Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices
Abbreviation: CPM
Background
The Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) by John C. Raven are a variant of the Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) for the lower ability range. They are intended in particular for use with younger children up to about the age of 12 years and with adults of low cognitive performance. Raven1) developed them by extending the SPM scales A and B with a scale AB, whose difficulty lies between that of A and B.
The CPM are discussed in TDB2Online because they are occasionally administered to older adults, in particular also to those with incipient dementia. Via a transformation into SPM scores, scoring is possible in the TDB2Online app.
Test material
The CPM consist of the three series A, Ab and B, each of which contains 12 colored items. As with the SPM, the items consist of incomplete geometric figures or patterns that are to be completed from six response alternatives each (multiple choice). The test can be presented using a test booklet (with a carbonless answer sheet) or in the “board form,” which allows the response options to be inserted in the manner of a puzzle. Raven regarded both forms as equivalent, except for use with very young children and specific clinical groups.
The version of the original test that is currently up to date was published in 1998.2) After a change of publisher and a merger, it is currently produced and distributed in unchanged form by Pearson Assessment in San Antonio, TX. For the first time, it also included a parallel form of the standard form of the CPM.
In Germany, the CPM first appeared in 1978 in an adaptation by Schmidtke, Schaller and Becker.3) For this edition, norms were collected very systematically for children between 5 and 11 years of age. Within the complete edition of the Raven tests by Swets Test Service (later Harcourt Test Service, now Pearson Assessment & Information GmbH, all in Frankfurt/Main), the CPM appeared in 2002 in the adaptation by Bulheller and Häcker4) This is the currently up-to-date German version. It contains norms from 1998 and 1999 from France and Germany for children between just under 4 and just under 12 years of age.
This version is currently published by Pearson Assessment & Information in Frankfurt. It can be obtained directly from the publisher or via the test distributors in Germany or Switzerland. For administration of the CPM, one needs either one of the test booklets (standard or parallel form) and the corresponding answer sheet, or the puzzle form. At least a cursory familiarity with the content of the German CPM manual5) is necessary. In addition, the test authors recommend reading the basic manual on Raven's matrices tests6).
Test administration
The CPM can be used as an individual or group test. The test is a pure power test without a time limit.
Test raw scores
The test raw scores are determined analogously to the SPM. The maximum attainable score is 36.
Relationship between CPM and SPM
see the detailed test documentation
Norms
see the detailed test documentation
Discussion
For most purposes of application in adults, the SPM will be preferable to the CPM. This point is discussed in more detail in a section of the documentation text on the APM that addresses the scope of application of the three versions and presents data on it.