Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Research Articles

Improved estimation of general cognitive ability and its neural correlates with a large battery of cognitive tasks.

Elucidating the neural mechanisms of general cognitive ability (GCA) is an important mission of cognitive neuroscience. Recent large-sample cohort studies measured GCA through multiple cognitive tasks and explored its neural basis, but they did not investigate how task number, factor models, and neural data type affect the estimation of GCA and its neural correlates. To address these issues, we tested 1,605 Chinese young adults with 19 cognitive tasks and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) and collected resting state and n-back task fMRI data from a subsample of 683 individuals. Results showed that GCA could be reliably estimated by multiple tasks. Increasing task number enhances both reliability and validity of GCA estimates and reliably strengthens their correlations with brain data. The Spearman model and hierarchical bifactor model yield similar GCA estimates. The bifactor model has better model fit and stronger correlation with RAPM but explains less variance and shows weaker correlations with brain data than does the Spearman model. Notably, the n-back task-based functional connectivity patterns outperform resting-state fMRI in predicting GCA. These results suggest that GCA derived from a multitude of cognitive tasks serves as a valid measure of general intelligence and that its neural correlates could be better characterized by task fMRI than resting-state fMRI data.

Verbal-analytical rather than visuo-spatial Raven's puzzle solving favors Raven's-like puzzle generation.

Raven's advanced progressive matrices (APM) comprise two types of representational codes, namely visuo-spatial and verbal-analytical, that are used to solve APM puzzles. Studies using analytical, behavioral, and imaging methods have supported the multidimensional perspectives of APM puzzles. The visuo-spatial code is expected to recruit operations more responsive to the visual perception tasks. In contrast, the verbal-analytical code is expected to use operations more responsive to the logical reasoning task and may entail different cognitive strategies. Acknowledging different representational codes used in APM puzzle-solving is critical for a better understanding of APM's performance and their relationship with other tasks, especially creative reasoning. We used the eye-tracking method to investigate the role of two representational codes, visuo-spatial and verbal-analytical, in strategies involved in solving APM puzzles and in generating an APM-like puzzle by using a creative-reasoning task (CRT). Participants took longer time to complete the verbal-analytical than visuo-spatial puzzles. In addition, visuo-analytical than visual-spatial puzzles showed higher progressive and regressive saccade counts, suggesting the use of more response elimination than constructive matching strategies employed while solving verbal-analytical than visuo-spatial puzzles. We observed higher CRT scores when it followed verbal-analytical (Mdn = 84) than visuo-spatial (Mdn = 73) APM puzzles, suggesting puzzle-solving specific strategies affect puzzle-creating task performance. The advantage of verbal-analytical over visuo-spatial puzzle-solving has been discussed in light of shared cognitive processing between APM puzzle-solving and APM-like puzzle-creating task performance.

The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive performance—a randomised controlled study

BackgroundCreatine is an organic compound that facilitates the recycling of energy-providing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in muscle and brain tissue. It is a safe, well-studied supplement for strength training. Previous studies have shown that supplementation increases brain creatine levels, which might increase cognitive performance. The results of studies that have tested cognitive performance differ greatly, possibly due to different populations, supplementation regimens, and cognitive tasks. This is the largest study on the effect of creatine supplementation on cognitive performance to date.MethodsOur trial was preregistered, cross-over, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and randomised, with daily supplementation of 5 g for 6 weeks each. We tested participants on Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) and on the Backward Digit Span (BDS). In addition, we included eight exploratory cognitive tests. About half of our 123 participants were vegetarians and half were omnivores.ResultsBayesian evidence supported a small beneficial effect of creatine. The creatine effect bordered significance for BDS (p = 0.064, η2P = 0.029) but not RAPM (p = 0.327, η2P = 0.008). There was no indication that creatine improved the performance of our exploratory cognitive tasks. Side effects were reported significantly more often for creatine than for placebo supplementation (p = 0.002, RR = 4.25). Vegetarians did not benefit more from creatine than omnivores.ConclusionsOur study, in combination with the literature, implies that creatine might have a small beneficial effect. Larger studies are needed to confirm or rule out this effect. Given the safety and broad availability of creatine, this is well worth investigating; a small effect could have large benefits when scaled over time and over many people.Trial registrationThe trial was prospectively registered (drks.de identifier: DRKS00017250, https://osf.io/xpwkc/).

B - 90 Need for Cognition Results in Greater Persistence on Fluid Intelligence Tests.

