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Evidence suggests that acting mindfully, that is, by stressing the purpose of the action and monitoring its current state, may benefit health, wellbeing, and academic achievements. We sought to investigate the underlying motor abilities affected by mindful-movement (MM) intervention, and which mediate its effect on academic achievement among kindergarteners. To this end, 160 children aged 3–6 years participated for 145 days, which included pre- and post-intervention tests of verbal and non-verbal intelligence, namely language, mathematics, and Raven matrices. The three conditions consisted of MM (integrating movement in academic learning), MS (movement-for-its-own-sake; promoting movement without promoting awareness), and control (regular academic environment activities). Results indicated that, compared to MS and controls, MM improved verbal and non-verbal intelligence. The effect on verbal intelligence was mediated through static balance performance, whereas the effect on non-verbal intelligence was mediated by dynamic balance performance. Possible mechanisms accounting for these mediation effects are discussed.

Under certain conditions, associated with the presence of early and significant hearing loss, there are some peculiarities observed in children's interpersonal communication. Their knowledge can serve as a guide for overcoming difficulties and maximizing successful communication. The present study is dedicated to identifying the peculiarities of communicative behavior and the type of interpersonal relationships between children with hearing impairments integrated into mainstream schools. The experiment involved 40 children, divided into two groups: control group (hearing children) and experimental group (deaf children). The Diagnostic toolkit contains 3 methodologies: the Raven progressive matrices for determining the level of nonverbal intelligence; a test for evaluation of communicative and initiating abilities, the T. Leary's psycho-diagnostic methodology for establishing interpersonal relationships in the subjects studied. The results of the first test revealed that the intellectual profile of 7-9-year-old students was significantly different from that of their hearing peers. The second test also found differences between the hearing and the deaf, but these were not statistically significant. The Leary test clearly showed that in the process of interpersonal communication, deaf children tend to be authoritarian, selfish, aggressive and suspicious of relationships. At the same time, their hearing peers seek to form an altruistic type of personal relationships.

This study examineed how parental investment and parental psychological well-being mediate the effects of family income on the intellectual development of children from low-income families in Hong Kong. The study followed a sample of 139 children from their final year of kindergarten (K3) through to their second year of primary education (P2) between 2015 and 2017. Path analysis was conducted to examine how family income was associated with children’s cognitive and English language ability (Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-IV) through the parental investment and parental stress pathways. The results supported the hypothesis that parental investment and parental stress mediate the income effects on children’s learning outcome in the Asian context. The negative effects of low family income on children’s cognitive and English language abilities were mediated by the level of parental stress and the extent to which parents were authoritative in their parenting. Parental stress was also found to increase the likelihood of their children having behavioral problems, and that in turn undermined the cognitive development of the children. The level of money that parents invest in their children also mediated the negative effects of low family income on the children’s English language ability. The results suggested that interventions that target the variables that mediate the effects of income on child development are an effective alternative to a direct cash transfer for children in low-income families in Hong Kong.

Regardless of family configurations, few studies address the concomitant assessment of mothers and fathers regarding their children’s behaviors and parenting practices. The objective was to compare and correlate the assessment of biological mothers and fathers of intact nuclear families on their parental practices and behavioral problems of their school-aged children. Fourth-two intact nuclear families answered to the following instruments: General Questionnaire, Parenting Style Inventory, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and Raven Progressive Matrices Test - Special Scale. The quantitative analysis showed that mothers and fathers presented similar assessments regarding the behavior of their children, though mothers reported more positive practices than fathers. Negative parenting styles were positively correlated with child behavioral problems. These findings contribute to the planning of preventive strategies and interventions directed to families.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between the level of physical fitness with intellectual intelligence (IQ) in soccer athletes. The research method uses the correlational method. The sample in this study were 13 male soccer athletes who were members of the Soccer Club at the college level. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The research instrument used to measure students' physical fitness was the Multilevel Fitness Test (MFT). Meanwhile, the measurement of intellectual intelligence (IQ) uses an IQ test with Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) test. Data analysis used a correlation test to confirm the relationship between physical fitness and intellectual intelligence (IQ). The results showed that the male soccer athletes' average level of physical fitness (Vo2 Max) was in a good category. The intermediate IQ level is in the High Average category. The correlation test shows a linear relationship between physical fitness and intellectual intelligence (IQ). The better the physical fitness, the higher the intellectual intelligence.

Although students in rural and migrant schools in China generally have not performed well, a share of each cohort has been able to thrive in school and to test into academic high school and college. To understand the origins of persistence, specifically, why some students learn more than do others, researchers have identified certain sources of the problem. Few studies, however, have paid attention to the role that low levels of cognitive development of students play in their academic performance. To address this gap, this study focuses on the role that cognition may play in terms of the academic achievement of rural students. We analyze data from more than 10,000 primary school students from private migrant schools in Beijing and Suzhou and from public rural schools in Henan and Anhui, using the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices test. Our results show high rates of developmental delay (about 33% of the students have Ravens scores that are less than one standard deviation lower than an international mean). Further, the rates of delay are large among all subgroups in the study, including rural children who attend migrant schools in cities and those who live in rural areas and attend rural public schools. The results also suggest that the cognition of students is highly correlated with their educational performance and, in fact, is by far the most important factor in their academic achievement.

The present study compared cognitive abilities and academic achievement of adolescents studying in three different school systems namely Urdu medium schools, English medium schools, and Cambridge system schools. The sample comprised of 1001 secondary school student. Cognitive abilities were assessed by Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (1960) and marks obtained by the students in the last annual examination were used as an index of academic achievement. Results showed that cognitive abilities of the students were positively associated with academic achievement of the respondents. It was further found that cognitive abilities and academic achievement of students studying in Cambridge school system was better as compared to those studying in other systems. Post-hoc comparison revealed that level of academic achievement of Urdu medium schools was lower as compared to English medium and Cambridge system of schools. The findings suggest that difference in schooling system influenced cognitive abilities and academic achievement of the students. Results further demonstrated that gender was a significant predictor of academic achievement in both Urdu and English medium schools. Future implications of the study were also discussed.

