What do Raven's Matrices measure? An analysis in terms of sex differences

Although it is sometimes claimed that Raven's Matrices provide an almost pure measure of g, there is evidence that the easier items in the Standard Progressive Matrices and in Set I of the Advanced Matrices measure a perceptual or Gestalt factor distinct from the more analytic items in the rest of the tests. There is also, however, both factor analytic and experimental evidence that these analytic items fall into two partially separate groups, distinguishable by the type of rule needed for their solution in the analysis proposed by Carpenter, Just, and Schell (1990) [Carpenter, P. A., Just, M. A., Schell, P. (1990). What one intelligence test measures: A theoretical account of the processing in the Raven's Progressive Matrices Test. Psychological Review, 97, 404–431]. Re-analysis of published data suggests a new source of evidence for this further distinction: males do better than females on items requiring an addition/subtraction or distribution of two rule, but there is no sex difference on items requiring pairwise progression or distribution of three rules. A specially designed experiment confirmed this pattern of results.     

THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT REINFORCEMENT CONDITIONS ON THE TEST PERFORMANCE OF MULTIHANDICAPPED DEAF CHILDREN1

The present study explored the effects of different reinforcement conditions on the number of correct responses on the Raven Progressive Matrices. Four groups of 11- to 18-year-old multihandicapped deaf children matched on the basis of mean age and pretest scores were used. The groups were randomly assigned to any of four posttest conditions: end-of-session reinforcement, noncontingent reinforcement, delayed reinforcement, and immediate reinforcement. The mean posttest score of subjects tested under the immediate-reinforcement condition was significantly higher than that of any other group. No significant differences were observed between the mean posttest scores of the three other groups. The practical implications of using reinforcement procedures for testing purposes are discussed.     

Observing spontaneous metaphor in children

The study considered whether apparent metaphors are a frequent part of child language and whether the child recognizes the metaphoric relation created. Seventy-three nursery and kindergarten children (2 to 6 years of age) were observed for one or two half-hour periods of free play. Naturally occurring utterances in unconventional uses were recorded. The children were then questioned about their possible metaphoric creations to determine their awareness and understanding of their utterances. Results suggest that metaphoric processes exist quite early in development, as exemplified by a high frequency of spontaneous metaphor in the free play of young children. The semantic extensions were often deliberate and used appropriately. On some occasions the child was able to articulate the rationale for the verbal substitution. The content and cognitive features of the figures are discussed. Several hypotheses are offered for the developmental trend of decline in frequency of metaphor use with age.     

Driver trust in and training for advanced driver assistance systems in Real-World driving

Two-hundred and twenty-three participants completed an online survey regarding their experiences with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on their personal vehicles, with focus on 1) drivers’ trust in 13 ADAS technologies, and 2) perceived effectiveness of currently used methods of training. Eighteen drivers participated in focus groups designed to probe more deeply into survey responses. Results of the survey showed that participant ratings of trust increased significantly with longer vehicle ownership, but participants who experienced unexpected ADAS technology behavior rated their trust over time significantly lower on ADAS technologies with the exception of rear collision avoidance. The majority (75.8%) of participants reported receiving some ADAS instruction at their vehicle dealership, but only 16.6% indicated it was formal. Participants who received formalized training reported it to be significantly more effective than those who received informal overviews of their systems. Use of trial and error and the owner’s manual were the most frequently reported methods of learning outside of dealership training. Responses indicated that the lack of content tailored to trim-specific vehicle features in owner’s manuals was a barrier to effective use.     

Danto’s Dialectic

Arthur C. Danto’s Analytical Philosophy of History has a Kantian ambition: to state the conditions that make historical knowledge possible and to show “the unhappy destiny” that attends attempts to extend modes of representation beyond these conditions. Even though Danto’s book fails to achieve this ambition, it succeeds in making a number of important—if neglected—suggestions in the course of its attempt. One concerns the significance of the progressive tense for our thinking about human agency. Another concerns the way agency can impact negatively on the possibility of foreknowledge.

规则空间模型在瑞文智力测验中的认知诊断分析

规则空间模型是一种基于统计模式识别和分类的认知诊断方法,此方法可以根据被试的作答反应,分析诊断被试的认知属性掌握情况。以往智力测验只是报告测验分数,对被试能力解释较为简单,缺乏必要的认知诊断分析。本文根据瑞文标准推理测验的难度层级特点,分析其所包含属性及其连接关系,并运用规则空间模型将所有被试划分在48种典型反应模式中,而且大部分被试都会集在几个典型反应模式中。本文对这些典型反应模式进一步分析被试的认知状态,并为教育辅导与人员选拔安排提供建议。     

Are you sure about that? Eliciting confidence ratings may influence performance on Raven's progressive matrices

Confidence ratings (CR) have often been integrated into reasoning and intelligence tasks as a means for assessing meta-reasoning processes. Although it is often assumed that eliciting these judgements throughout reasoning tasks has no effect on the underlying performance outcomes, this is yet to be established empirically. The current study examines whether eliciting CR from participants during a fluid-reasoning task influences their performance and how this effect is moderated by their initial self-confidence in their own reasoning abilities. In a first experiment, we found that participants performing CR during Raven's Progressive Matrices significantly outperformed a control group who did not provide ratings. Additionally, a second experiment demonstrated that CR only facilitated performance in participants who have a high level of initial self-confidence in their reasoning ability, whereas they were detrimental to participants low in self-confidence.