We evaluated reaction time (RT) as a mediator of the relation between the trait Need for Cognition (NFC) and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM). 174 undergraduate students (M = 20years old, SD = 1.5; 74.1% female) completed the 18 item NFC questionnaire and RAPM as part of a larger battery. RAPM mean RT (RMRT) was calculated in msec. Overall total effect between NFC and RAPM total score was significant [F(2,146) = 44.04; p < 0.001; r2 = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.05, 0.18] when not accounting for the effect of the mediator for RT. RMRT demonstrated a significant indirect effect on RAPM total score [B = 0.11; t(148) = 4.34; p < 0.001; 95% CI = 0.09, 0.24]. Results indicate that the direct effect of NFC and RAPM was significant [B = 0.23; t(148) = 3.42; p < 0.001; 95% CI = 0.03, 0.19] when controlling for the mediator of RT, which shows a partially mediated effect. RT partially mediates the relationship between NFC and RAPM performance. This is the first demonstration that high NFC improves performance on fluid intelligence tests at least partly by high NFC individuals persevering longer on test items. As NFC and RAPM are still correlated after including RT as a mediator, test persistence is not solely responsible for this direct relationship. Future research needs to determine additional variables that account for the relation between NFC and RAPM.

Take your time: Slow brain rhythms predict fluid intelligence

Evidence is mixed whether fluid intelligence (Gf) is associated with increased or decreased alpha and beta band activity (7–30 Hz). Moreover, the Gf relationship with the delta and theta band activity (1–7 Hz) is unknown. We recorded electroencephalographic (EEG) data in 160 healthy adults solving Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices with a randomized item order to control for item difficulty unaffected by sequential effects. The participants studied each matrix for 30 s before the response bank onset, so we could track the time course of neural activity during problem solving. We measured Gf using six tests. Gf positively correlated with the delta band power, while there was no correlation with the theta band power. For almost all of the participants, we identified the specific slow rhythm frequency, which varied in power as a function of item difficulty. We observed that the lower this frequency, the higher Gf, but only in men. Finally, the alpha and low-beta activity correlated negatively with Gf after we had filtered out the activity during idle intervals (the latter reflecting waiting for the response bank). Overall, the brain activity in the delta, alpha, and beta bands explained 22.6% of Gf variance.

Using a multi-strategy eye-tracking psychometric model to measure intelligence and identify cognitive strategy in Raven's advanced progressive matrices

Previous studies have found that participants use two cognitive strategies—constructive matching and response elimination—in responding to items in the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM). This study proposed a multi-strategy psychometric model that builds on item responses and also incorporates eye-tracking measures, including but not limited to the proportional time on matrix area (PTM), the rate of toggling (ROT), and the rate of latency to first toggle (RLT). By jointly analyzing item responses and eye-tracking measures, this model can measure each participant's intelligence and identify the cognitive strategy used by each participant for each item in the APM. Several main findings were revealed from an eye-tracking-based APM study using the proposed model: (1) The effects of PTM and RLT on the constructive matching strategy selection probability were positive and higher for the former than the latter, while the effect of ROT was negligible. (2) The average intelligence of participants who used the constructive matching strategy was higher than that of participants who used the response elimination strategy, and participants with higher intelligence were more likely to use the constructive matching strategy. (3) High-intelligence participants increased their use of the constructive matching strategy as item difficulty increased, whereas low-intelligence participants decreased their use as item difficulty increased. (4) Participants took significantly less time using the constructive matching strategy than the response elimination strategy. Overall, the proposed model follows the theory-driven modeling logic and provides a new way of studying cognitive strategy in the APM by presenting quantitative results.

