Psychological Test Report on Lab Work 2:

Performance of an Adult on Abstract

Reasoning Test

Semester: Spring 2020

Course Code: PSY101L
Course Title: Introduction to Psychology Lab

Name:
ID:

Sec:

Date of Conduction: 14th March 2020

 Table of Content

Content Page Number

1. Abstract 1

2. Introduction 2-6

3. Administration of the Test 6-7

4. Scoring and Norms 7

5. Results 7-8

6. Discussions 8-9

7. Conclusion 9

8. References 10

9. Appendices 10-13
 Abstract

Abstract reasoning test is used to identify the capability of an individual to think strategically
about problems. It also tests the learning ability of an individual, how the person analyses
new data, processes it and uses it to solve problems. To properly examine this matter further,
the abstract reasoning test was conducted on 14th March 2020 in the Psychology Laboratory
of North South University. A 22-year-old adult female was the voluntarily participant for the
test. The participant was given 25 minutes, which was timed using a timer, to answer 50
questions related to abstract reasoning given in a booklet. These questions led the participant
to analyze different patterns and use them to find the correct answers for the puzzles. The
purpose of this report was to document the performance of an adult taking the abstract
reasoning test and compare it to the established norm for the test. After calculating the raw
score, the results showed that the participant scored 35 which represented the 45th percentile.
The average raw score for females was 34.9 which means that her abstract reasoning is above
average. The report uses this psychological test to make assumptions about the conceptual
ability of the participant and which career choice might be the best option for the individual.

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 Performance of an Adult on Abstract Reasoning Test

Introduction

Psychological Test: According to Adkins and Fiske (2017, July 28), “Psychological testing,
also called psychometrics, the systematic use of tests to quantify psychophysical behaviour,
abilities, and problems and to make predictions about psychological performance”. The aim
of a psychological test is to use a standardized method for measuring the differences and
personality variables of individuals related to some psychological objective, based on a
sample of relevant behavior (Akinade, 2009). It can measure characteristic traits, mental
conditions, personal interests, abilities, feelings, skills, etc. To increase the effectiveness of a
test, there should be an integration of these characteristics within each test:
 Reliability: The test has to maintain consistency when retesting is conducted.
 Validity: The test has to measure what it is supposed to measure.
 Practicability: The test has to be practicable in terms of length, difficulty and scoring.
 Standardization: The test must follow uniform procedures, scoring and established norm.
 Objectivity: The test has to be free from subjective judgment in the measurement criteria.

An example of a psychological test is the intelligence test which measures intelligence using
a questionnaire or exercises. There are many types of intelligence tests and the scores can be
based on IQ (intelligence quotient), mental age, scale, etc. This test can be used to identify
the mentally retarded. (Shiel, 2020).

Aptitude Test: There are multiple types of psychological tests, including intelligence tests,
personality tests, attitude tests, achievement tests, aptitude tests, neuropsychological tests,
direct observation tests, etc. For this report we will focus on aptitude tests which examines
the potential of performance in a person by measuring the mental and cognitive abilities of
individuals. This type of test can be used for screening at offices and educational institutions
to evaluate the talent or potential of an individual in a specific field. This includes, armed
services vocational aptitude battery test and bloomberg aptitude test, among many others.

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 Differential Aptitude Test (DAT): Differential Aptitude Test (DAT) is a highly
acknowledged psychological test which is particularly useful in vocational counseling and
selection programs in the measurement of individual‟s skills and knowledge.
Description of the DAT: DAT assesses eight different types of ability or aptitude, which can
be related to success in different areas of employment. It is essentially a profiling instrument.
These standardized tests indicate the strengths and weaknesses of an individual. The 8
Subsets of DAT are:

i. Verbal Reasoning: This test is the measure of an individual‟s ability to understand

concepts presented in words and to see relationships among them. A higher verbal
reasoning skill will enable people to be good at finding the words to explain ideas and to
interpret written and spoken instructions. This ability is required for professions, such as
doctors, journalism, marketing, public relations, lawyers, etc.

ii. Numerical Ability: This test is the measure of an individual‟s ability to perform
mathematical tasks. A high numerical reasoning skill will enable people to use statistical
data creatively and accurately. This ability is required for courses, such as mathematics,
physics, accounting, economics, engineering, etc.

iii. Abstract Reasoning: This test is the non-verbal measure of an individual‟s ability to
understand conceptual reasoning. It measures the thinking ability or fluid intelligence,
which allows individuals to identify patterns and trends in new data. Additionally, this
information can be applied to solve problems. In other words, it identifies the „street
smarts‟ and the ability to deal with sudden situations. This particular subtest consists of
50 questions. The participant must assess and reason geometric shapes or designs and
find the appropriate solutions within 25 minutes. Therefore, using this test it is possible
to determine the ability of how well an individual can analyze dynamic changes in
situations and use them to predict the future. This ability is required for areas, such as
mathematics, computer programming, architecture, mechanics, law, medicine,
economics, etc.

