year of presentation: 2021 Abstract Motor development in children is often linked to the development of cognitive or executive functions. Nevertheless, it still remains unclear how much the level of children's motor proficiency can impact the level of nonverbal intelligence, which is an important part of academic achievement of children. Objectives: The aim of the dissertation thesis is to determine the level of influence and its stability in time between the level of motor proficiency and the performance in the nonverbal aspect of intelligence in younger school-age children with age (categories: 6 - 7 years, 8 - 9 years and 10 -11 years) and sex being considered. Methods: The research sample consisted of 396 children (n=214 girls, n=182 boys) aged 6 - 11 years (age 8,9±1.3) from two elementary schools (Karlovy Vary Region, Prague). The children were divided into 3 groups by age: 6 - 7 years, 8 - 9 years, 10 - 11 years. The...