The Brain Networks Basis for Deductive and Inductive Reasoning: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Frontoparietal (FPN) and cingulo-opercular network (CON) control cognitive functions needed in deductive and inductive reasoning via different functional frameworks. The FPN is a fast intuitive system while the CON is slow and analytical. The default-interventionist model presents a serial view of the interaction between intuitive and analytic cognitive systems. This study aims to examine the activity pattern of the FPN and CON from the perspective of the default-interventionist model via reasoning. We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate cingulo-opercular and frontoparietal network activities in 24 healthy university students during Raven and Wason reasoning tasks. Due to the different operation times of the CON and FPN, the reaction time was assessed as a behavioral factor. During Raven's advanced progressive matrices (RAPM) test, both the CON and FPN were activated. Also, with the increase in the difficulty level of the Raven test, a linear increase in response time was observed. In contrast, during the Wason's selection task (WST) test, only the activity of FPN was observed. The results of the study support the hypothesis that the default-interventionist model of dual-process theory provides an accurate explanation of the cognitive mechanisms involved in reasoning. Thus, the response method (intuitive/analytical) determines which cognitive skills and brain regions are involved in responding. The cingulo-opercular and fronto-parietal networks (FPNs) control cognitive functions and processes.The frontoparietal network is a fast intuitive system that utilizes short-time attention which is compatible with type 1 processing. In contrast, the cingulo-opercular network (CON) is an analytical time-consuming system that utilizes attention and working memory for a longer time, compatible with type 2 processing.The default-interventionist model of a dual-process theory states that our behaviors are controlled by type 1 processing unless we are confronted with novel and complex problems in which we have no prior experiences. The present study examined the activity of two task-based brain networks through performing diffrent type of reasoning tasks. Fronto-parietal and Cingulo-opercular are the two task-based brain networks that are responsible for cognitive control. These two brain networks direct the way to use cognitive skills and executive functions which are necessary to perform cognitive tasks especially higher-order ones as reasoning tasks. Since the two types of inductive and deductive reasoning tasks requier two different bottom-up and top-down cognitive control respectively, different cognitive skills would be needed which affect the activity of fronto-parietal and cingulo-opercular brain networks. Our results showed that through inductive reasoning task which examined by RAVEN, both of the fronto-parietal and cingulo-opercular brain networks were activated but deductive reasoning task which examined by Wason Selection Card test, just the fronto-parietal brain network was activated. It seems that in the case of deductive reasoninf task, there is a higher probability of errors which lead to giving less correct responses. Based on our results, subjects paid not enough attention to details, so had failure to update informations that leaded to responding with errors. Inactivity of cingulo-opercular network through dedeuctive reasoning task clearly showed that the bottom-up cognitive control did not happen successfully. As a result of that, information processing did not proceed properly.

Predictors of academic success among undergraduate medical programs: The roles of divergent and convergent thinking

Over the past two decades, researchers in the medical field have attempted to predict academic success in undergraduate medical programs. Existing literature indicates that factors such as metacognitive awareness, motivation, and emotional intelligence predict academic success among Doctor of Medicine (MD) students. However, the impact of divergent thinking (DT) and convergent thinking (CT) on MD students’ academic success remains uncertain. Moreover, most definitions and theories of giftedness focus on K-12 education, leaving a knowledge gap regarding gifted post-secondary learners, particularly in specialized fields like medicine. The present study aimed to bridge this gap by investigating the role of DT and CT in predicting academic success among 84 gifted post-secondary MD learners. Three assessments were administered: (a) Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Test, (b) the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WG-III), and (c) the Alternative Uses Test. Cluster analysis revealed a distinct three-cluster solution. Correlational and multiple regression analyses showed that the originality dimension of DT and the Drawing Conclusions and Recognizing Assumptions subscales of the WG-III were significantly associated with and predictive of the academic success of gifted undergraduate MD students. Notably, IQ was not significantly correlated with students’ grade point average. Recommendations for future research are also discussed.

Cognitive skill learning in multiple sclerosis: A meaningful component of the neuropsychological profile

Cognitive skill learning (CSL) refers to the capacity to improve performance on specific cognitive operations through repeated practice. We hypothesized that high CSL aptitude may promote accumulation of cognitive reserve, and resiliency to cognitive decline, in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Using an adaptive working memory training paradigm, we obtained CSL aptitude indices (amount of improvement on the training task over time) in MS patients for a single session of practice (25–30 min), and longer-term practice (twenty sessions). Neuropsychological performance was assessed with the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), and the Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM). CSL aptitude measures were positively correlated with neuropsychological performance, and had high diagnostic accuracy for classifying cognitive impairment in MS, defined as 1.5 SD below the demographics-corrected normative mean of the SDMT. Positive relationships between CSL aptitude measures and neuropsychological performance tended to be more pronounced for individuals with high estimated cognitive reserve, suggesting that high CSL aptitude is a a factor that promotes the protective effects of cognitive reserve. Furthermore, regression analyses indicated that CSL aptitude is separable from baseline cognitive capacity. The findings suggest that CSL aptitude impacts the neuropsychological profile in MS, and may be a factor underlying variance in cognitive resiliency.

Lifespan normative data (18-89 years) for Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Set I.

Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) Set I is a validated and brief test of fluid intelligence, ideal for use in busy clinical settings. However, there is a dearth of normative data allowing an accurate interpretation of APM scores. To address this, we present normative data from across the adult lifespan (18-89 years) for the APM Set I. Data are presented in five age cohorts (total N= 352), including two older adult cohorts (65-79 years and 80-89 years), which allows age-standardized assessment. We also present data from a validated measure of premorbid intellectual ability, which was absent from previous standardizations of longer forms of the APM. In line with previous findings, a striking age-related decline was noted, beginning relatively early in adulthood and most marked amongst lower-scoring individuals. Older adults did not demonstrate difficulty with specific test items or make an increased proportion of specific errors. Sex was not a significant predictor of performance. The data set is of particular use in the neuropsychological assessment of older adults, given the known susceptibility of fluid intelligence to both the effects of normal ageing and acquired brain injury in older age. The results are discussed in light of theories of neurological ageing.

Intelligence and Visual Mismatch Negativity: Is Pre-Attentive Visual Discrimination Related to General Cognitive Ability?

EEG has been used for decades to identify neurocognitive processes related to intelligence. Evidence is accumulating for associations with neural markers of higher-order cognitive processes (e.g., working memory); however, whether associations are specific to complex processes or also relate to earlier processing stages remains unclear. Addressing these issues has implications for improving our understanding of intelligence and its neural correlates. The MMN is an ERP that is elicited when, within a series of frequent standard stimuli, rare deviant stimuli are presented. As stimuli are typically presented outside the focus of attention, the MMN is suggested to capture automatic pre-attentive discrimination processes. However, the MMN and its relation to intelligence has largely only been studied in the auditory domain, thus preventing conclusions about the involvement of automatic discrimination processes in humans' dominant sensory modality-vision. EEG was recorded from 50 healthy participants during a passive visual oddball task that presented simple sequence violations and deviations within a more complex hidden pattern. Signed area amplitudes and fractional area latencies of the visual MMN were calculated with and without Laplacian transformation. Correlations between visual MMN and intelligence (Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices) were of negligible to small effect sizes, differed critically between measurement approaches, and Bayes Factors provided anecdotal to substantial evidence for the absence of an association. We discuss differences between the auditory and visual MMN, the implications of different measurement approaches, and offer recommendations for further research in this evolving field.

Boosting effect of regular sport practice in young adults: Preliminary results on cognitive and emotional abilities.

Several studies have shown that physical exercise (PE) improves behavior and cognitive functioning, reducing the risk of various neurological diseases, protecting the brain from the detrimental effects of aging, facilitating body recovery after injuries, and enhancing self-efficacy and self-esteem. Emotion processing and regulation abilities are also widely acknowledged to be key to success in sports. In this study, we aim to prove that regular participation in sports enhances cognitive and emotional functioning in healthy individuals. A sample of 60 students (mean age = 22.12; SD = 2.40; M = 30), divided into sportive and sedentary, were subjected to a neuropsychological tests battery to assess their overall cognitive abilities (Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices, APM), verbal and graphic fluency (Word Fluency Task and modified Five Point Test, m-FPT), as well as their emotional awareness skills (Toronto Alexithymia Scale, TAS-20). Our results showed that sportive students performed better than sedentary ones in all cognitive tasks. Regarding emotional processing abilities, significant differences were found in the TAS-20 total score as well as in the Difficulty Describing Feelings (DDF) subscale and the Difficulty Identifying Feeling (DIF) subscale. Lastly, gender differences were found in the External-Oriented Thinking (EOT) subscale. Overall, our findings evidence that PE has positive effects on cognitive functioning and emotion regulation, suggesting how sports practice can promote mental health and wellbeing.

Factors influencing nursing students' continued success in a baccalaureate nursing program in Indonesia.

Holistic admission processes are needed to promote diversity in nursing students. Previous research had identified different variables related to the average grade point at the end of the first semester. There is a need to examine if those variables are associated with ongoing student success. The purpose of this study was to analyze experience, attributes, and academic variables for an association with nursing student success. Student success was defined as being an active student at the end of the first year and at the end of the second year of a baccalaureate nursing program in Indonesia. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine what relationship, if any, the variables had with student success, measured at the end of the first and second academic years. The data of 341 nursing students enrolled in August 2018 was analyzed. The variables accounted for 40.3% of the variance at the end of the first year and 24.3% of the variance at the end of the second year. There was a significant (p < .05) relationship between being enrolled at the end of the first year and 1) academic variables of first semester grade point average and the admission score of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices, and 2) attribute variables of reason for entering nursing and brief calling presence scale. A significant relationship was found between being enrolled at the end of the second year and the attribute variable of grit score. No variables had a strong correlation with other variables. Holistic admission processes and promoting student success can create the future of the nursing workforce. Improving the diversity in admitted nursing students will enhance the diversity in the nursing workforce. To promote the success of all students, a variety of support interventions will need to be developed. As students' calling and grit may play a role in student success, a better understanding is needed. In addition, more research is needed to explore how developing calling and grit throughout the nursing program can impact student success.

