Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices

Aim: To assess the intelligence level of the participant using Raven’s Standard
Progressive Matrices.

Basic Concepts:

Differences in the functioning of two individuals, dull vs bright, quick vs slow, adaptive vs
non-adaptive etc. can be attributed to intelligence.

Many definitions of intelligence have been given by renowned psychologists:

● Ability to adjust

● Ability to learn

● Ability to carry out abstract thinking

According to oxford dictionary, intelligence is the ability of perceiving, learning,
understanding and knowing.

Alfred Binet was one of the first psychologists to define intelligence as the ability to judge
well, reason well and understand well. “It seems to us that in intelligence there is a fundamental
faculty, the alteration or the lack of which, is of the utmost importance for practical life. This faculty
is judgment, otherwise called good sense, practical sense, initiative, the faculty of adapting one’s self
to circumstances.”

Wechsler defined it as the global capacity of an individual to think rationally and act purposefully.

Thorndike had suggested three types of intelligence:

● Abstract intelligence – ability to deal with symbols, words, formulas and numbers

● Social intelligence – ability to deal effectively with people and capacity to behave in
social situations.
● Concrete/mechanical intelligence – ability to deal effectively with machines and
equipment.
Charles Spearman proposed two-factor theory of intelligence. According to this,
intelligence consisted of general factor and specific factor based on factor analysis. The `G`
factor consists of mental functions that are primary. In addition, individuals have specific
factors too.

Louis Thurstone proposed the theory of primary mental abilities which staes that
intelligence consists of 7 primary abilities, which are:
 ● Verbal comprehension

● Spatial relations

● Numeric abilities

● Perceptual speed

● Word fluency

● Memory

● Inductive reasoning
Harvard professor Howard Gardner has identified eight different types of intelligences that
each individual has the capacity to possess. The idea of multiple intelligences is important
because it allows for educators to identify differing strengths and weaknesses in students and
also contradicts the idea that intelligence can be measured through IQ.

Spatial - Involves visual perception of the environment, the ability to create and manipulate
mental images, and the orientation of the body in space.

Linguistic - Involves reading, writing, speaking, and conversing in one's own or foreign
languages.

Logical/Mathematical - Involves number and computing skills, recognizing patterns and

relationships, timeliness and order, and the ability to solve different kinds of problems
through logic.

Bodily/Kinesthetic - Involves physical coordination and dexterity, using fine and gross
motor skills, and expressing oneself or learning through physical activities.

Musical - Involves understanding and expressing oneself through music and rhythmic
movements or dance, or composing, playing, or conducting music.

Interpersonal - Involves understanding how to communicate with and understand other

people and how to work collaboratively.

Intrapersonal - Involves understanding one's inner world of emotions and thoughts, and
growing in the ability to control them and work with them consciously.

Naturalistic - Involves understanding the natural world of plants and animals, noticing their
characteristics, and categorizing them; it generally involves keen observation and the ability
to classify other things as well.

Assessment of Intelligence

Standardized intelligence testing has been called one of psychology's greatest successes. It is
certainly one of the field's most persistent and widely used inventions.
Since Alfred Binet first used a standardized test to identify learning-impaired Parisian
children in the early 1900s, it has become one of the primary tools for identifying children
with mental retardation and learning disabilities. It has helped the U.S. military place its new
recruits in positions that suit their skills and abilities.
In 1908, Alfred Binet gave the concept of Mental Age [MA] which is a participant`s
intellectual development with respect to others of his/her age group. Chronological Age [CA]
is the biological age.

IQ = MA X 100

CA

History and description

It is the most common and popular test administered to groups ranging from 5-year-olds to
the elderly. It is made of 60 multiple choice items, listed in increasing order of difficulty
that’s why it`s called progressive. The original form of the matrices was first published in
1938. This test measures abstract intelligence of an individual, i.e., the capacity to
comprehend meaningless figures presented for observation, see the relation between them
and develop a systematic method of reasoning.

The tests were developed for research purposes. Because of their independence of language
and reading and writing skills, and the simplicity of their use and interpretation, they quickly
found widespread practical application.

Reliability

*Split-half: 0.89

*Test-retest: 0.83-0.93

Preliminaries

Name:

Age:

Gender:

Class: XII

Place of conduction: Psychology Lab

Time:

[Write your details here]

Materials Required

SPM booklet, response sheet, SPM manual, pen/pencil

Precautions

1. Optimal conditions for testing were ensured before the test begun
2. Time of start and finish were noted
3. If the participant got stuck on a question, then they should move to the next question.
4. The tester should ensure that no question is left unanswered

Rapport Formation

Rapport was established between the participant and the tester, prior to the test so that he/she
couldn feel comfortable and at ease. In such a state, she/he should answer the questions in a
calm manner and any doubts should be cleared before starting the test.

Instructions

The following instructions were given:

1. This is a test which consists of a booklet containing 5 sets, each set has 12 items that sums
up to be 60 items in total.

2. The difficulty level of the test increases progressively.

3. Attempt all the items.

4. Choose the correct item that you think is the right answer and write it on the response
sheet.

5. If you have any doubt, then clarify it right now.

6. There is no time limit but try to finish as soon as possible.

Test Administration

After the instructions were given, the participant was asked to fill in the necessary details.
The tester ensured that the instructions were clear and understood.

