TESTING OF SPATIALABILITY: CONSTRUCTION AND EVALUATION OF A NEW INSTRUMENT
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Studia Psychologica |
| Citation | |
| Keywords | spatial ability; testing; psychometrics |
| Description | The aim of the paper is to describe the process of development and evaluation of a newly designed spatial ability test. It consists of two consecutive studies. In Study I (N = 267) we proposed 35 items equally divided into five subsets. The items were designed with respect to theoretically described spatial ability dimensions (spatial perception, orientation, visualization, relations, and mental rotation). Even though a five factor structural model fitted the data reasonably well, on the principle of parsimony we agreed on a unidimensional model. Items with the best parameters (n = 25) were considered as the final version of the test. In Study II (N = 124) we verified that there is no significant impact of the administration media (paper/pencil vs. computer-based). The test-retest stability with a six-week interval was acceptable (r = 0.796), and so was the internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.752). We have found a modest correlation (r = 0.470) with the Spatial Reasoning subtest of the Intelligence Structure Test. |