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An examination of the psychometric properties of a game-based assessment of cognitive ability
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614101895643136 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Apostoli, Bianca |
| author2 | Adams, Samantha |
| author_browse | Adams, Samantha Apostoli, Bianca |
| author_facet | Adams, Samantha Apostoli, Bianca |
| author_sort | Apostoli, Bianca |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description |
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131554 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:41.344Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131554 An examination of the psychometric properties of a game-based assessment of cognitive ability Apostoli, Bianca Adams, Samantha Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Psychological tests Psychometrics Human behavior -- Mathematical models Behavioral assessment UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH SUMMARY: South Africa has had a controversial political history concerning psychometric assessments, and this has prompted legislation to establish clear guidelines for its application. Assessments must be reliable, valid, unbiased and fair. It is imperative to ensure that the assessment being utilised accurately measures the intended construct. At the same time, given the country's rich cultural diversity, preventing unfair discrimination is of utmost importance. The initial step in achieving this is through validating the assessment. Therefore, it is paramount that new assessments are validated in the South African context to avoid unfair discriminatory practices and adverse impacts in the selection processes. This would reduce detrimental effects on individuals’ lives. This study sought to validate a new game-based cognitive ability assessment called Cognify in the South African context. The examination was specifically undertaken to ascertain Cognify’s efficacy in predicting academic performance within a student population. Cognify is a game-based assessment that measures general cognitive ability with the intended purpose of predicting job performance. Recent research has suggested using Cognify for other purposes such as student performance. Thus, this validation process used a cross-section research approach involving n = 219 Stellenbosch University students. The psychometric properties, reliability and validity, more specifically Construct, Convergent and Predictive validity, were analysed, and Cognify was compared to the Raven’s Progressive Matrices. It was found that Cognify demonstrates adequate reliability, strong construct validity, and fit for a single factor. Furthermore, it reveals moderate convergent validity and acceptable predictive validity. The findings collectively support the use of Cognify as a reliable and valid cognitive assessment for use in Stellenbosch University students. Given Cognify’s success in other countries, it was not surprising that the psychometric properties of this measure are sound in the South African sample of university students and that it is a moderate predictor of academic performance. However, it is recommended, given the homogeneity of the researched university, that further research is required. This study addresses the need for validation of new assessments in the South African context and provides evidence for its use amongst university students. The implications, limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika het 'n omstrede politieke geskiedenis met betrekking tot psigometriese assesserings, en dit het wetgewing aangespoor om duidelike riglyne vir die toepassing daarvan te stel. Assesserings moet betroubaar, geldig, onbevooroordeeld en regverdig wees. Dit is daarom noodsaaklik om te verseker dat die assessering wat gebruik word, die beoogde konstruk akkuraat meet. Terselfdertyd, gegewe die land se ryk kulturele diversiteit, is dit van die uiterste belang om onregverdige diskriminasie te voorkom. Die eerste stap om dit te bereik, is om die assesserings te valideer. Dit is dus van kardinale belang dat nuwe assesserings in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks gevalideer word om onregverdige diskriminerende praktyke en negatiewe impakte in keuringsprosesse te voorkom. Dit kan nadelige gevolge verminder in individuele mense se lewens. Hierdie studie het gepoog om 'n nuwe speletjie-gebaseerde kognitiewe vermoeassessering, Cognify, in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks te valideer. Die ondersoek is spesifiek onderneem om Cognify se doeltreffendheid in die voorspelling van akademiese prestasie binne 'n studentepopulasie vas te stel. Cognify is 'n speletjie-gebaseerde assessering wat algemene kognitiewe vermoe meet met die doel om werksprestasie te voorspel. Onlangse navorsing het voorgestel om Cognify vir ander doeleindes te gebruik, soos studenteprestasie. Die validasieproses het dus 'n deursnit-navorsingsbenadering gebruik wat n = 219 Stellenbosch Universiteit-studente betrek het. Die psigometriese eienskappe, betroubaarheid en geldigheid, meer spesifiek Konstruk, Konvergente en Voorspellende geldigheid, is ontleed, en Cognify is vergelyk met die Raven se Progressiewe Matrikse. Daar is bevind dat Cognify voldoende betroubaarheid en 'n sterk konstrukgeldigheid en toon dat dit pas by ‘n enkel-faktor model. Verder toon dit matige konvergente geldigheid en aanvaarbare voorspellende geldigheid. Die bevindinge ondersteun gesamentlik die gebruik van Cognify as 'n betroubare en geldige kognitiewe assessering vir gebruik onder Stellenbosch Universiteit-studente. Gegewe Cognify se sukses in ander lande, was dit nie verbasend dat die psigometriese eienskappe van hierdie maatstaf gesond is in die Suid-Afrikaanse steekproef van universiteitstudente nie, en dat dit 'n matige voorspeller van akademiese prestasie is. Dit word egter aanbeveel, gegewe die homogeniteit van die nagevorsde universiteit, dat verdere navorsing nodig is. Hierdie studie spreek die behoefte aan vir die validasie van nuwe assesserings in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks aan en bied bewyse vir die gebruik daarvan onder universiteitstudente. Die implikasies, beperkings en voorstelle vir toekomstige navorsing word ook bespreek. Masters 2025-01-24T13:37:58Z 2025-01-24T13:37:58Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131554 en_ZA Stellenbosch University x, 95 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Psychological tests Psychometrics Human behavior -- Mathematical models Behavioral assessment UCTD Apostoli, Bianca An examination of the psychometric properties of a game-based assessment of cognitive ability |
| title | An examination of the psychometric properties of a game-based assessment of cognitive ability |
| title_full | An examination of the psychometric properties of a game-based assessment of cognitive ability |
| title_fullStr | An examination of the psychometric properties of a game-based assessment of cognitive ability |
| title_full_unstemmed | An examination of the psychometric properties of a game-based assessment of cognitive ability |
| title_short | An examination of the psychometric properties of a game-based assessment of cognitive ability |
| title_sort | examination of the psychometric properties of a game based assessment of cognitive ability |
| topic | Psychological tests Psychometrics Human behavior -- Mathematical models Behavioral assessment UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131554 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT apostolibianca anexaminationofthepsychometricpropertiesofagamebasedassessmentofcognitiveability AT apostolibianca examinationofthepsychometricpropertiesofagamebasedassessmentofcognitiveability |