The Validation of the Scoring Criterion Problem in Multiplicative Two-Dimensional Classification Tasks

Abstract

Three types of scoring for multiplicative two-dimensional classification tasks were distinguished: (1) The non-Genevan judgmentonly scoring criterion, (2) the Genevan scoring criterion of judgment-plus-explanation and (3) and the Genevan scoring criterion of counter suggestion. Two experiments are reported: one cross-sectional study (n = 487 age ranging from 4-year-olds to 11 -year-olds) and one longitudinal study (n=275, age ranging from 4-year-olds to 7-year-olds). The children in the cross-sectional study completed ten multiplicative classification tasks at one test administration, whereas in the longitudinal study the test was administered three times with four months interval. It was shown that all three scoring criteria produced a reliable test for multiplicative classification. Furthermore, the factor structures, which showed a very high degree of similarity for each of the scoring criteria, were invariant in the longitudinal study. It appears that the classification tasks for all these three scoring criteria refer to the same underlying concept. Although these three scoring criteria may be considered satisfactory from a psychometric point of view, one must be aware that the use of one of these criteria in research on the child's ability to understand and to carry out multiplicative classification tasks, needs to be based on an explanatory theoretical framework.