John C. Raven

John Carlyle Raven (born June 28, 1902 in London , † August 10, 1970 ibid) was a British psychologist and became world famous for the development of the progressive matrix test in 1938. He was a student of Charles Spearman .

Raven's Progressive Matrix Test is a non-verbal IQ test that starts with relatively simple tasks and becomes increasingly complex. In contrast to intelligence tests such as the Binet-Simon test or the Wechsler tests ( WIE or the WISC ), the results of which are influenced to a certain extent by individual linguistic development and cultural differences have to be adapted, Raven's matrix tests are language-free test procedures not subject to this problem.

biography

JC Raven was born on June 28, 1902 in Highbury, London, the son of an umbrella manufacturer. After graduating from Polytechnic and King's College in London, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree, he first worked as a teacher and then became director of a school for mentally handicapped children. In 1934, Raven was part of a research team that investigated important processes that take place in perception (to gain an understanding of how senses are processed in the brain and how objects and phenomena are reflected).

Raven continued his studies at the University of London, where he received his Masters in Psychology in April 1936. He carried out the first tests on intelligence diagnostics in Colchester from 1937 to 1938. The study had children in two groups, one aged five to 14 years, the other aged three and four years. In 1938 the Standard Progressive Matrices were published as a non-verbal, culture-independent intelligence test.

In 1941 he was employed at Mill Hill Emergency Hospital , where he developed a language-based intelligence test called the Mill Hill Vocabulary Scale . In addition, he was entrusted with setting up a selection process for officers in Hemstead. During the Second World War, the progressive matrix tests were used to select candidates for open recruits and officers. From the mid-1940s onwards, these tests were gradually used in civilian life as part of personnel selection procedures.

JC Raven died unexpectedly on August 10, 1970. His sons continued his work and founded the test publisher JC Raven Ltd. in Scotland in 1972. under the direction of the eldest son Dr. John Raven.

Publications

year	designation	short form
1938	Standard progressive matrices	SPM
1940	Advanced Progressive Matrices	APM
1943	Mill Hill Vocabulary Scale	MHV
1958	Colored Progressive Matrices	CPM

literature

• JC Raven: Progressive Matrices. HK Lewis, London 1940.
• JC Raven: The Mill Hill Vocabulary Scale. HK Lewis, London 1943.
• J. Raven, JC Raven, JH Court: Raven's Progressive Matrices and Vocabulary Scales. Basic manual. Pearson Assessment, Frankfurt 2003.
• S. Bulheller, HO Häcker (Ed.): Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) . German processing and standardization according to JC Raven. Pearson Assessment, Frankfurt 1998.
• S. Bulheller, HO Häcker (Ed.): Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM) . German processing and standardization according to JC Raven. Pearson Assessment, Frankfurt 2002.
• R. Horn (Ed.): Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) . German processing and standardization according to JC Raven. 2nd Edition. Pearson Assessment, Frankfurt 2009.

Web links

• Dr. John Raven (son of John C. Raven)
• Mill Hill Emergency Hospital: 1939-1945