RAT test

Remote Associates Test (RAT):

Mednick (1962) developed the RAT as a means of measuring creative thought without
requiring knowledge specific to any field. He constructed two college-level
versions of the test, each consisting of 30 items .Each item consists of three words
that can be associated with a solution word in a number of ways.
for example, the three words:
SAME/TENNIS/HEAD
are associated with the solution MATCH by means of synonymy (same=match)
Formation of a compound word (match head) and semantic association(tennis match)
Reaching a solution requires creative thought, because the first, most related,
information retrieved in solution attempts is often not correct, and solvers must
think of more distantly related information in order to connect the three words.

Remote associate problems have several advantages over classic insight problems:
(1) They can be solved in a short time, single experimental session of 1 h or less.
(2) They are simpler than classic insight problems, thus allowing better control of possible
confounding variables.
(3) They have single-word, unambiguous solutions, making scoring of responses easier.
(4) They are physically compact, so that they can be presented in a small visual space or short
time span. These features Allow for better control and measurement of timing variables
(e.g., measuring the time between presentation of the problem and production of a solution,
controlling timing of hint presentation or timing of solution presentation for solution judgment
tasks, etc.)

These problems can be divided into two types:

1-homogeneous:
for which the solution word is a prefix (or suffix)
to all three words of the problem triad
2-heterogeneous:
for which the solution word is a prefix (suffix) to at least one of the words of the
triad and a suffix (prefix) to the other word(s) of the triad.
The participant tried to produce the solution word within a time limit. In the six
experiments there were three different time limits (2, 7, and 15 sec).Immediately
following the production of a solution, or the end of the time limit, the participant
was shown a lateralized target word for 180 msec and was either to read the word
aloud quickly or to judge whether the word was the solution to the problem.

For the 85 homogenous problems and 59 heterogeneous problems, the largest

difference in percentage of participants solving was for the 15-sec solution
period with mean percentages solved of 29% and 33% for the homogeneous and
heterogeneous problems, respectively
Mean percentages solved were 7.8% and 7.9% within 2 sec.
23.0% and 22.7% within7 sec.
50.5% and 50.4% within 30 sec.
Video

WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) :

History:
The WAIS was initially created as a revision of the Wechsler-Bellevue
Intelligence Scale (WBIS), which was a battery of tests published by Wechsler
in 1939. The WBIS was composed of subtests that could be found in various
other intelligence tests.
- The WAIS was first released in February 1955 by David Wechsler.
The Wechsler tests included non-verbal items (known as performance scales)
as well as verbal items .
- WAIS-R, a revised form of the WAIS, was released in 1981 and consisted of
six verbal and five performance subtests.
- The WAIS-III, a subsequent revision of the WAIS and the WAIS-R, was
released in 1997. It provided scores for Verbal IQ, Performance IQ, and Full
Scale IQ, along with four secondary indices (Verbal Comprehension,
Working Memory, Perceptual Organization, and Processing Speed).

Verbal IQ (VIQ):
Included seven tests and provided two subindexes:
The Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) included the following tests:
Information
Similarities
Vocabulary
The Working Memory Index (WMI) included:
Arithmetic
Digit Span
Performance IQ (PIQ):
Included six tests and it also provided two subindexes:
The Perceptual Organization Index (POI) included:
Block Design
Matrix Reasoning
Picture Completion
The Processing Speed Index (PSI) included:
Digit Symbol-Coding
Symbol Search

- WAIS-IV, which was released in 2008, is composed of 10 core subtests and five
supplemental subtests, with the 10 core subtests comprising the Full Scale IQ.
With the new WAIS-IV, the verbal/performance subscales from previous versions
were removed and replaced by the index scores. The General Ability Index (GAI)
was included, which consists of the Similarities, Vocabulary and Information
subtests from the Verbal Comprehension Index and the Block Design, Matrix
Reasoning and Visual Puzzles subtests from the Perceptual Reasoning Index. The
GAI is clinically useful because it can be used as a measure of cognitive abilities
that are less vulnerable to impairments of processing and working memory.

There are four index scores representing major components of intelligence:

Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI)
Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI)
Working Memory Index (WMI)
Processing Speed Index (PSI)
Two broad scores are also generated, which can be used to summarize general intellectual
abilities:
Full Scale IQ (FSIQ), based on the total combined performance of the VCI, PRI, WMI, and PSI
General Ability Index (GAI), based only on the six subtests that the VCI and PRI comprise.

Verbal
Comprehension

Core Proposed abilities measured

Examples

Similarities

Abstract verbal reasoning

In what way are an apple and a pear

alike?

Vocabulary

The degree to which one has learned,

been able to comprehend and verbally What is a guitar?
express vocabulary

Information

Degree of general information

acquired from culture

Who is the president of Russia?

Ability to deal with abstract social

conventions, rules and expressions

Why do plants need water?

(Comprehension
)

Perceptual
Reasoning

Core

Proposed abilities measured

Block Design

Spatial perception, visual abstract processing, and problem solving

Matrix Reasoning

Nonverbal abstract problem solving, inductive reasoning, spatial

reasoning

Visual Puzzles

Spatial reasoning

Picture Completion

Ability to quickly perceive visual details

Figure Weights

Quantitative and analogical reasoning

Block design

Figure Weights

Working
Memory

Core

Proposed abilities measured

Examples

Digit span

Attention, concentration, mental

control

Repeat the numbers 1-2-3 in reverse

sequence

Concentration while
manipulating mental
mathematical problems

How many 45-cent stamps can you buy

for a dollar?

Attention, concentration, mental

control

Repeat the sequence Q-1-B-3-J-2, but

place the numbers in numerical order
and then the letters in alphabetical
order

Arithmetic
LetterNumber
Sequencing

Processing
Speed

Core

Proposed abilities measured

Symbol Search

Visual perception/analysis, scanning speed

Coding

Visual-motor coordination, motor and mental

speed, visual working memory

(Cancellation)

Visual-perceptual speed

coding

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wechsler_Adult_Intelligence_Scale
http://sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=8219&cn=18
Normative data for 144 compound remote associate problems