People can estimate their own and their romantic partner's intelligence (IQ) with some level of accuracy, which may facilitate the observation of assortative mating for IQ. However, the degree to which people may overestimate their own (IQ), as well as overestimate their romantic partner's IQ, is less well established. In the current study, we investigated four outstanding issues in this area. First, in a sample of 218 couples, we examined the degree to which people overestimate their own and their partner's IQ, on the basis of comparisons between self-estimated intelligence (SEI) and objectively measured IQ (Advanced Progressive Matrices). Secondly, we evaluated whether assortative mating for intelligence was driven principally by women (the males-compete/females choose model of sexual selection) or both women and men (the mutual mate model of sexual selection). Thirdly, we tested the hypothesis that assortative mating for intelligence may occur for both SEI and objective IQ. Finally, the possibility that degree of intellectual compatibility may relate positively to relationship satisfaction was examined. We found that people overestimated their own IQ (women and men ≈ 30 IQ points) and their partner's IQ (women = 38 IQ points; men = 36 IQ points). Furthermore, both women and men predicted their partner's IQ with some degree of accuracy (women: r = 0.30; men: r = 0.19). However, the numerical difference in the correlations was not found to be significant statistically. Finally, the degree of intellectual compatibility (objectively and subjectively assessed) failed to correlate significantly with relationship satisfaction for both sexes. It would appear that women and men participate in the process of mate selection, with respect to evaluating IQ, consistent with the mutual mate model of sexual selection. However, the personal benefits of intellectual compatibility seem less obvious.

Given the correlation between poverty and belonging to certain ethnic groups found by previous studies, the present study intends to apply a statistical technique to analyze the differences in intelligence on the basics of Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices performance between indigenous children and non-indigenous children from poor rural populations when indigenous children are “treated” as (equated) non-indigenous children in terms of nutrition, maternal education and schooling. This cross-sectional study used the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition to construct a counterfactual with which to compare both groups, distinguishing between differences due to certain characteristics of the child and those differences that are unexplained by the previous differences. The present study was carried out with a sample N = 1804 of 1460 non-indigenous and 344 indigenous children, aged between 5 and 11 years, from poor rural environments in Mexico who participated and completed a reduced version of the Raven's test of intelligence. The results indicate that, when cognitive performance was equated by age and height of the child, education level of the head of the family, help in school work, and care at home, the observed differences in such performance without being equated was reduced.

The current study aimed to reduction of stuttering among children in the elementary school and improving their level of academic achievement using a program based on gradual increase in length and complexity of utterance, the study used the following tools: Coloured Progressive Matrices Scales, Family socio-economic level scale, Stuttering Severity Instrument, Academic achievement tests and Behavioral Program based on the Gradual Increase in Length and Complexity of Utterance. The participants of the study were 20 male and female children with stuttering in the elementary school whose ages ranged from (6, 4) to (9, 4) years and were divided into two groups (experimental – control). The study participants were match in the chronological age, the I.Q, the family socio-economic level, the stuttering severity and the level of academic achievement. The results revealed that the application of the program is effective for reduction of stuttering and improving the level of academic achievement among children in the elementary school.

The article presents the results of an empirical study of specific characteristics of the success of boys and girls of primary school age in solving convergent problems under the condition of varying motivational attitudes. The study was conducted in the elementary school of the State Budgetary Educational Institution of Moscow “School No. 1561” educational complex in 2016-2018. The study sample includes 239 second-grade students the average age of whom was 8.2 years old. 137 of the study participants were boys and 102 were girls which constitutes 57% and 43% of the sample, respectively. Motivation is assessed via the authors’ modification of N.V. Elfimova’s method “A ladder of motives”, a version of M. Seligman’s Children’s Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ) modified by N.A. Baturina and D.A. Tsiring, and the authors’ modification of C. Dweck’s Implicit Theory Scale. The study of the cognitive sphere of the primary school students involves J. Raven’s progressive matrices test, P. Torrance’s test of creative thinking, and E.E. Tunik’s adaptation of J. Johnson’s creativity scale. Within the framework of the experiment, two blocks of convergent tasks are formed: one including non-verbal transitivity tasks (the logical block) and the other containing volumetric and spatial thinking tasks (the spatial block). It is established that the success of primary school students of both sexes in solving convergent tasks is associated not only with the extrinsic motivational attitude constructed through verbal instruction but also with the specific psychological characteristics of the development of the cognitive and motivational spheres in children. The relationship between the success in solving convergent tasks and the psychological characteristics of cognitive development and the motivational sphere differs for boys and girls of primary school age which manifests most intensely in the level of development of the non-verbal component, the leading motivation, and the specifics of the development of the attributional style of explaining success and failure, as well as its particular components.

BackgroundThe measures taken to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, such as the lockdown in Italy, do impact psychological health; yet, less is known about their effect on cognitive functioning. The transactional theory of stress predicts reciprocal influences between perceived stress and cognitive performance. However, the effects of a period of stress due to social isolation on spatial cognition and exploration have been little examined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible effects and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on spatial cognition tasks, particularly those concerning spatial exploration, and the physiological leftward bias known as pseudoneglect. A right-hemisphere asymmetry for spatial attention processes crucially contributes to pseudoneglect. Other evidence indicates a predominantly right-hemisphere activity in stressful situations. We also analyzed the effects of lockdown on coping strategies, which typically show an opposite pattern of hemispheric asymmetry, favoring the left hemisphere. If so, then pseudoneglect should increase during the lockdown and be negatively correlated with the efficacy of coping strategies.MethodsOne week before the start of the lockdown due to COVID-19 in Italy (T1), we had collected data from a battery of behavioral tests including tasks of peri-personal spatial cognition. During the quarantine period, from late April to early May 2020 (T2), we repeated the testing sessions with a subgroup of the same participants (47 right-handed students, mean age = 20, SD = 1.33). At both testing sessions, participants performed digitized neuropsychological tests, including a Cancellation task, Radial Arm Maze task, and Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices. Participants also completed a newly developed COVID-19 Student Stress Scale, based on transactional models of stress, and the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced—New Italian Version (COPE-NIV) to assess coping orientation.ResultsThe tendency to start cancelation from a left-sided item, to explore first a left-sided arm of the maze, and to choose erroneous response items on the left side of the page on Raven’s matrices increased from T1 to T2. The degree of pseudoneglect increment positively correlated with perceived stress and negatively correlated with Positive Attitude and Problem-Solving COPE-NIV subscales.ConclusionLockdown-related stress may have contributed to increase leftward bias during quarantine through a greater activation of the right hemisphere. On the other hand, pseudoneglect was decreased for better coping participants, perhaps as a consequence of a more balanced hemispheric activity in these individuals.

