Culture Fair Intelligence Tests (CFIT)

by
Raymond B. Cattell
A. Karen S. Cattell

Slides created by
Clarence G. Apostol MA
in Counseling Psychology
De La Salle University-Manila CPS 560M:
Assessment Tools in Counseling
 Introduction
• Raymond B. Cattell divided general intelligence into two
distinct types: crystallized and fluid.
• Crystallized intelligence represents knowledge acquired
through experience.
• Tests of crystallized intelligence, such as verbal memory and
general knowledge, are thought to reflect the influence of
culture and schooling.
• Fluid intelligence represents the biological ability to acquire
knowledge and solve problems.
• Tests that reflect fluid intelligence, such as reasoning speed,
spatial reasoning, and inductive reasoning, are thought to
reflect intelligence independent of learning.
• Cattell developed a “culture-fair” test to measure fluid
intelligence.
 Purpose:
• The Culture Fair Intelligence Tests measures
individual intelligence in a manner designed to
reduced, as much as possible, the influence of verbal
fluency, cultural climate, and educational level.
• The tests, which may be administered individually or
in a group, are non-verbal and require only the
examinees be able to perceive relationships in shapes
and figures.
• Each scale contains 4 subtests involving different
perceptual tasks, so that the composite intelligence
measure avoids spurious reliance on a single skill.
 Purpose:
• It aids in the identification of learning problems
and helps in making more reliable and
informed decisions in relation to the special
education needs of children.
• Other uses include selecting students for
accelerated educational programs, advising
students as to probable success in college, and
increasing effectiveness of vocational guidance
decisions, for both students and adults.
 History
• late 1920’s-Began in the work undertaken by Cattell,
sparked the precise scientific research of Charles
Spearman into the nature and accurate
measurement of intelligence.
• 1930-resulted in the publication of the Cattell Group
and Inventory (particularly intended for use with
children) were revised and recast into non-verbal
form to diminish the unwanted and unnecessary
effects of verbal fluency in the pure measurement of
intelligence
 History
• 1940-another revision of the test appeared. Items had
become completely perceptual and were organized into 6
subtest, 3 of which have been retained in the present
format. Of the 159 items analyzes, 72 of satisfactory validity
and reliability were retained for the published edition
• 1949-another revision and adopted the format consisting of
4 subtest (Series, Classification, Matrices and Conditions)
• 1961-primary outcome of this revision were slight
adjustments in the difficulty level and sequencing of few
items. At the same time the few samples were expanded to
achieve better national representation in the final tables.
 Age/Range
• Scale 1: 4 to 8 years and older, mentally
handicapped individuals
• Scale 2: 8-14 years and average adults
• Scale 3: 14 to college students and adults of
superior intelligence
Requirements for Purchase:
• Level B
 Requirements for Purchase
(Philippine Psychological Corporation, 1995)
• LEVEL A- available if the person administering the tests had
undergraduate courses in testing or psychometrics, or
sufficient training and experience in test administration.
• LEVEL B- available only if the test administrator has completed
an advanced level course in testing in a university, or its
equivalent in training under the direction of a qualified
superior or consultant
• LEVEL C- available only for use, by, or under the supervision of
qualified psychologists, i.e. members of APA or the PAP or
other persons with at least a Master’s Degree in psychology
and at least one year experience under professional
supervision
 Reliability:
• Scale 1 = .91,
• Scale 2 = .87,
• Scale 3: Consistency Over
• 0.85 Items (1477 M & F) high school-college students
• 0.82 Length (402 M & F) high school-college students
• 0.82 Time (1323 M & F) high school-college students
 Validity: Scale 3
• Concept Validity
• Direct correlations with the pure intelligence factor
(0.92), 702 male and female students
• Concrete Validity
• Correlations with other tests of general intelligence
including the OTIS, SAT, and Intelligence Structure Test
(0.69), 673 male and females (students and young
adults)
Time
 Description of the Subtest:
• Subtest 1: Series- the individual is presented
with an incomplete, progressive matrices. His
task is to select, from among the choices
provided, the answer which best continue the
series.
 Description of the Subtest:
• Subtest 2:Classifications- the individual is
presented with 5 figures. In scale 2, he must
select one which is different from the other
four. In scale 3, he must correctly identify two
figures which are in some way different from
three others.
 Description of the Subtest:
• Subtest 3: Matrices- the task is to correctly
complete the design or matrix presented at
the left of each row
 Description of the Subtest:
• Subtest 4: Conditions (topology), requires the individual to
select, from the 5 choices provided, the one which duplicates
the conditions given in the far left box. For example, the test
taker must select the figure in which it is possible to place a
dot that would lie outside the box but inside the circle. Only
choice 3 meets theses requirements and is therefore the
correct answer.
 Administration
• Test 1. (3 minutes)
– At the left there are four little boxes. The last one is empty.
Continuing along that row, you see six more boxes, marked a, b, c, d,
e and f. of those six boxes, one will fit correctly in the empty box.
(after 3 minutes, say STOP! Pencils down)
• Test 2. (4 minutes)
– Three of the boxes in each example have shapes that are alike in
some way, but the other two are different from these three. In each
row, you are to find the two boxes that are different from the
others. When you have found them, fill in on your answer sheet the
two boxes that have the same letters under them as the answers
you have chosen. (after 4 minutes, say STOP! Pencils down)
 Administration
• Test 3. (3 minutes)
– In the large square, there are four little boxes. Three of the boxes
have drawings in them, but the drawing for the other square is
missing. One of the boxes in the row at the right fits correctly in the
empty box. You are to choose the right one and mark the answer on
your answer sheet. (after 3 minutes, say STOP! Pencils down)
• Test 4. (2.5 minutes)
– In the separate square of the first example, there is dot which is in
both the circle and the square. Now look at the five possible
answers and see if you can find a drawing where you could put in
one dot that will be inside both the circle and square. (after 2 and ½
minutes, say STOP! Pencils down)
 Scoring:
• Hand Scoring

