This study investigated some relationships between age, socioeconomic status (SES), and cognitive task performance among 120 Canadian children from Grades 1 and 4. Subjects were administered a battery of tasks, including Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, which differed in transformational requirements and…

Factor analytic studies suggest that there are six replicable second order cognitive factors. These six factors lend themselves to being interpreted as aspects of Royce's three ways of knowing: conceptual, perceptual, or symbolical. This view provides a unified explanation of the second and third order factors. (Author/CTM)

Characteristics of 11 Repgrid indices of cognitive structure, particularly Smith and Leach's hierarchical complexity index, are investigated among boys and girls, aged 9-15. The Smith & Leach index is shown to be significantly reliable; but in common with seven indices of cognitive differentiation, it is of dubious validity. (Author/GDC)

A reasoning test was administered by all science teachers at a high school. This report presents the results of the test and explains how this information can be used to improve teaching. (BB)

Theme issue contains 18 articles on (1) clients' role in assessment of the elderly in long-term care; (2) choosing assessment measures (physical, cognitive, quality-of-life, well-being, social support, multidimensional, culturally appropriate); and (3) making assessments useful (including using technology, assessment by telephone, and clinical…

The Cognitive Levels Test (CLT) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) were administered to 30 freshman college students at a small state college in the mid-Atlantic region. Significant correlations indicate that the PPVT-R measures a component of the CLT. Mean PPVT-R scores were significantly higher than CLT means. (Author/PB)

Computers are used to manage assessment information for special education students and to administer, score, and interpret tests. Although the content validity of computer-administered assessment instruments may have certain practical limitations, several useful advantages can be gained by using computer-administered tests, including real-time…

Ten metalinguistic tasks of intellectual development were studied in five- and six-year-old children using factor analysis. Results suggested that metalinguistic awareness can be viewed as developing in association with other intellectual activities, and that it can be conceived as a unitary construct. (55 references) (Author/CFM)

Scores on cognitive abilities tests administered to students (n=80; grades 4-8) being considered for gifted placement were analyzed for differences between low socioeconomic status (SES) students and average or above average SES students. Analysis indicated that the primary reason low SES students did not meet criteria for gifted placement was low…

Dynamic assessment is presented as a method of measuring intellectual ability which addresses criticisms of traditional intelligence tests. Dynamic assessment can be used to identify children's learning abilities, determine how and/or what to teach, assess giftedness in minority and poor children, control for individual differences, and explore…

Delineates the current consensus regarding the nature and the development of intellectual ability. Examines when one would expect general abilities to moderate the relationship among domain-specific and other processes. Reviews recent studies in which general abilities were used as independent variables or covariates. Suggests that generally,…

Diagnostic assessment combining cognitive science and psychometrics, cognitively diagnostic assessment (CDA), is characterized in terms of the intended use of the assessment and methods of developing and evaluating assessments. Societal trends motivating the development of CDA and efforts to develop a five-step methodology for CDA are outlined.…

This study, with 66 regular classroom children and 52 children with learning disabilities, found high correlations among the Cognitive Levels Test, the KeyMath-Revised measure, and the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised. Overall, 81 percent of subjects were correctly classified using the three-instrument battery. (Author/DB)

Three studies examined subtest profiles of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children: the first developed a normative taxonomy of subtest patterns using cluster analysis; the second compared subtest patterns of children with various disabilities; and the third used core patterns to identify children with unusual patterns. Results opposed the…

Context-dependent item sets, containing a subset of test items related to a passage or stimulus, are discussed. A brief review of methods for developing item sets reveals their potential for measuring high-level thinking. Theories and technologies for scoring item sets remain largely experimental. Research needs are discussed. (SLD)