We investigated mental rotation in children by systematically varying the adult cube aggregate's set size, rotation angle, and picture/depth plane rotations in a new test. Eighty 4- to 11-year-old mainly middle-class children (British Indian and British African majority and white minority; 40 girls and 40 boys) were assessed using the new matching-to-sample Colored Mental Rotation Test (CMRT) and, for comparison, the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices Test (RCPM). A high Cronbach's alpha of .94 and the Rasch model demonstrated item homogeneity of the CMRT. As expected, there were main effects of age showing increases in accuracy and of sex as boys outperformed girls. A main effect of set size showed that from age four until age 10 as four-cube aggregates proved to be the most economical three-dimensional (3D) object for mental rotation. Several higher-order interactions all involved four-cube aggregates, for example, 3D cube element protrusions had the largest effect in the four-cube-aggregate. We thus suggest that the magical number four (Cowan, 2001) as an attentional limit may also be valid in mental rotation and linked to the 'Good Gestalt' design of the four-cube aggregate. The cross-validation of CMRT with the RCPM showed high correlations increasing from .69 in 4- to 5-year-olds to .77 in 10- to 11-year-olds. Interestingly, 4- to 5-year-olds girls scored higher in the Raven test of nonverbal reasoning than in the CRMT scores with 3D cube aggregates demonstrating the particular complexity of 3D pictorial space. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The article features an empirical study results of solving convergent tasks success by younger schoolchildren in the context of various external motivational attitudes. The study was conducted at Moscow primary school “School No. 1561” in 2016-2018. The final sample of the study included 239 second-graders, aged 8 and 9 (102 girls and 137 boys). To assess overall level of children's cognitive abilities, Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM) were used as well as other tools: “Ladder of promptings” (modified method of N.V. Elfimova) – to assess motivational characteristics; a questionnaire by M. Seligman for children's attributive style (modification by N. A. Baturin and D. A. Tsirin); questionnaire of implicit theories by C. Dweck (modified). As part of the experiment, two blocks of convergent tasks were formed. The first block is focused on logical reasoning, the second – on spatial reasoning. It was revealed that primary schoolchildren show the highest level of success in solving convergent tasks if the attitude is to avoid failures. At the same time, younger schoolchildren, solving logical type tasks, demonstrate the greatest success exclusively if the attitude aims at avoiding failure. While solving spatial type tasks, their results increase in conditions of both an attitude to achieve success and to avoid failures. The differences found substantiate the conclusion that primary school girls are more sensitive to changes in the external motivational attitudes than boys of the same age.

Children with intellectual disabilities experience deficits in all the areas of adaptive function and some other aspects, unfortunately little is known about the independent functioning among gender and age related to these impairments in this type of neurogenetic disorders as intellectual disabilities. Adaptive behavior is essential for an optimal functioning in these categories. 53 participants aged between 5 and 11 in school years have been administered the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA) and Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (IQ). Motor abilities are the area that is more affected in children with intellectual disabilities with a significant impairment appeared at an early age, which remain low even in the following years. These differences are potentially oriented by the etiologies related to the disorder. Adaptive behavior is an important area of challenge for children with intellectual disabilities throughout their development. Daily living skills and competencies are also a significant strength in relation to other areas of adaptive functioning.

The relationship between cognitive abilities and academic achievement across schooling from the first to the eleventh grade was analyzed. Information processing speed, visuospatial working memory, number sense, and fluid intelligence were considered predictors of general academic achievement, which was derived from grades in mathematics, language, and biology. This cross-sectional study involved 1560 pupils who were in grades 1&ndash, 11 at general education schools and were aged from 6.8 to 19.1 years (50.4% were boys). Information processing speed, visuospatial working memory, and number sense were measured using the Choice Reaction Time, Corsi Block-Tapping, and Number Sense computerized tests, respectively. Fluid intelligence was measured using the paper-and-pencil version of the Standard Progressive Matrices test. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were carried out. It was shown that it is possible to describe the structure of the relationship between cognitive abilities and academic achievement for all levels of schooling with a single model. In this model, information processing speed is the key predictor of fluid intelligence, working memory, and number sense, which in turn contribute to individual differences in academic success. Additionally, the specificity of the relationship between individual indicators of cognitive abilities and academic achievement at each level of schooling was revealed.

Roma children have been discriminated against for many years as they are denied access to high-quality education based on their scores on general non-verbal IQ tests. Rushton et al. (2007) showed that Roma perform more poorly than non-Roma on one such test (i.e., Raven Progressive Matrices), but suggest that this underperformance could be explained by Roma’s low socio-economic status. In this paper, we tested the non-verbal abilities of Roma children and expanded on the research of Rushton et al. (2007) by investigating empirically the potential mediating effects of socio-economic status on children’s performance on Raven Progressive Matrices. Results showed that the performance of Roma children was, on average, significantly lower than the performance of their non-Roma peers; however, the effect of ethnicity was partially mediated by the parents’ education and living conditions (while the parents’ income had no significant effect). As hypothesized by Rushton et al. (2007) some socio-economic factors can explain important variability in the performance of Roma children on general non-verbal tests, and their poor performance on such tests may lead to an underestimation of the true population mean.

Multilingualism and linguistic diversity are the norm in India. Although studies have shown a relation between bilingualism and cognitive gains, linguistic diversity has so far been ignored as a potential factor affecting cognitive skills. This study aims to fill this gap by examining how cognitive skills&mdash, as measured by the n-back and Raven&rsquo, s Colored Progressive Matrices tasks&mdash, are affected by multilingualism and/or sociolinguistic diversity in a large cohort of socioeconomically disadvantaged primary school children in two urban sites of India: Delhi and Hyderabad. We present a questionnaire estimating sociolinguistic diversity and show that this measure assesses a distinct construct, as compared to a child&rsquo, s multilingualism. Children were classified as growing up monolingually or bilingually, depending on whether they grew up with one or more languages in the home. Regarding cognitive performance, bilinguals were found to outperform monolinguals on the n-back task, as well as on the Raven&rsquo, s task. In addition, a socially and linguistically diverse environment seems to enhance cognitive performance for children who are not multilingual themselves. Finally, several contextual factors such as city were found to influence cognitive performance. Overall, this shows that cognitive tasks are subject to contextual effects and that bilingualism and linguistic diversity can enhance cognitive performance of children in disadvantaged contexts.

The aim of the current research is to analyse the relationship between the socioeconomic status (SES) of parents and intellectual abilities (IQ) of preschool children of Serbian territory, and in particular how SES factors relate to preschool children’s IQ measured with Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM), in the different age groups. The research included 430 parents and 430 preschool children. A confirmatory factor analysis of the SES questionnaire revealed five factors: educational and professional status of father and mother, residential and educational status of the family, sport status of parents and comfort of family housing. No gender differences in IQ levels were found in children. Multiple linear regression at four age groups showed that the educational status of the parents and residential and educational status of the family was positively correlated with the IQ at the older groups of preschool children. Two groups of children with the lowest and highest Raven’s CPM scores (1st and 4th quartiles) were used in the Logistic Regression, which determined the significant predictive value of SES factor in children with low Raven’s CPM scores. The results of the current research are in line with other studies on the topic, emphasizing the critical role of social environment for cognitive abilities of children.