Norms:
• For Scale 1: Mental age and IQ norms.
• Scale 2 and Scale 3: Percentiles, by ages and
IQs
Expected Distribution of IQ scores
Percentile Classification
97 – 99 Very Superior
90 – 96 Superior
75 – 89 Above Average
60 – 74 High Average
40 – 59 Average
10 – 23 Low Average
24 – 39 Below Average
4–9 Low
1–3 Very Low
Sample Interpretation # 1
Sample Interpretation # 2
 Sample Interpretation # 3
• The client garnered a “superior” score on the
Culture Fair Intelligence Test, manifesting her
aptitude to perform job-related tasks that
involved cognitive ability.
Sample Interpretation # 4
• The client garnered a “low average” score on the
Culture Fair Intelligence Test indicating her slight
ineptness in perceiving relationships in shapes
and in figures.
 Sample Interpretation # 5
• Meanwhile, an “above average” score was obtained by
the applicant on the Culture Fair Intelligence Tests
which revealed her ability with different perceptual
tasks that measure her composite non-verbal
intelligence.
Sample Interpretation # 6
• The client garnered a “below average” score on the
Culture Fair Intelligence Tests which signifies his
ineptness in establishing relationships in shapes and in
figures.
Sample Interpretation # 7
• The applicant falls on the “average” category on
the Culture Fair Intelligence Tests, signifying her
proficiency to execute job related tasks that
involve cognitive ability as well as perceiving
relationships in shapes and in figures.
Sample Interpretation # 8
• The client obtained a “High Average” score on the
Culture Fair Intelligence Tests, signifying his
adeptness to performed job related tasks that
involved cognitive ability.
 Criticism: Culture & IQ
• IQ tests have been criticized for being biased in favor of
white, middle-class people.
• However, efforts to construct culture-free and culture-
fair tests have been disappointing.
• Culture affects nearly everything to do with taking a test,
from attitudes to problem-solving strategies.
• Negative stereotypes about a person’s ethnicity, gender,
or age may cause the person to suffer stereotype threat,
a burden of doubt about his or her own abilities, which
can lead to anxiety or "disidentification" with the test.