Working memory control predicts fixation duration in scene-viewing.

When viewing scenes, observers differ in how long they linger at each fixation location and how far they move their eyes between fixations. What factors drive these differences in eye-movement behaviors? Previous work suggests individual differences in working memory capacity may influence fixation durations and saccade amplitudes. In the present study, participants (N = 98) performed two scene-viewing tasks, aesthetic judgment and memorization, while viewing 100 photographs of real-world scenes. Working memory capacity, working memory processing ability, and fluid intelligence were assessed with an operation span task, a memory updating task, and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices, respectively. Across participants, we found significant effects of task on both fixation durations and saccade amplitudes. At the level of each individual participant, we also found a significant relationship between memory updating task performance and participants' fixation duration distributions. However, we found no effect of fluid intelligence and no effect of working memory capacity on fixation duration or saccade amplitude distributions, inconsistent with previous findings. These results suggest that the ability to flexibly maintain and update working memory is strongly related to fixation duration behavior.

Is Early Bilingual Experience Associated with Greater Fluid Intelligence in Adults?

Emerging evidence suggests that early bilingual experience constrains the development of attentional processes in infants, and that some of these early bilingual adaptations could last into adulthood. However, it is not known whether the early adaptations in the attentional domain alter more general cognitive abilities. If they do, then we would expect that bilingual adults who learned their second language early in life would score more highly across cognitive tasks than bilingual adults who learned their second language later in life. To test this hypothesis, 170 adult participants were administered a well-established (non-verbal) measure of fluid intelligence: Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM). Fluid intelligence (the ability to solve novel reasoning problems, independent of acquired knowledge) is highly correlated with numerous cognitive abilities across development. Performance on the RAPM was greater in bilinguals than monolinguals, and greater in ‘early bilinguals’ (adults who learned their second language between 0–6 years) than ‘late bilinguals’ (adults who learned their second language after age 6 years). The groups did not significantly differ on a proxy of socioeconomic status. These results suggest that the difference in fluid intelligence between bilinguals and monolinguals is not a consequence of bilingualism per se, but of early adaptive processes. However, the finding may depend on how bilingualism is operationalized, and thus needs to be replicated with a larger sample and more detailed measures.

Working Memory Training Coupled With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Experiment.

BackgroundTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been employed to boost working memory training (WMT) effects. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence on the efficacy of this combination in older adults. The present study is aimed to assess the delayed transfer effects of tDCS coupled with WMT in older adults in a 15-day follow-up. We explored if general cognitive ability, age, and educational level predicted the effects.MethodsIn this single-center, double-blind randomized sham-controlled experiment, 54 older adults were randomized into three groups: anodal-tDCS (atDCS)+WMT, sham-tDCS (stDCS)+WMT, and double-sham. Five sessions of tDCS (2 mA) were applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Far transfer was measured by Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM), while the near transfer effects were assessed through Digit Span. A frequentist linear mixed model (LMM) was complemented by a Bayesian approach in data analysis.ResultsWorking memory training improved dual n-back performance in both groups submitted to this intervention but only the group that received atDCS+WMT displayed a significant improvement from pretest to follow-up in transfer measures of reasoning (RAPM) and short-term memory (forward Digit Span). Near transfer improvements predicted gains in far transfer, demonstrating that the far transfer is due to an improvement in the trained construct of working memory. Age, formal education, and vocabulary score seem to predict the gains in reasoning. However, Bayesian results do not provide substantial evidence to support this claim.ConclusionThis study will help to consolidate the incipient but auspicious field of cognitive training coupled with tDCS in healthy older adults. Our findings demonstrated that atDCS may potentialize WMT by promoting transfer effects in short-term memory and reasoning in older adults, which are observed especially at follow-up.

