A Comparison of Two Non-Verbal Intelligence Tests as Predictors of Academic Success of Navajo Students

This study was a search for a valid and reliable tool for the measurement and appraisal of the Navajo student at Intermountain School whose cultural and bilingual background make many highly verbal tests untrustworthy. The two tests chosen for the study were the Chicago Non-verbal Examination and the Cattell Institute for Personality and Ability Testing Culture Free Test. It was assumed that these tests would call attention to students who had good intellectual ability but were below standard in reading and verbal development and had been overlooked because of their lack of verbal fluency. The two tests were administered to a random sample of one hundred twenty four students (72 boys 52 girls) at Intermountain High School. The tests were administered and corrected by the author, care being taken to follow directions in the manual on administering, correcting, and figuring IQ scores. Statistical treatment was given the obtained data and the findings compared with the standardization sample for each test. Further statistical treatment was given to compare the performance of the boys with the performance of the girls on each test. Grade point averages were obtained for each individual in the sample. A coefficient of correlation between grade point average and IQ scores was figures for both the Chicago Non-verbal and Cattell Institute for Personality and Ability Testing Culture Free Test. A coefficient of correlation between grade point averages and the G score from the General Aptitude Test Battery was computed on ninety eight students on which the scores were available. The results of this study showed that: (1) The Chicago Non-verbal Examination seemed to be more interesting and motivating for Navajo students. (2) The Navajo students in this study scored higher than the standardization sample on the Chicago Non-verbal Examination. This is interesting because on most tests the Navajos score below the mean of the standardization sample