In early childhood education, socio-emotional learning is not always considered with appropriate planning nor based on scientific evidence. Aiming to analyze impact of an Emotional Regulation (ER) Intervention in school achievement and social skills (SS), fifty-five children from public schools were evaluated by Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM), School Achievement Test (TDE) and Social Skills Rating System (SSRS-BR). After nine 50-minute meetings addressing ER strategies, evaluation of SS by the teacher indicated improvement in all aspects of SS in Intervention Group (IG) and worsening of the self-control in Comparison Group (CG). Self-evaluation of SS showed that IG overcame the initial difference in assertiveness and problem avoidance. Results suggest that ER programs can bring benefits to the development of SS. Resumo Aprendizagem socioemocional nem sempre é contemplada, com devido planejamento e embasamento científico, na educação infantil. Avaliou-se impacto de intervenção de Regulação Emocional (RE) no desempenho escolar e Habilidades Sociais (HS) de 55 crianças de escolas públicas, utilizando-se Matrizes Progressivas Coloridas de Raven (CPM), Teste de Desempenho Escolar e Sistema de Avaliação de Habilidades Sociais (SSRS-BR).Após nove encontros de 50 minutos abordando estratégias de RE, avaliação de HS pelo professor indicou melhora em todos os aspectos de HS noGrupo Intervenção (GI) e piora no autocontrole no GrupoComparação (GC). Autoavaliação de HS mostrou que GI superou diferença inicial na assertividadee evitação de problemas. Os resultados sugerem que programas de RE podem trazer benefícios para o desenvolvimento das HS.

The present study was designed to identify urban school children with poor handwriting in English and explore their level of writing readiness. A sample of 60 children from grade 3 in the age group of 7-9 years was drawn from two public schools of Ludhiana city with average or above average intellectual abilities. Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (Raven, 1965) was used to identify the intellectual abilities of children. Occupational Therapy Screening Test (Lilley, 2006) Set A was used to assess the handwriting skills of the children. Writing Readiness Assessment Tool was used to assess different pre-writing skills. Finding of the study revealed that more than half of the children with poor handwriting skills were found to have poor writing readiness skills followed by average and good level. It was further found that in all the dimensions of writing readiness, major proportion of children had poor level of performance. Out of all the dimensions of writing readiness, ‘Moving from freedom to confinement’ was found to be poorest skill in children with poor handwriting.

Extant empirical research, despite some theoretical descriptions, has consistently demonstrated that the Dark Triad is not related to general mental ability. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between the Dark Triad of personality (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) and fluid intelligence. A sample of 128 Polish high school students (Mage = 16.89 years; SDage = 0.31; 28.1% of the sample were boys) completed the Polish translation of the Short Dark Triad and the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices. Hypotheses were tested using a structural equation model, which fit the data well. As predicted, we found that of the three Dark Triad traits, only Machiavellianism was significantly predicted by fluid intelligence. Our findings are discussed in light of previous research and theory.

Sex differences in intelligence are of great importance with regard to understanding intelligence's underlying evolutionary forces. Previous research in this area has had a strong focus on Western ...

O objetivo geral do presente estudo foi investigar a relação entre o vínculo parental e o histórico de reprovação escolar de adolescentes e seus pais1. Como objetivos específicos buscou-se identificar o perfil cognitivo e comparar o tipo de vínculo parental estabelecido entre adolescentes com e sem reprovação escolar. Para tanto, utilizou-se um delineamento correlacional e comparativo, de caráter quantitativo e transversal. Participaram 140 adolescentes matriculados em escolas municipais de São Leopoldo/RS, que responderam ao Questionário de Dados Sociodemográficos, ao Teste Matrizes Progressivas de Raven e ao Parental Bonding Instrument. Os resultados indicaram que o número de reprovações da mãe e do pai esteve positivamente associado ao número de reprovações do filho, assim como o fator cuidado da mãe e do pai ao potencial intelectual do filho. Ainda, o fator cuidado do pai relacionou-se negativamente e o fator superproteção positivamente com o número de reprovações do filho. Também se constatou que os adolescentes sem histórico de reprovação escolar percebem seus pais como mais emocionalmente disponíveis, atentos e interessados para com eles. Tais resultados destacam a importância da participação dos pais no processo de ensino-aprendizagem dos filhos.

Three recent studies have summarized evidence for Negative Flynn Effects (Dutton et al., 2016; Flynn & Shayer, 2018; Woodley of Menie, Penaherrera-Aguirre, Fernandes, and Figueredo, 2017), that is secular deceases in IQ scores. To develop this important line of research, as many instances of this effect must be reported and understood as possible. Dutton, Bakhiet, Ziada, Essa, and Blahmar (2017) reported, in Intelligence, a Negative Flynn Effect in Khartoum, where education was voluntary for some cohorts. This study reports an increase in IQ, as assessed by the Colored Progressive Matrices, in Khartoum between 2004 and 2016. The increase in IQ amounted to 8 to 13 points, based on assessments of children between the ages of 6 and 9. Thus, the original negative Flynn Effect reflected schooling not being compulsory for some of the earlier sample.

Background: In Down syndrome (DS), adaptive behaviour often shows a “surplus effect” (i.e., higher adaptive abilities than expected from cognitive skills). As inclusive schooling has become mandatory in Italy, we studied the impact of school inclusion on the surplus effect of adaptive behaviour in adult DS, considering potential confounding factors such as parental education. Methods: All consecutive DS individuals from three different sites were queried prospectively regarding type of schooling (inclusive and non-inclusive). Demographic data were documented, cognitive abilities and adaptive behaviour were assessed (Coloured Progressive Matrices and Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales). The aim was to establish the presence of a surplus effect in adaptive behaviour, primarily in the overall level and secondarily in the main domains and subdomains. A multivariable-adjusted logistic regression model was used for the association of schooling, and parental education. Results: The majority (65%) showed a surplus effect in adaptive behaviour and had attended inclusive schools (85%). Higher adaptive skills as well as early and longer functional treatment programmes were more readily available for younger individuals. In the group of inclusive schooling, the surplus effect on overall adaptive behaviour was present in 70% as opposed to 38% in the group without inclusive schooling, significant when adjusted for gender and maternal education. This was also observed in socialisation, written, and community, and after adjustment in playing and leisure time. Conclusions: Adaptive behaviour showed a surplus effect in the majority of DS adults, even more so after inclusive schooling. Younger adults showed higher adaptive skills. Moreover, female gender and higher maternal educational level significantly enhanced this surplus effect.