iv. Clerical Speed and Accuracy: This test is the measure of an individual‟s speed and
ability to respond to simple tasks. A high clerical speed and accuracy reasoning skill will
enable people to perform certain routine clerical tasks, such as filing and coding. This

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 ability is required for professions, such as secretarial work, pilot, administration,
computing, accounting, etc.

v. Spelling: This test is the measure of an individual‟s ability to spell English words
correctly. This ability is the basic skill important for academic and vocational learning.

vi. Mechanical Reasoning: This test is the measure of an individual‟s ability to understand
the basic principles of machinery. A high mechanical reasoning skill will enable people
to easily learn how to repair and operate complex items. This ability is required for
professions, such as mechanic, engineering, electrician, carpenter, physics, etc.

vii. Space Relations: This test is the measure of an individual‟s ability to study patterns and
visualize structural objects. A high space relations skill does not mean that the individual
is good at art, however, a good artist would normally have a high score in space
relations. This ability is required for architecture, civil, mechanical engineering,
dentistry, etc.

viii. Language Usage: This test is the measure of an individual‟s ability to detect errors in
grammar, punctuation and capitalization. Basic language skills are needed for most jobs,
especially in careers that require writing and teaching degrees. This ability is mainly
required for occupations, such as secretarial work, lawyers, writers, librarian, editors,
etc.

Development of DAT:
In 1947 the original forms of DAT, both A and B were developed to provide an integrated
scientific and standardized procedure for grade 8 to 12 for the purpose of vocational and
educational guidance. In 1962, DAT was revised and standardized in the form L and M.
Moreover, in 1972 form S and I was revised and designed to make the test easier. The
development of form S and I were developed from form L and M, respectively. Items on
abstract reasoning and space relation of the form L and M were also subjected to item
analysis for group of 8th and 10th grade.

Reliability of the Test:

At each grade level reliability coefficients for the nine DAT scores were computed separately
for both grades, male and female, and forms, S and T. Furthermore, half coefficients were
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corrected by the „Spearman Brown Formula‟. The split half procedure is inappropriate for
estimating the reliability due to the time limit. Many examinees were unable to attempt most
items. The correlated reliability coefficient computed:

Formula: Rc = -(sc/sn)^2 -(1-r)

Validity of the Test:

When the forms of DAT were published during the years, 1947 and 1963, the authors and
publishers tested to estimate a series of validity. The predictive validity of aptitude is
demonstrated by their right prediction of scores on achievement tests. Coefficient of
correlation between new scores on forms S and T of DAT and scores on an achievement test
battery.

Review of the Past Literature:

In 1969, Hall correlated DAT scores obtained in the fall of grade 8 with total number of
quality points earned in four consecutive years of mathematics courses (Hall, 1969).
Moreover, in the same year Armburst investigated the role of non-verbal ability in prediction
of achievement for a sample of 118 for abstract reasoning and space relation (Armburst,
1969).

Reinhart (1970) found a correlation of .56 between verbal reasoning administrated in grade 9.
Furthermore, in 1990 a study found that psychological mindedness and abstract thinking both
increase significantly with age, although the relationship between them is complex and varies
with gender and age (Hatcher, Hatcher, Berlin, Okla & Richards, 1990).

Objectives of the Test:

DAT are a series of differential aptitude tests constructed to assess intellectual functioning.
Information obtained from the DAT can facilitate judgements regarding potential success in a
course or career. Past, present and future intellectual functioning are influenced by contextual
variables and it is the task of the psychologist to interpret the profile of aptitudes accurately.

Practical Application of the Test:

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The use of aptitude result falls into two general categories, vocational and educational
counselling for individuals and making administrative decision about individuals or groups.
The primary use of the DAT has been in schools for making career and educational choices
and in the workplace during employment screening based on their strengths, abilities and
weaknesses. The test score can also be influenced by internal and external factors, such as
discipline, mindset, behavior, etc. Moreover, it is important to remember that this does not
guarantee success as the test does not account for other environmental, familial and multiple
other influences. It is simply a guiding tool to help individuals make decisions.

Purpose of the Test:

The purpose of the test was to measure the abstract reasoning capacity of an adult person.

Administration of the Test

Testee
The testee was a 22 year old adult female, who was an undergraduate student of North South
University. She voluntarily participated in the test and was in good medical condition during
the test.

