Ravens Progressive Matrices (1938): Normative Data on Male Narcotic Addicts

Abstract

The Ravens Progressive Matrices (RPM), a test of intellectual ability, was administered to 396 male narcotic users. Norms are given, and concepts basic to the validity and reliability of the RPM tested. Significant shifts were found in item order in sets A, B, C, and D. Differences were not considered crucial for each set, which was progressively more difficult than the preceding set; thus the total structure of the test was supported by the sample. The discriminative power of most items ranged from good to excellent. In investigating properties of distractors, answer four was chosen significantly more often than other alternatives as the wrong answer in sets C, D and E identifying the possible operation of a positional distractor. Test-retest reliability, content and concurrent validity coefficients were of the order of .8. Correlation of formal education with RPM was of the order of .2. Previously available normative data on patient samples ae extended and use of the RPM as a measure of intellectual performance relatively free from language and cultural bias is supported.