Background Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social interaction, restricted and repetitive behaviour, interests or activities. Difficulties in a broad spectrum of cognitive skills is often present, including attentional processes and nonverbal intelligence, which might be related to academic difficulties. Aims In this study, the association between attentional skills and nonverbal intelligence to school performance of children with ASD was assessed. Methods and procedures 32 children/adolescents between 8–14 years old, who attended a treatment unit linked to the public health system of Sao Paulo-Brazil participated in the study. The following instruments were utilized: Cancellation Attention Test; Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices; and School Performance Test. Outcomes and results After correlation analysis, statistically significant associations were found between attention and nonverbal intelligence with school performance. Regression analysis showed that attention drives school performance irrespective of nonverbal intelligence. Conclusions and implications Results evidence the link between attention and school performance in ASD, suggesting that attentional mechanisms may be a promising route to follow in the design of interventions for school improvement of children and adolescents with ASD.

The present study investigated the psychometric properties of the Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM) test in a sample of preschoolers from Brazil ( n = 582; age: mean = 57 months, SD = 7 months; 46% female). We investigated the plausibility of unidimensionality of the items (confirmatory factor analysis) and differential item functioning (DIF) for sex and age (multiple indicators multiple causes method). We tested four unidimensional models and the one with the best-fit index was a reduced form of the Raven’s CPM. The DIF analysis was carried out with the reduced form of the test. A few items presented DIF (two for sex and one for age), confirming that the Raven’s CPM items are mostly measurement invariant. There was no effect of sex on the general factor, but increasing age was associated with higher values of the g factor. Future research should indicate if the reduced form is suitable for evaluating the general ability of preschoolers.

Abstract. Debate surrounding the role of visuospatial ability in performance on the Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RPM) has existed since their conception. This issue has yet to be adequately resolved, and may have implications regarding sex differences in scores. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between RPM performance, visuospatial ability and fluid ability, and any sex differences in these relationships. Data were obtained from three samples: two University samples completed the Advanced RPM and one population-based sample of men completed the Standard RPM. All samples additionally completed an alternative measure of fluid ability, and one or more measures of visuospatial ability. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships between performance on the visuospatial and fluid ability tests and performance on the RPM. Visuospatial ability was found to significantly contribute to performance on the RPM, over and above fluid ability, supporting the contention that visuospatial ability is involved in RPM performance. No sex differences were found in this relationship, although sex differences in visuospatial ability may explain sex differences in RPM scores.

The aim of the current study is to provide new insights into the relationship between executive functions and intelligence measures in considering the item-position effect observed in intelligence items. Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) and Horn's LPS reasoning test were used to assess fluid intelligence which served as criterion in investigating the relationship between intelligence and executive functions. A battery of six experimental tasks measured the updating, shifting, and inhibition processes of executive functions. Data were collected from 205 university students. Fluid intelligence showed substantial correlations with the updating and inhibition processes and no correlation with the shifting process without considering the item-position effect. Next, the fixed-link model was applied to APM and LPS data separately to decompose them into an ability component and an item-position component. The results of relating the components to executive functions showed that the updating and shifting processes mainly contributed to the item-position component whereas the inhibition process was mainly associated with the ability component of each fluid intelligence test. These findings suggest that improvements in the efficiency of updating and shifting processes are likely to occur during the course of completing intelligence measures and inhibition is important for intelligence in general.

Intelligence has long been associated with chronometric performance measures, such as reaction time (RT); however, few studies have investigated this relation in humans at the lower end of the intelligence range. The purpose of this study is to examine the inter-relation between RT, and intelligence in the population of athletes with mild to moderate (IQ 40–75) intellectual impairment (II), according to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. IQ-scores were retrieved from the athlete-database, assessed prior to the study by means of the most recently standardized versions of the Stanford-Binet, Raven Progressive Matrices or Wechsler Intelligence Scales, i.e., WISC-V or WAIS-IV. Three RT tasks with increasing cognitive load were administered in this study. The sample consisted of 103 young individuals (32% females, mean age = 24.4 years, SD = 5.8) with II (mean IQ = 60.6, SD = 9.2), performing the tests prior to competing in the Global Games; the highest level of sport competition, organized by the International Federation for Intellectual Disability Sport. We tested whether IQ and RT were correlated in this sample by means of Pearson's correlations. Afterwards, a comparison sample of tertiary education students was recruited (n = 103; mean age = 21.1, SD = 2.4), whereby for each individual participant with II, a peer was selected on the basis of equal gender, practicing the same sport, and equal accumulated sport expertise. We focused on the possibility that RT tasks requiring higher cognitive load differentiate more between the samples. The 2 × 3 ANOVA demonstrated a significant group (athletes with II versus comparison group) by task (simple RT, choice RT, complex RT) interaction effect, indicating that the progression of RTs increase across the three tasks with increasing complexity, was more pronounced in the athletes with II than in the comparison sample. This is the first study investigating RT in a large sample of well-trained active individuals with II. It provides a benchmark for other studies and suggests that the impact of lower levels of intelligence on RT is most apparent in RT tasks with the highest cognitive load.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between metacognition as measured in real-life situations and IQ scores as reflected by performance on the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices Scale. It is also intended in this study to report on whether or not there were significant differences in performance on the metacognitive instrument (i.e. metacognitive test, reaction time, and metacognitive test scores divided by mean reaction time) among participants with typical development, deaf and hard-of-hearing (dhh), and low-achieving individuals with and without the influence of IQ. Analysis showed significant correlations between IQ, metacognitive test, and metacognitive test scores divided by mean reaction time but not with reaction time itself. Results revealed the influence of IQ on metacognition being greater than the influence of metacognition on IQ. Results showed when controlling for the effect of IQ, differences among the three groups of participants on the metacognitive instrume...

