The D 48 As a Measure of General Ability among Adolescents in Israel

Abstract

The D 48 was administered to four samples of adolescents in Israel: one sample of 557 boys from grades 7 to 11 and three samples of seventh-grade pupils with n's of 127, 950, and 161. The results showed a progressive increase of D 48 means from grades 7 to 11 and concurrent validities of .46 to .59 against different criteria of seventh-grade scholastic achievements. Highly similar validity coefficients were found in other countries. Cross-culturally equivalent data were also found for the correlation of the D 48 with the Progressive Matrices and for the order of difficulty of the D 48 items. The results support the suitability of the D 48 as a cross-cultural measure of general ability in terms of these circumscribed aspects and suggest the promising potential of tests similarly based on a cross-culturally common background of perceptual experience.