Columbia Mental Maturity Scale as a test of concept formation.

Examined the construct validity of the Columbia Mental Maturity Scale (CMMS) in terms of dimensions derived from conceptual behavior research, i.e., abstract or concrete exemplars and an oddity or pairing rule. The CMMS scores of 2 groups of 30 9-13 yr. old children of normal or borderline IQs were separated by type of card into 4 groups: concrete-oddity, abstract-oddity, abstract-pairing, and concrete-pairing. Significant differences between the percentage correct scores for each type of card were obtained. The order of difficulty for the type of card from easiest to hardest as listed above were reliable for Ss as a whole. The CMMS performance of Ss with normal IQs was superior to that of Ss with borderline IQs on all measures. Implications of findings for the diagnosis of disabilities in conceptual behavior are discussed. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)