Autism is defined by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction in multiple contexts as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. There are also reported difficulties in the dynamic activation and modification of cognitive processes in response to changes in tasks’ demands. Such difficulties are believed to be due to poor flexible cognition. This research aimed to assess and intervene in cognitive flexibility in subjects with autism. Ten subjects diagnosed with autism by psychiatrists, aged 5 years to 13 years and 5 months, were assessed in non-verbal intelligence through Raven’s Progressive Matrices in pretest. They were also assessed in cognitive flexibility through Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and in patterns of social interactions, behaviors, and communication through Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). An intervention program of 14 to 21 sessions was established to enhance cognitive flexibility. In posttest, they were assessed in WCST and ADI-R. All measures of cognitive flexibility improved in posttest except for failure to maintain set. Among the measures improved in posttest, perseverative errors and responses improved in posttest with statistical significance as well as categories completed. Total scores on ADI-R were lower in posttest as well as scores on communication abilities. The qualitative improvement showed by the individuals of this research concerning cognitive flexibility and also patterns of restricted behavior, social interaction, and communication abilities suggests that individuals with autism can benefit from the development of strategies for the enhancement of cognitive flexibility. Nevertheless, more research is suggested with a larger sample among subjects on the autism spectrum. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s41155-017-0069-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of chronotype and social jetlag (SJL) on intelligence. Subjects were aged 14-25 years (n = 1008). A significant effect of intelligence on academic performance, as measured by the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices test, was found (F2,917 = 11.75, P < 0.0001, η2 = 0.03). When SJL was less than 2 hours, the intelligence of people with late chronotype was found to be higher than that of subjects with early and intermediate chronotypes (F2,305 = 3.12, P < 0.05, η2 = 0.02). A negative effect of SJL on the results of intelligence testing was noted only in subjects with late chronotype (F2,536 = 2.61, P < 0.05, η2 = 0.02). Our data suggest that people with late chronotype have a higher level of intelligence, but these advantages disappear when SJL ≥2 hours.

The purpose of this study is to examine the prospective association between fluid reasoning skills in seventh grade and subsequent high school dropout in an at-risk population, independent of a number of important confounders. Participants are 4962 students from one of 56 high schools in the French Canadian province of Quebec. Three quarters of participants were intentionally representative of all schools in disadvantaged areas of the province. The Standard Progressive Matrices was administered to assess fluid reasoning, defined as the requisite skills for critical thought and complex problem resolution in novel situations, regardless of task and setting characteristics. Leaving high school from eighth grade onward, as a developmental milestone, was officially tracked and recorded by government sources. Dropout status was assigned if registration in school was discontinued without returning or obtaining a diploma within the period spanning from fall of Grade 8 to two years beyond expected graduation. Lower fluid reasoning skills significantly predicted less perseverance toward high school completion. Specifically, after adjusting for potential confounders, every standard deviation decrease in fluid reasoning predicted 21% increases in odds of dropout (OR = 1.21; 95% C1 = 1.06–1.37). Youth showing below average fluid reasoning skills at the secondary transition might benefit from teacher-student support and technologically-based interventions that bolster knowledge acquisition and learning-related skills. Early approaches to screening and preventive stimulation before student trajectories become clearly characterized by indiscriminate underachievement might circumvent high school dropout and are likely to be more cost-effective than letting the bio-psycho-social developmental risks associated with dropout take their course.

We examined whether the link between intelligence and musical expertise is better explained by formal music lessons or music aptitude. Musically trained and untrained adults completed tests of nonverbal intelligence (Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices) and music aptitude (Musical Ear Test). They also provided information about their history of music lessons and socioeconomic status (SES). Duration of music training was associated positively with SES (mother's education), nonverbal intelligence, melody aptitude, and rhythm aptitude. Intelligence and music aptitude were also positively associated. The association between music training and intelligence remained evident after controlling for SES, but it disappeared after controlling for music aptitude. By contrast, music aptitude had a strong correlation with intelligence even after accounting for music training and SES. Thus, the association between music training and intelligence may arise because high-functioning individuals are more likely than other individuals to have good aptitude for music and to take music lessons.

One of the most controversial debates around intelligence testing regards how tests are used to measure intelligence among non-Western populations. Studies conducted since the 1930’s consistently indicate significant sub-average intelligence among African populations. The purpose of this study is to examine whether commonly used intelligence tests such as the Ravens Progressive Matrices are valid indices of cognitive functioning among children in Mali, Africa. Participants in the current study were 206 children from Mali attending French-language schools. The Woodcock-Johnson II math assessment was used to measure participants’ academic achievement. The Vineland II- Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS) was used to indicate their adaptive functioning level. In this study, tests of IQ were compared against adaptive functioning and academic achievement, to examine whether IQ scores measured among African populations are artificially low or are an accurate measure of performance. IQ scores as measured by the Ravens were discrepant with standardized scores on math achievement and adaptive functioning. Results indicate that use of the Ravens may substantially underestimate the intelligence of children in Mali. This can be particularly problematic when comparisons are made across cultures using the same test and norms. . It is recommended that tests developed with local normative samples be used to assess for IQ.

Objective The purpose of the present study was to investigate the cognitive and socio-emotional development, as well as the mani- festation of learning disabilities of eight- to ten-year-old children born after intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI). Materials and methods Developmental outcomes of 40 children born after ICSI were compared with those of 40 children born after spontaneous conception (SC). Outcome measures included the Raven's Progressive Matrices Test, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and Athina Test of Learning Difficulties. Results Regarding cognitive development, ICSI children tend to obtain a similar intelligence score with SC children on Raven's Test. No significant differences were noted on CBCL's syndrome and abilities' profiles, and on Athina Test. Conclusions ICSI and SC children show a comparable cognitive and socio-emotional development and have the same chances of manifesting learning disabilities. None of the demographic factors taken into consideration (age, sex of the child, and educational level of the parents) nor the mode of conception seem to affect their well-being.

RESUMO Objetivo: identificar as competências cognitivo-linguísticas necessárias ao aprendizado da leitura e da escrita de crianças com fissura labiopalatina. Métodos: participaram 120 crianças, de 05 e 06 anos, cursando o Jardim II e o 1º ano do ensino fundamental, compondo dois grupos: G1, formado por 60 crianças com fissura labiopalatina, e G2, com 60 crianças sem alterações no desenvolvimento. Empregaram-se as Matrizes Progressivas Coloridas de Raven, o Perfil de Habilidades Fonológicas e o Boston Naming Test. Resultados: comparando os desempenhos dos grupos, verificou-se diferença estatística nas funções intelectuais, indicando prejuízos nas habilidades cognitivas do G1 (p=0,019). As competências cognitivo-linguísticas foram classificadas “Sob Atenção” para ambos os grupos, sendo mais representativa a defasagem no G1, com 66,7%. Conclusão: as competências linguísticas necessárias para a aquisição da leitura e escrita mostraram-se deficitárias na população fissurada, com níveis de desempenho cognitivo inferior ao esperado para a idade e escolaridade, em grande parte das modalidades avaliadas. Fatores ambientais limitantes e o baixo nível sociocultural da amostra foram sugestivos de interferência adicional à aquisição das pré-competências cognitivo-linguísticas, necessárias ao desempenho satisfatório de tarefas acadêmicas como a leitura e escrita. ABSTRACT Purpose: to identify the cognitive-linguistic skills necessary for children with cleft lip and palate, in order to learn how to read and write. Methods: 120 children, with 5 and 6 years old, attending Kindergarten II and 1st grade of primary school, were divided into two groups: G1, consisting of 60 children with cleft lip and palate, and G2, with 60 children without developmental alterations. The Raven Colored Progressive Matrices, the Phonological Skills Profile and the Boston Naming Test were employed. Results: comparing the performances of the groups, there was statistical difference in intellectual functions, indicating loss in cognitive abilities of G1 (p = 0.019). The cognitive-linguistic skills were classified as "Under Attention" for both groups, and discrepancy in G1 was more representative, with 66.7%. Conclusion: the language skills necessary for reading and writing acquisition proved to be deficient in the cleft lip and palate population, presenting levels of cognitive performance lower than expected for the age and education in most of the modalities evaluated. Limiting environmental factors and low socio-cultural status of the sample were suggestive of additional interference to the acquisition of cognitive-linguistic pre-skills necessary for satisfactory performance of the academic tasks, such as reading and writing.

