Raven’s Test is Culturally Unbiased

The Raven's Test was designed to minimize the biases that language difference can create to measure your intelligence. It urges the children to show their intelligence with attention to details, remembrance, and spatial interpretation. Raven’s progressive matrices are closer to the functioning scales on a WISC-III or other standardized intelligence tests.

The supporters of Raven’s test have a list of edges that this analysis can provide over the other psychological instruments. However, like any additional appraisal, it gives only a part of the picture. If your child is facing problems with directionality, visual memory, and line closure, Raven's test will not predict intelligence correctly. The best judgment relies on multiple types and sources of knowledge.

Raven’s Matrices

Raven’s Matrices or Raven’s Progressive Matrices are multiple choice questions of abstract understandings primarily devised by Dr. John C. Raven in 1938. Most of the items are presented in the shape of matrices of 3x3 or 2x2. The matrices structure has caused the instrument to be named as Raven’s matrices. You are asked to recognize the missing segment in each test item and complete a more extensive pattern presented there.

The Raven’s Progressive Matrices and Vocabulary tests assess your ability to think clearly and to make sense of complexities. They also test your ability to store and reproduce information, known as reproductive ability.

Forms of Raven’s Matrices

The Raven's test has three primary forms and one extended form of the matrices.

1-    Raven’s Standard Matrices

Standard Raven’s Matrices are the original form of the matrices. They were used in 1938 for the first time. It is comprised of five sets, and each set has 12 items. You need to have a higher level of cognitive ability to solve the questions correctly. You are not only required to understand the information but also analyze critically. All items are presented in written form in black ink on a white background.

2-    Raven’s Color Matrices

Color Raven’s Matrices are designed for children and the older adults with learning handicaps. The Raven’s test consists of sets A and B from the standard matrices, and a further set of 12 items is inserted between the two sets, as set Ab. Most of the questions are presented on a colored background to make the test more conspicuous for the participants. But the last few items in set B are kept black on white background

3-    Raven’s Advanced Matrices

The Raven’s advanced matrices consist of two sets and 48 items. The first set contains 12 items while the other contains 36. The items are presented in black on white background. In this way, they become increasingly difficult when progress is made through each set. These questions are difficult for adults and adolescents who are of above average intelligence.

4-    The Extended form of the Matrices

In 1998 parallel forms of the standard and colored progressive matrices were introduced. The extended types were included in the parallel tests which were constructed in a way that average solution to each question was identical for both the versions. Along with these, an extended form of the matrices was also published to test young men and adults.

Advantages of the Raven’s Test

The Raven’s test has become a well-known standard to measure intelligence by ignoring language barriers. It is claimed a culture fair intelligence test. It has following advantages:

1-    It I very easy to use.

2-    The costs to test the individuals are comparatively low.

3-    It is gaining popularity due to the multi-national corporate culture of the world.

4-    It assesses the type of reasoning ability that is based on understanding the increasing confusion of the present day life.

5-    It claims to have the highest predictive validity.

6-    It can predict your social mobility.

Some of the basic research in cognitive psychology has been made with the help of Raven’s tests. The tests are standardized with a vast variety of cultural groups from China, Russia, India, and Kuwait to Europe, etc. Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices has tested the people in countries around the world without having any cultural bias. The Raven’s test shows the same results when offered to white Europeans, black Africans, Asians, Chinese, and Indians.

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