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Internal Structure and Partial Invariance across Gender in the Spanish Version of the Reasoning Test Battery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2015

Paula Elosua  and
Josu Mujika
Paula Elosua*
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco (Spain)
Josu Mujika
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Paula Elosua. Universidad del País Vasco. Avda. Tolosa, 70. San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa (Spain). 20018. E-mail: paula.elosua@ehu.es
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Abstract

The Reasoning Test Battery (BPR) is an instrument built on theories of the hierarchical organization of cognitive abilities and therefore consists of different tasks related with abstract, numerical, verbal, practical, spatial and mechanical reasoning. It was originally created in Belgium and later adapted to Portuguese. There are three forms of the battery consisting of different items and scales which cover an age range from 9 to 22. This paper focuses on the adaptation of the BPR to Spanish, and analyzes different aspects of its internal structure: (a) exploratory item factor analysis was applied to assess the presence of a dominant factor for each partial scale; (b) the general underlined model was evaluated through confirmatory factor analysis, and (c) factorial invariance across gender was studied. The sample consisted of 2624 Spanish students. The results concluded the presence of a general factor beyond the scales, with equivalent values for men and women, and gender differences in the factorial structure which affect the numerical reasoning, abstract reasoning and mechanical reasoning scales.

Keywords

reasoning testsfactorial structureadaptationgender invariance
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 18 , 2015 , E74
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2015 

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