Terminal decline (TD) refers to acceleration in within-person cognitive decline prior to death. The cognitive reserve hypothesis postulates that individuals with higher IQ are able to better tolerate age-related increase in brain pathologies. On average, they will exhibit a later onset of TD, but once they start to decline, their trajectory is steeper relative to those with lower IQ. We tested these predictions using data from initially nondemented individuals (n = 179) in the H70-study repeatedly measured at ages 70, 75, 79, 81, 85, 88, 90, 92, 95, 97, 99, and 100, or until death, on cognitive tests of perceptual-and-motor-speed and spatial and verbal ability. We quantified IQ using the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) test administrated at age 70. We fitted random change point TD models to the data, within a Bayesian framework, conditioned on IQ, age of death, education, and sex. In line with predictions, we found that 1 additional standard deviation on the IQ scale was associated with a delay in onset of TD by 1.87 (95% highest density interval [HDI; 0.20, 4.08]) years on speed, 1.96 (95% HDI [0.15, 3.54]) years on verbal ability, but only 0.88 (95% HDI [-0.93, 3.49]) year on spatial ability. Higher IQ was associated with steeper rate of decline within the TD phase on measures of speed and verbal ability, whereas results on spatial ability were nonconclusive. Our findings provide partial support for the cognitive reserve hypothesis and demonstrate that IQ can be a significant moderator of cognitive change trajectories in old age. (PsycINFO Database Record

In all 754 adults (518 males) in a high achieving school-leaver sample completed two intelligence tests (Ravens Progressive Matrices; Graduate Management Assessment Verbal and Numerical) and the 16PF. The study was concerned with the relationships between personality and intelligence. Correlational and regression analyses showed a few of the 16PF factors (particularly Reasoning and Sensitivity) to be related to the various cognitive ability test scores. The study shows that specific personality traits are modestly but consistently correlated with intelligence test scores. Implications are considered.

Data for a sample of 18-year-old Applied Science and Social Science students in Libya are reported for intelligence (IQ), emotional intelligence (EI) and educational achievement. Means were significantly higher for Applied Science students than for Social Science students both for IQ and EI. Although males obtained higher means than females on intelligence assessed by the Standard Progressive Matrices, and females obtained higher means than males on emotional intelligence assessed by the Goleman test, the sex differences were very small and did not reach statistical significance. IQ, EI and educational achievement were significantly intercorrelated.

Lozano's (2015) finding that impulsivity was only significantly related to the item-position effect of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices may provide important insight into the outcomes of previous research that reported a negative relationship between impulsivity and intelligence. We collected data from two large samples of university students to replicate the finding of Lozano and to further examine whether the finding can be generalized to another intelligence test (Horn's reasoning scale). Since executive attention has been found to show a substantial correlation with the position component of intelligence, measures of executive attention were also administered to explore whether the relationship between impulsivity and the item-position effect of intelligence is due to their overlap with executive attention. Our results indicated that impulsivity was not related to the position and ability components of intellgence. Executive attention showed the expected relationship with the position effect of intelligence, but showed only a modest relationship with impulsivity. We conclude that the relationship of impulsivity with the item-position effect of intelligence should be interpreted cautiously before further evidence is accumulated.

Objective: The study compared the performance of adolescents with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) to that of age-matched peers with typical development (TD) and cognitive language-matched peers with TD on measures of identification and comprehension of “narrow focus.” Participants: Forty-nine participants, 17 autistic, 17 TD peers matched for age and sex, and 15 TD children matched for expressive vocabulary participated in the study. Method: The Hebrew Narrow Focus Test (HNFT) was used. The HNFT includes 3 subtests. The first subtest (A) required identification of the stressed word in the sentence based on psychoacoustic abilities alone. The second (B) and third (C) subtests required understanding the meaning of focused stress in different contexts. In subtest B, the meaning of “narrow focus” was to contrast other possibilities related to the lexical-grammatical role of the stressed word in the sentence, whereas in subtest C, the meaning was to indicate a mistake. Results: ASD participants showed reduced performance compared to peers across all the subtests of the HNFT, but similar performance compared to TD children in subtests A and B and better performance on subtest C. A significant correlation was found between the Raven test for assessing nonverbal intelligence and subtests B and C of the HNFT in the group of adolescents with ASD. Conclusions: Comprehension of narrow focus in adolescents with ASD who study in a special educational system is related to their cognitive-linguistic abilities and not to the autistic condition by itself or to its severity.

