An investigation of eleven mental abilities in Uganda children

Abstract

This study is concerned with the investigation of the existence of eleven factors of mental ability in relation to Guilford's structure-of-intellect model (SOl) in four samples of Ugandan school children. The factors investigated are five cognition factors: Speed of Closure (CFU) , Verbal Comprehension (CMU),Spatial Orientation (GFS),General Reasoning (CMS) and Visualization (CFT); two memory factors: Rote memory (MSR) and Number facility (MSI)one Divergent Production factor: tord Fluency (DSU); one Convergent Production factor: Flexibility of Closure (NFT); and two Evaluation factors: Perceptual Speed (EFU) and perceptual Speed (ESU). The investigation is divided into six chapters. Chapter one gives the historical background that led to psychological cross-cultural research in Africa. Chapter II discusses intelligence research in Africa with Special reference to East Africa. Chapter III deals with research on intellectual factors of the Africans and the experimental hypotheses. Chapter IV is the discussion of the eleven ability factors which wore investigated and tests used. Chapter V is the discussion of the experimental investigation and analysis of the results. Chapter VI gives a summary and conclusions. This is followed by appendices.and bibliography. A battery of 4 new experimental and 29 known tests wa s adil1inistc;red to four samp10s of pupils drawn from the two Higher School Certificate classes. Two samples were boys; Senior 5 boys and Senior 6 boys (S5M and S6M) and two samples were girls, Senior 5 female Dnd Senior 6 female (S5F and S6F). Four matrices were built up and factor analyzed, The correlation matrices were analysed by Rotelling's principal components method, yielding 11 components most of which were difficult to interpret before rotation and all of which were readily interpretable after orthogonal rotations. All eleven hypothesized factors in Guilford's structure-of-intellect model were confirmed in all 4 samples (except one factor which failed to appear in one sample. Agreement in the results from the four Samples was fairly good and the results substantiated all the experimental hypotheses.