Abstract
M.A.
Traditional measures often used in the assessment of cognitive functions of individuals,
are regarded as unsuitable for two reasons. Firstly, since a particular language is utilized
in the test items and instructions of most cognitive tests, the overall lower verbal test
scores of culturally diverse individuals often is an indicator of poor verbal knowledge and
language proficiency that in effect has a bearing on an invalid lower Full Scale IQ score.
The verbal item content fail to provide important information regarding the potential
learning and reasoning abilities of a person from a different culture. Secondly, due to
past standardization practices in the construction of measuring instruments, important
elements regarding the cultural relevance of the content of the measures, have often
failed to be included.
In order to address such problems, this research examined the suitability of the S.O.N.-R
5 % - 17 according to three objectives: (a) to cognitively assess the non-verbal
intelligence of 400 secondary school children from four culturally diverse groups in the
Johannesburg metropolitan area, viz. Afrikaans-, English-, Sotho- and Zulu-speaking
learners who are in grades 8-10; (b) to determine whether home language, grade level,
socio-economic status (SES), gender, handedness and the use of visual aids
(spectacles/contact lenses) were important variables in determining subtest total scores;
and (c) to determine the appropriateness of the S.O.N.-R 5%- 17 for local use in terms
of its psychometric properties, viz. reliability (internal consistency) as well as its construct
and predictive validity.
Apart from providing the developmental aspects pertaining to the cognitive development
of adolescents, other important theoretical aspects of intelligence were discussed from a
cross-cultural perspective in reference to various conceptual frameworks from which
intelligence was viewed as a function of the internal (innate) psychological processes of
the individual and the external (socio-cultural) psychological processes of the individual.
An outline based on the psychometric and cultural implications for such theories of
intelligence was also delineated in an effort to define the concept of intelligence as
related to culture-fair testing.