Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test
Purpose: Designed to measure general intelligence and cognitive abilities.
Population: Ages 5-0 to 17-11.
Publication Date: 1998
Acronym: UNIT.
Score: FSIQ.
Administration: Individual.
Price Data, (DATE):
Time: (10 – 45) minutes.
Authors: Bruce A. Bracken and R. Steve McCallum
Publisher: Riverside Publishing
Review of the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test by LAUREN SCANLAN, School Psychology Graduate Student, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE:
DESCRIPTION. The Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) is an individually administered test consisting of tasks designed to measure the general intelligence and cognitive abilities (manual, p. 1). The test is designed to assess individuals from age 5 to 17 years. The test is entirely nonverbal, thus it is especially suitable for “children and adolescents who have speech, language, or hearing impairments; color-vision deficiencies; different cultural or language backgrounds, and those who are verbally uncommunicative” (manual, p. 1). The examiner uses relatively universal hand and body gestures to provide directions and indicate responses. The test includes demonstration items where the examiner indicates how to complete an item, sample items where examiner feedback is permitted, checkpoint items where the examiner can correct the incorrect responses, and scored items which do not allow for examiner feedback (manual, p. 2).
The UNIT is composed of six subtests including
Bob Schmoe is a 34-year-old Caucasian male who was referred by his Department of Rehabilitation caseworker for an evaluation. His intelligence was measured using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence (WASI). There were four subtests measured, two of which were verbal and the other two were non-verbal. Bob’s nonverbal abilities, specific analyses of subtest scores and math computation skills showed both fell within the low average range. Bob’s visual spatial skills fell within the low average range as well. In addition, Bob’s spelling skills fell within the borderline range. Lastly, Bob scored highest in his verbal comprehension and word reading even though both fell within the average percentile of his age group. Altogether,
Performance score: reflected scores on largely nonverbal subtests, such as identifying the missing part in incomplete pictures, arranging pictures to tell a story, or arranging blocks to match a given pattern
A major strength of this assessment is that this assessment has a Nonverbal Index. This is beneficial for students who are not yet proficient in the English language or struggle with language. Administering the Nonverbal Index allows the administrator to gain a better understanding of the child’s abilities because their language issues are not working against them with this test. Also, this assessment has two theories of intelligence that can be tested: the Luria neurological processing theory and Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of intelligence. With the Luria Model, you will obtain the Mental Processing Index of Learning Ability, Sequential Processing, Simultaneous Processing, and Planning Ability. With the Cattell-Horn-Carroll model, you will obtain the Fluid-Crystallized Index with the areas of long-term storage and retrieval, short-term memory, visual processing, fluid reasoning, and crystallized ability. This assessment is also more child-friendly because of the visuals throughout the test. A weakness of this assessment is the administrator will not be able to obtain a score for auditory processing and processing speed with this assessment, requiring the administrator to utilize another intelligence assessment. This assessment has two intelligence theories options to choose from: the Luria
The TASIT is designed to assess disorders in social cognition using real-life stimuli in the form of videoed vignettes of professional actors engaged in conversation. It was initially developed with people with traumatic brain injury (McDonald, Flanagan et al. 2003) but has also been used in adolescents (McDonald, Fisher et al. 2015) and older people (Burdon, Dipper et al. 2016), people with different types of dementia like Alzheimer’s disease (Henry, Ruffman et al. 2008) and frontotemporal dementia (Kipps, Nestor et al. 2009, Rankin, Salazar et al. 2009). The TASIT-R includes three parts assessing basic emotion recognition through to the ability to grasp aspects of communication. There are two alternate forms for the entire test and Form A was used for this study.
The book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, provides an alternative approach to how a person achieves success. This book does not focus on the conventional determinant of success, such as formal education and training, experience, and intelligence level (IQ). Although all these components contribute greatly to ones achievement of success, these factors are not the only factors to be considered in whether a person will be successful or not. This book focuses on the concept that it refers to as emotional intelligence (EQ), which is one’s ability to recognize and effectively understand his/her emotions in a productive and rational manner.
