Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Hansen Research Services Matrix Adaptive Test: A Measure of Nonverbal IQ.
HRS-MAT is a quick, online, nonverbal IQ screener that matches the longer Raven’s test in autism samples.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built a five-minute online test called HRS-MAT. It uses pictures, not words, to guess nonverbal IQ.
They gave it to 101 people with autism plus 52 typical adults. Everyone also took the long paper Raven’s test so the scores could be compared.
What they found
HRS-MAT scores lined up strongly with Raven’s scores (r = .81). The short test gave the same rank order.
Internal consistency was good and the test took only five minutes. People could finish it on a phone or tablet.
How this fits with other research
Li et al. (2015) did the same kind of psychometric homework on Dutch EQ and SQ questionnaires. Both papers show that quick screens can hold up if you check them against gold tools.
Constable et al. (2024) also built a new autism questionnaire, the ViBe. Like HRS-MAT, it aims to save clinic time, but it asks parents instead of testing the child directly.
Burrows et al. (2018) warn that parent mood and child language level can skew caregiver ratings. HRS-MAT avoids this by using nonverbal items the client answers themselves.
Why it matters
You now have a validated five-minute IQ estimate that works on any device. Use it to check nonverbal ability before starting skill assessments or research intake. It cuts admin time and still gives numbers you can trust.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Assessment of individuals on the autism spectrum often includes a measure of nonverbal IQ. One such measure is the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM). For large research studies with participants distributed nationally it is desirable for assessments to be available online. Because time is a premium, it is ideal that the measure produces accurate scores quickly. The Hansen Research Services Matrix Adaptive Test (HRS-MAT) addresses these needs and with similar psychometric properties of the RSPM. Scores based on the HRS-MAT correlated at r = .81 with those of the RSPM. In adult-child pairs, HRS-MAT scores correlated at approximately r = .50. Details from respondents in a national sample and psychometric properties including reliability and validity are discussed.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2019 · doi:10.1111/j.1745-3984.1984.tb01040.x