The increasing need for psychological instruments characterized by scientific rigor, with their psychometric qualities confirmed, drives the development of studies that seek evidence of validity for psychological tests. The aim of this study was to seek evidence of validity for the Pfister Test by comparing the sexes. The study was carried out with 197 children from the city of Ceará, 46% male and 54% female, using the Pfister Colored Pyramids Test as the main instrument and the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices Test as an instrument to screen the intellectual performance of the participants. After statistical analysis and interpretation of the data, predominance in the choice of blue, green and black colors was observed in the boys, especially regarding darker tones, which may indicate emotion-related control. The girls made more frequent use of the colors violet and red, both in the lightest tones, which culturally refers to femininity and may suggest impulsivity. It was concluded that there are statistically significant differences in color choices between boys and girls, which can be comprehended as a contribution to the evidence of validity studies of the Pfister Test. Resumo A necessidade, cada vez mais emergente, de instrumentos psicológicos que se caracterizem pelo rigor científico, atestado por meio de suas qualidades psicométricas, impulsiona o desenvolvimento de estudos que busquem evidências de validade de testes psicológicos. Neste estudo objetivou-se buscar por evidências de validade para o Teste de Pfister por meio da comparação entre sexos. O presente estudo foi realizado com 197 crianças da capital cearense, sendo 46% do sexo masculino e 54% do sexo feminino, utilizando o Teste das Pirâmides Coloridas de Pfister, como instrumento principal, e o Teste das Matrizes Progressivas Coloridas de Raven, como instrumento de rastreio do desempenho intelectual dos participantes. Após análises estatísticas e interpretação dos dados, verificou-se uma predominância na escolha das cores azul, verde e preto por parte dos meninos, especialmente em tons mais escurecidos, o que pode indicar controle relacionado às emoções, enquanto as meninas fizeram uso mais frequente das cores violeta e vermelho, ambas no tom mais claro, o que se remete culturalmente à feminilidade e pode sugerir impulsividade. Conclui-se que há diferenças estatisticamente significativas nas escolhas das cores entre meninos e meninas, o que pode ser compreendido como uma contribuição aos estudos de evidências de validade do Teste de Pfister. Resumen La necesidad de instrumentos psicológicos que se caractericen por el rigor científico, atestado a través de sus calidades psicométricas, impulsa el desarrollo de estudios que busquen evidencias de validez de pruebas psicológicas. En este estudio se objetivó buscar evidencias de validez para el Test de Pfister por medio de la comparación entre sexos. Este estudio fue realizado con 197 niños de la capital cearense, siendo 46% del sexo masculino y 54% del sexo femenino, utilizando el Test de Pfister. El Test de las Matrices Progresivas Coloridas de Raven se utilizó como rastreo del desempeño intelectual de los participantes. Se verifico una predominancia en la elección de los colores azul, verde y negro por parte de los niños en tonos más oscurecidos, o que puede indicar control relacionado a las emociones, mientras las niñas optaron más significativamente por los colores violeta y rojo, ambas en el tono más claro, lo que se remite culturalmente a la femineidad y puede sugerir impulsividad. A partir de los resultados, se concluye que hay diferencias significativas en las elecciones de los colores entre niños y niñas, lo que puede ser comprendido como una contribución para estudios de evidencias de validez en el Test de Pfister.

Emotional awareness (EA) has been defined as the cognitive skill devoted to the identification and description of one’s own and others’ emotional experiences, an ability that has usually been conceptualized along with the development of cognitive intelligence. Despite this, EA has also been deemed a central constituent of Emotional Intelligence (EI), a construct that captures individual differences in how we perceive, communicate, regulate, and understand our own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. The overlap between the cognitive and the emotional domain in the definition of the EA construct has created several difficulties in both its understanding and its usage, so much so that several questions regarding its nature and structure remain unanswered. The aim of the present work was to test in a unique model the explanatory role of both trait EI and fluid nonverbal intelligence on EA variability in children, controlling for the effect of age, a variable strictly related to cognitive development, as well as gender, which is highly associated with trait EI during childhood. Four hundred and eighty-eight pupils (258 females and 230 males) ranging from 8 to 12 years old completed the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale for Children, the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire – Child Form, and a measure of pure non-verbal reasoning ability, the Raven’s Progressive Matrices. The results of a structural equation model showed a positive explanatory power of both Raven and TEIQue scores on EA, revealing that both cognitive intelligence and trait EI significantly explained EA. The same model also showed an indirect effect of age, via intelligence scores, on EA, suggesting that the increase of EA with age could be partially imputed to the development of intelligence. Finally, a relation between gender and TEIQue scores confirmed higher trait EI scores in girls than in boys. The implications emerging from this model are discussed.

Promoting an educated labor force is critical for emerging economies. Educational achievement, in turn, depends heavily on general cognitive abilities as well as non-cognitive skills, such as grit. Current research, however, has not examined how cognition and grit may explain the academic performance of students in an economically disadvantaged context. Thus, this study examines how IQ and grit contribute to academic achievement gains for students in poor areas of rural China. Drawing on data from 2931 students in rural China, we measure general cognitive ability, using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (Raven IQ); non-cognitive ability, using the Short Grit Scale; and academic achievement, using a curricular-based mathematics exam. We find that IQ and grit each predict achievement gains for the average student. Grit is not positively associated with achievement gains among low-IQ students, however, suggesting that grit does not translate into academic achievement gains for students with delays in general cognitive ability.

Resumo Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar a relação entre nível de escrita, consciência fonológica e conhecimento de letras. Participaram 60 crianças do 1º ano do ensino fundamental com média de idade de 6,09 anos, as quais foram submetidas a testes de conhecimento de letras, consciência fonológica e escrita inventada no início e no final do ano escolar e ao Teste Matrizes Progressivas Coloridas de Raven, aplicado apenas no início do ano. Verificaram-se correlações significativas entre consciência fonológica, conhecimento de letras e nível de escrita. A maioria das crianças evoluiu ao longo do ano nos desempenhos observados. Significativamente, aquelas que apresentaram melhor domínio da consciência fonológica e conhecimento do nome das letras desde o início do ano, evoluíram mais na escrita ao final do ano. Nesse sentido, a instrução da consciência fonológica associada ao conhecimento de letras deve ser realizada ainda na pré-escola, a fim de garantir uma boa aprendizagem ulterior em escrita. Abstract This study aimed to investigate the relationship between spelling levels, phonological awareness, and letter knowledge. Sixty first grade children, mean age 6.09 years, participated in the study. They underwent letter-knowledge, phonological awareness, and spelling tests at the beginning and end of the school year. The Raven's Progressive Matrices test was applied only at the beginning of the school year. Results showed significant correlations between phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and spelling level. Most children progressed remarkably throughout the year. However, those who had better phonological awareness skills and letter-name knowledge at the beginning of the school year significantly improved their spelling skills at the end of the year. Therefore, phonological awareness instruction combined with letter-knowledge should be provided in pre-school to ensure the development of good spelling skills in the subsequent school years.

Assessment of individuals on the autism spectrum often includes a measure of nonverbal IQ. One such measure is the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM). For large research studies with participants distributed nationally it is desirable for assessments to be available online. Because time is a premium, it is ideal that the measure produces accurate scores quickly. The Hansen Research Services Matrix Adaptive Test (HRS-MAT) addresses these needs and with similar psychometric properties of the RSPM. Scores based on the HRS-MAT correlated at r = .81 with those of the RSPM. In adult-child pairs, HRS-MAT scores correlated at approximately r = .50. Details from respondents in a national sample and psychometric properties including reliability and validity are discussed.

This paper experimentally analyses the relationship between cognitive ability and strategic behaviour. In our experiment, individuals play in a sequential game, where computing the equilibrium is challenging. On completion of the game, we measure each player’s cognitive ability using Raven’s Progressive Matrices test. Our results reveal that the number of strategic decisions (played in the sequential game) increases significantly among those individuals with higher cognitive ability (measured by Raven’s test), compared to those with lower cognitive ability. These results clearly confirm that individuals with higher cognitive abilities play more strategically.