This paper discusses the pros and cons of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III). First, important definitional, theoretical issues, including the nature of intelligence, a brief history, and pros and cons are discussed. Next, the development, reliability, validity, and assets and limitations of the WAIS-III are examined. This is followed by discussion of the meaning of IQ scores, use of successive level interpretation and cautions and guidelines for administration. Last, subtests, assessing special population groups, short forms, profile forms, and what a
On September 12, 2008, I observed two people; Person A and Person B. The observation took place at Applebee’s, a local restaurant, beginning at 7:21 p.m. and ending observation at 8:06 p.m. I was serving their table for the evening, enabling myself to observe them closely. The restaurant had died down from the dinner rush, leaving them one of three tables in the smoking section, normally filled with eight. Along with the outside light fading, the lighting indoors was dim, making the dining experience feel more quiet and intimate. The background noise was filled with a light roar of other group’s conversations, and a jazz station played quietly from the speakers overhead.
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) is a psychological test administered individually as a measure of cognitive ability for people in the age range of 16 to 90 years of age (Climie & Rostad, pp. 581-586, 2011). The administration of this assessment may be performed by trained technicians, however, the Administration and Scoring Manual states that it is imperative that all interpretation should be done by professionals to which have adequate training in and experience with standardized clinical instruments (Wechsler, 2008). The WAIS-IV was published by Pearson in 2008, and was meant to provide comprehensive and modified developmental norms, improve psychometric properties and clinical usefulness, and improve the easiness
The first two subtest address fifteen items. The Standard and High functioning forms have overlapping sections. Items addressed in both assessments are relating to people, body use, visual response, taste smell, and touch response and use, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, level and consistency of intellectual response and general impressions. Imitation, emotional response, object use, adaptation to change fear or nervousness, and activity level is focused on solely in the Standard form subtest. For the High functioning form Social-emotional understanding, emotional expression and regulation of emotions, adaption to change/restricted interest, fear of anxiety, and thinking cognitive integration skills are the main emphasis.
Great post Micaela, I wish you well with your future teaching career. In last week’s field assignment, an elementary school teacher told me about the OLSAT-8 and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test that she uses at her school.
Any communication interaction involves two major components in terms of how people are perceived: verbal, or what words are spoken and nonverbal, the cues such as facial expressions, posture, verbal intonations, and other body gestures. Many people believe it is their words that convey the primary messages but it is really their nonverbal cues. The hypothesis for this research paper was: facial expressions directly impact how a person is perceived. A brief literature search confirmed this hypothesis.
In the book Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, the central thesis that he tries to point out is that emotional intelligence may be more important than I.Q. in determining a person’s well being and success in life. At first I didn’t know what Goleman was talking about when he said emotional intelligence, but after reading the book I have to say that I agree completely with Goleman. One reason for my acceptance of Goleman's theory is that academic intelligence has little to do with emotional life. To me, emotions can be just as intelligent as your I.Q. In this essay I hope to provide sufficient evidence to show why I agree with Goleman’s thesis on emotional intelligence.
When one speaks of intelligence or how bright another person is, the often quoted figure is the IQ or intelligence quotient. It is the most often used standard of how smart a person is. This paper shall look at what intelligence tests measure, how the IQ tests measure intelligence and interrogate their history. It shall then apply the tests to school policy and hence evaluate their validity.
In a romantic relationship, it is easy to have miscommunication between a man and a woman. “Most researchers agree that 70% or more of the meaning of any message is communicated through nonverbal channels like eye contact, facial expressions, posture, hand gestures, etc.” (Stinnett, 2015). Verbal and nonverbal messages are like a relationship, they work well together that way the message is sent and delivered appropriately and that there is no miscommunication. Women have their way of expressing themselves to their boyfriend, fiancé, and or husband and vice versa for men. This paper will focus on the varying behavior of gender in expressing the different type of emotions using nonverbal communication in a romantic relationship. Following
IQ tests are not the only way to measure intelligence. In fact, we make informal decisions about others’ intelligence all the time, even after short interactions. The ability to express and control our emotions is essential, but so is our ability to understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others. Psychologists refer to this ability as emotional intelligence, and some experts even suggest that it can be more important than IQ. Multiple intelligences represents different intellectual abilities (Edutopia, 2003).