Types of Overexcitability in Intellectually Gifted Adolescent Students in Slovakia

The aim of the study was the comparison of intellectually gifted secondary grammar school students with students from the average population of secondary grammar school students, in the level of overexcitability and prediction of intellectual giftedness through the various types of overexcitability. The research sample consisted of 88 secondary grammar school students aged 16-17 years. The target group, who were identified as intellectually gifted students, consisted of 44 students, whereas the control group consisted of 44 students from an average population of secondary grammar school students. We used tests of intellectual ability, Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Test, Intelligence Structure Analysis, and Urban's Figural Test of Creative Thinking to identify intellectually gifted secondary grammar school students. Types of overexcitability were assessed by means of the Overexcitability Questionnaire. Statistical analysis showed significant differences in the level of overexcitabilities between intellectually gifted secondary grammar school students and students from the average population of secondary grammar school students. Significant predictive power of intellectual and emotional overexcitability was found in relation to intellectual giftedness.

Alpha oscillatory evidence for shared underlying mechanisms of creativity and fluid intelligence above and beyond working memory-related activity

Although the relationship between creativity and fluid intelligence has been studied extensively with divergent and convergent thinking tasks, the underlying neural mechanisms of this relationship are still under debate. As both have been associated to working memory (WM), the question arises if there are shared underlying mechanisms for creativity and fluid intelligence other than WM-related activity. The present study examined how creativity and fluid intelligence, as measured by the creative reasoning task (CRT) and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM), respectively, are characterized by modulations in the upper alpha band (10–12 Hz) and if they share common mechanisms beyond the requirement to maintain information in WM. Hence, we subtracted WM-related activity, measured within the same knowledge domain and by using highly comparable stimulus material, from both divergent and convergent thinking activity. Furthermore, to account for the temporal variability in the creative process, we investigated divergent and convergent thinking at early, intermediate and late stages. By introducing this methodological approach, we provide evidence for a higher fronto-parietal alpha synchronization in divergent relative to convergent thinking, especially towards the end of the thinking phase. Furthermore, we provide evidence that creativity and fluid intelligence share underlying mechanisms above and beyond task demands that rely on WM processes.

Strategy use moderates the relation between working memory capacity and fluid intelligence: A combined approach

This study investigated whether the strength of the link between working memory capacity and fluid intelligence differs as people use different strategies to solve fluid intelligence problems. A sample of 214 university students completed three complex span tasks measuring working memory capacity and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) assessing fluid intelligence. Strategic behavior was measured by both the strategy questionnaire and the eye-tracking technique. Latent profile analysis yielded three groups of participants using constructive matching, response elimination, and a third strategy, respectively. Participants adopting constructive matching spent proportionally more time on the matrix area but less time on the response bank, and exhibited longer latency to first toggle and higher rate of toggling than those using response elimination and the other strategy, consistent with the results obtained from the questionnaire data. Furthermore, strategy use moderated the relationship between working memory capacity and APM performance. The link between working memory capacity and APM scores was significantly higher for participants using eliminative strategies including response elimination (r = 0.63) and the other strategy (r = 0.54) than that for those using constructive matching (r = 0.27). Our findings suggest that the extent to which working memory relates to performance on APM varies as a function of strategy use.

Process differences as a function of test modifications: Construct validity of Raven's advanced progressive matrices under standard, abbreviated and/or speeded conditions – A meta-analysis

Historically, there has been substantial disagreement about the importance of speed vs. level in determining individual differences in intelligence – a disagreement that persists across various different modern assessment measures of intellectual abilities. The current investigation considers whether changes to the administration constraints (time limitations or speededness, and total test length) of the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices test – which has been identified as a measure highly saturated with general intelligence – results in differences to the underlying ability determinants of test performance. A review of empirical studies was conducted, where versions of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Tests were administered under various time constraints and item lengths. Meta-analytic techniques were used to determine whether introducing speed constraints or shortening the length of the test changes the construct validity of the tests (as indicated by differences in convergent and discriminant correlations with other ability traits). The meta-analysis combined results from 142 studies composed of a total of 26,848 participants. Substantial differences were found for correlations of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices and Spatial Visualization (as large as ρ̂ = 0.26), Memory (as large as ρ̂ = 0.08), and Perceptual Speed (as large as ρ̂ = 0.34) abilities under speeded conditions and shorter test lengths. Examinees may draw on different strategies for test performance, that in turn, draw on different combinations of abilities, when the test is abbreviated or significant time constraints are introduced. Implications for using this test under different conditions are discussed.