Statistics of Daedalus Test

Scores on Daedalus Test as of 25 June 2020

Contents type: Logical.   Period: 1999-present

• n: 36
• Median: 0.0
• Quartile deviation: 103.0
• Range: 224
• Maximum possible: 222
• Minimum possible: -1
• Male median: 0.0 (n = 35)
• Female median: -1.0 (n = 1)
• Resolution: 1.00

Correlation of Daedalus Test with other tests by I.Q. Tests for the High Range

Weighted average of correlations: 0.428 (N = 437, weighted sum = 186.88)

Conservatively estimated minimum g loading: 0.65

Ranking in above table is based on the unrounded correlations. All available data is present in this table, no tests are left out except for those with less than 4 score pairs. All known pairs are used, including possible floor/ceiling scores or outliers.

Remark: The correlations with other tests, and therewith the g loading, are depressed by the fact that this test, because of its unique nature, effectively works as a single item. Single items have limited reliability (which is why tests normally have several dozens of items at least; the error of individual items is then averaged out and their true score components are piled up) and reliability determines the upper limit of a test's (significant) correlation with any other variable. Reliability and g loading of this test are lower than those of regular I.Q. tests.

As some have pointed out, the reliability and g loading of the test could be raised by letting candidates send in multiple solutions at once, and reporting on the highest scoring solution among those. However, that would give candidates feedback on the correctness or falseness of the various solutions, and thus endanger the security of the test. The current policy will remain effective therefore: only one solution is allowed, and the possible lower reliability that results from thus limiting candidates is to be considered a price paid to keep the test's solutions secret.

Correlation of Daedalus Test with tests by others

Weighted average of correlations: -0.251 (N = 23, weighted sum = -5.77)

Ranking in above table is based on the unrounded correlations. All available data is present in this table, no tests are left out except for those with less than 4 score pairs. All known pairs are used, including possible floor/ceiling scores or outliers.

Please be aware that correlations with these external tests are in most cases affected (depressed, typically) by one or more of the following: (1) Little overlap with the object test because of the much lower ceilings and inherent ceiling effects of the tests used in regular psychology; (2) Candidates reporting scores selectively, for instance only the higher ones while withholding lower ones; (3) Candidates reporting, or having been reported by psychometricians, incorrect scores.

Estimated loadings of Daedalus Test on particular item types

These are estimated g factor loadings, but against homogeneous tests (containing only particular item types) as opposed to non-compound heterogeneous tests. Although tending to surprise the lay person, it is not uncommon for tests to have high loadings on item types they do not actually contain themselves. Such loadings reflect the empirical fact that most tests for mental abilities measure primarily g, regardless of their contents; that the major part of test score variance is caused by g, and only a minor part by factors germane to particular item types. It is of key importance to understand that this is a fact of nature, a natural phenomenon, and not something that was built into the tests by the test constructors.

N = 315

Compound tests have been left out of this table to avoid overlap.

Balanced g loading = 0.58

National medians for Daedalus Test

For reasons of privacy, only countries with 2 or more candidates are included in this table. Ranking is based on the medians, and then alphabetic.

Correlation with national I.Q.'s of Daedalus Test

Correlation of this test with national average I.Q.'s published by Lynn and Vanhanen:

• r = -0.00 (n = 32)

Correlation of Daedalus Test with personal details

Estimated g factor loadings upward and downward of particular scores

In parentheses the number of score pairs on which that estimated g factor loading is based. The goal of this is to verify the hypothesis that g becomes less important, accounts for a smaller proportion of the variance, at higher I.Q. levels. The mere fact of restricting the range like this also depresses the g loading compared to computing it over the test's full range, so it would be normal for both values to be lower than the test's full-range g loading.

This table illustrates that the test tends to work as a single item in that it separates the candidates largely into two groups; those who succeed and those who fail, with some discrimination within each group and some discrimination between the groups.

Reliability

Due to the fact that this test, effectively, consists of only one item, its reliability can not be computed from internal statistics as with multi-item tests. A single item will normally have much lower reliability than a multi-item test. Considering the apparent g loading of the test, the reliability should be at least about .65.

Scores by age

N = 33

Scores by year taken

r_{year taken × median score} = -0.53 (N = 36)

Robustness and overall test quality

• Robustness by chronological rank = 0.80
• Robustness by month = 0.79 (r_{raw scores × months} = -0.25)
• Quality = 0.803

Item analysis

Effectively, this test has only one item, so that item statistics in the usual sense can not be computed.