Test Materials
 Informed consent form
 Booklet with instructions and, 50 “abstract reasoning” as a subset of DAT
 Answer sheet
 Scoring key for “abstract reasoning”
 Norm sheet
 A timer on a smartphone
 Pen/pencil

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Procedure
A female adult participant was invited to participate in the test. She agreed and was brought
to the Psychology Laboratory room of North South University on 14th March 2020. Upon
arrival the administrator greeted her with a good morning and made sure that she was seated
comfortably. Before starting the test, the participant got a brief verbal demonstration about
the test. She was then provided with an informed consent form, which both the administrator
and participant voluntarily signed. A booklet with instructions was also given to the
participant and she was asked to read it thoroughly before starting the test. The booklet also
contained 50 abstract reasoning problems and two sample questions to help familiarize the
participant with the structure of the problems. The smartphone with the timer was set at 25
minutes and hidden from the participant in order to keep the participant calm. On the left side
of the paper there were four figure pattern or puzzle and in the right side were five alternative
choices for the participant to select any one, which would be the fifth figure of the pattern.
Once the test started she filled the answer sheet as swiftly as she could with accuracy.
Afterwards, the participant was asked to give a feedback where she expressed her feelings
and experience related to the test. Using the scoring key for abstract reasoning and the norm
sheet for females, the raw score and percentile was calculated. At the end of the test, the
participant was thanked for her contribution.

Observation of the testee

The participant was nervous at the end of the test as she realized she was running out of time
to answer all 50 problems within 25 minutes. She was sometimes confused, took longer to
answer a few questions and was getting tired as the test went on. Her feedback was positive
and she spoke about how she enjoyed the test. However, she did mention that some of the
questions were hard to understand as the problems were slightly blurry.

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 Scoring and Norms

Scoring
The results can be scored either using a manual or computerized formula. In case of the
manual formula, the raw score for each test is the number of right answer where there is no
correction for guessing. The maximum possible raw score for abstract reasoning is 50.

Norms
The norms for the test are expressed in both raw score and percentile. Norms have been
devised to encourage realistic interpretation of the test scores and to enable the counsel or
other test users to compare a student‟s score with the performance of the most relevant group.
Separate norms for males and females are presented. For females the average raw score was
34.9.

Results

The result for the correct answer (as raw score) and corresponding percentile point are given
in Table 1.
Table 1: Total Raw Score and Corresponding Percentile of Testee in Abstract Reasoning
Subset Total Raw Score Percentile
Abstract Reasoning 35 45

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 Figure 1: Abstract Reasoning
35.05

35
Raw Score

35
34.95

34.9
34.9
34.85

Testee Norm

The participant correctly answered 35 out of 50 problems given in the booklet which puts her
in the 45th percentile. Her raw score was 35 which is slightly higher than the mean of 34.9 for
females. This indicates that her abstract reasoning is slightly above average.

Discussions

The purpose of the present study on abstract reasoning was to measure an adult‟s cognitive
and conceptual ability using Differential Aptitude Test which is used for vocational and
educational counseling. The adult female participant for the test was 22 years old and in good
state of physical and mental condition. The results show that the raw score of the participant
was 35 which fall in the 45 th percentile. Data collection and analysis on which result table is
made shows that for females the norm was 34.9 which is slightly less than the raw score
obtained by the testee of 35. This indicates that her abstract reasoning is slightly above
average and she is a conceptual thinker as she is able to process abstract puzzles to solve
problems. She can be suited for careers, such as mathematics, computer programming,
architecture, mechanics, law, medicine, economics, etc. It is important to remember that the
test doesn‟t guarantee success as other internal and external factors can influence their
success. Moreover, the final decision regarding career choice will be completely dependent
on the participant.

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The main limitation of this test was the classroom environment and blurriness of the
questions. The environment of the room especially the noise level was such that the
extraneous variables could not be minimized. Moreover, the nervousness of the participant is
also a factor that could affect the score of the test.

Conclusion

The test was conducted to determine how well the participant can think strategically about
problems. This abstract reasoning test assesses the learning, analytic and processing ability of
an individual that can be used for problem solution. The results indicated that the raw score
of the participant was 35 which fall in the percentile rank of 45, which is above the norm of
34.9 for females. The difference between the raw score and the norm was 0.1 which is very
small. However, this indicates that she has the ability to analyze dynamic changes in
situations and use them to predict the future.

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 References

Adkins, D. C., & Fiske, D. W. (2017, July 28). Psychological testing. Encyclopædia
Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/psychological-
testing

Aiken, L.R. (1969). 197 Readings in Psychological and Educational Testing. Boston:
Allyn & Bacon.

Armbrust, R. (1969). An Investigation of The Role of Selected Nonverbal Intelligence

Factors in Beginning Drifting Success. Dissertation Abstract International,
30:2895A

Hall, N.D. M (1969). A Study of National Racial Differences. Genetic Psychology

Monographs. 1:231.

Hatcher, R., Hatcher, S., Berlin, M., Okla, K., & Richards, J. (1990). Psychological
mindedness and abstract reasoning in late childhood and adolescence: An
exploration using new instruments. J Youth Adolescence 19, 307–326.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537075

Shiel, W. C. (2020). Medical Definition of Intelligence test. MedicineNet. Retrieved

from
https://www.medicinenet.com/sun_damaged_skin_pictures_slideshow/article.htm

Appendices

 Signed Informed Consent Form

 Answer Sheet

 Testee‟s Comment (Behind Answer Sheet)

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