What kind of task it is
This task asks you to find the rule in figures arranged in a 3x3 grid and choose the figure that fits the empty cell.
There are often patterns both across rows and down columns, so several rules may need to be seen and integrated at the same time. More than knowledge learned in language or school, the task asks for the ability to find rules in the figures in front of you.
The pattern types vary. Examples include coverage, where a specific element appears once in each row; progressive change, where size or rotation changes step by step; and logical operations based on overlays or differences between figures. In difficult items, several patterns may operate at the same time.
Matrix Reasoning is a task format that has been widely used in IQ testing as a reasoning task relatively less affected by language and knowledge.
What it measures
Within the five domains of BrainTypeIQ, this is one task that measures Gf (fluid reasoning). It is especially related to inductive reasoning, or finding a common rule from several examples.
The other Gf task, Figure Weights, handles reasoning that derives an answer from conditions. Matrix Reasoning handles pattern discovery.
- Matrix Reasoning = "What is the rule?" (induction)
- Figure Weights = "Given these conditions, what follows?" (deriving from conditions)
Even within Gf, the ability to find rules and the ability to use conditions to derive an answer are slightly different. BrainTypeIQ separates Matrix Reasoning and Figure Weights so that the way Gf appears can be read more clearly.
For Gf overall, see what fluid reasoning (Gf) is.
When the score is higher
When the Matrix Reasoning score is higher, common rules are easier to find from figures seen for the first time.
For example, while looking at several examples, it is easier to organize what stays the same and what changes. Even without an explanation at first, the mechanism is easier to grasp through trial and comparison. Attention is more likely to go to the direction of change and combinations, rather than only to surface appearance.
This ability appears when entering a new problem format or searching for a rule that has not yet been explained in words. It is close to the process of finding structure in unfamiliar information, not to the amount of knowledge itself.
When the score is lower
Even when the Matrix Reasoning score is lower, it cannot by itself judge cognitive ability as a whole. Several factors overlap in the score.
- High load from tracking rows and columns together - Horizontal and vertical rules need to be integrated
- Judging from only part of the rule - It is easy to choose based only on the visible element among shape, number, direction, and overlap
- Influence from visual complexity - When figures are detailed, attention can go to features unrelated to the rule
Matrix Reasoning makes Gf easier to see, but it also includes visual tracking load. Within Gf, deriving an answer from conditions is more likely to appear in Figure Weights, while handling shapes and positions in the mind also appears in Paper Folding and Visual Puzzles.
BrainTypeIQ is an online IQ test with 9 tasks, including Matrix Reasoning, that shows overall IQ and the five-domain cognitive profile. Reading several tasks together, rather than one task alone, makes the meaning of the result easier to see.
For reading the report, see How to read the report.