Introspective report/Verbal Report

The participant wrote “The first three sets were quite easy but gradually items became
difficult and required high level on concentration. Towards the end I didn’t feel like
completing the test.”

[You can write the introspective report given by your participant]

Scoring

The total no. of problems solved correctly were scored which was calculated with the help of
the answer key. Thereafter, a single score is obtained by adding the total scores of the five
columns. The percentile score and grade corresponding to this are noted down from the
manual for analysis.

Discrepancy score – The difference between the score a person obtains on each set and that
normally expected for his total score is called the discrepancy score shown numerically as 0, -
1, +2, -2, +1. If a person’s score on one of the sets deviates by more than 2, his/her total score
on the scale cannot be expected at its face value as a consistent estimate of their general
capacity for intellectual activity.

Result table

Sets Set - A Set - B Set - C Set - D Set - E

Actual Score

Expected
Score
Discrepancy
Score

Total score:

Percentile:

Grade:

Interpretation

The aim of the present practical was to assess the intelligence level of the participant using
Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices by J.C. Raven. Intelligence is defined as “…………
(give one definition by any psychologist”).
RSPM is a measure of a person`s ability of abstract reasoning, i.e., their ability to
comprehend meaningless figures/patterns and to figure out patterns between them.

The participant`s raw score was _______ which corresponds to ____ percentile and grade-
_____ indicative of “----------------------“ intellectual capacity. This implies that s/he has
_____ capacity to forge new insghts and to discern meaning in confusion. S/he has _____
ability to perceive and identify new relationships. His/her capacity to generate new, largely
non-verbal concepts, which make it possible to think clearly is also _____.

Conclusion

Write from the following paragraph as per your respective score & grade:-

For Grade – I

[i.e if you get grade I then only write this paragraph otherwise no need to write it]

The participant`s score shows that he is Intellectually Superior as his score lies at 95th
percentile for people of his age group. This shows that he has the following characteristics:

● superior abilities to reason, generalize or problem solve, high intelligence

● learns new things rapidly

● very perceptive, good sense of observation

● wide range of interests, overwhelmed by many interests and abilities

● long attention span, sustains concentration on topics of interest, persistent

OR

[For Grade – II]

[i.e if you get grade II/II+ then only write this paragraph otherwise no need to write it]

The participant`s score shows that he has Definitely Above-Average Intellectual Capacity
as his score lies between 90th Percentile- 75th percentile for people of his age group. This
shows that he has the following characteristics:

● Easily recognizes patterns

● Very good memory.

● Advanced reasoning skills

 ● More curious than most students. Asks a lot of questions
OR

[For Grade – III]

[i.e if you get grade III/III+/III- then only write this paragraph otherwise no need to
write it]

The participant`s score shows that he has Average Intellectual capacity as his score lies
between 25th Percentile-75th percentile for people of his age group. This shows that he has
the following characteristics:

● make judgments and form opinions autonomously

● better able to construct and handle abstractions

● They usually respond and relate well to parents, teachers, and other adults.

● They exhibit an intrinsic motivation to learn

References

1. NCERT Psychology Textbook

2. SPM Manual, Author – J.C. Raven

Fill & Attach this scoring sheet in your practical file –

Standard Progressive Matrices [Scoring Sheet]

Sets-A, B,C, D, E

Name: Date:

Place: Psychology Lab Class: XII

Age: Gender:

Test Begun: Test ended:

Item A Item B Item C Item D Item E

no. no. no. no. no.
 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5

6 6 6 6 6

7 7 7 7 7

8 8 8 8 8

9 9 9 9 9

10 10 10 10 10

11 11 11 11 11

12 12 12 12 12

Total Total Total Total Total

Time Total Score Grade

Tested by: ___________________________

Refer for scoring/interpretation purpose only (NOT TO BE WRITTEN IN

FILE)
Standard Progressive Matrices
Correct Answers
 Item No. A B C D E

1 4 2 8 3 7

2 5 6 2 4 6

3 1 1 3 3 8

4 2 2 8 7 2

5 6 1 7 8 1

6 3 3 4 6 5

7 6 5 5 5 1

8 2 6 1 4 6

9 1 4 7 1 3

10 3 3 6 2 2

11 4 4 1 5 4

12 5 5 2 6 5

Percentile Norms
Percentile Age 13-25 years

95 55

90 54

75 49

50 44

25 37

10 28

5 25

Interpretation of Results for RSPM

th
Grade I – Intellectually Superior – If the score lies at or above the 95
percentile for people of his/her age group
Grade II – Above average intellectual capacity – If the score lies at or above the

th th
75 to 90 percentile;

Grade II+ , if the score lies at or above the 90th percentile

th
Grade III – Intellectually average – If the score lies between the 25 percentile

th
and 75 percentiles;

Grade III+ , if the score is greater than the 50th percentile

Grade III- , if the score is less than the 50th percentile

Grade IV – Below average intellectual capacity – If the score lies at or above the

th
25 percentile;

th
Grade IV-, if the score lies at or below the 10 percentile.

Grade V: - Intellectually impaired- If the score lies at or below the 5th percentile for that
age group.