Mental Attributes Profiling System: Difference between revisions

The Mental Attributes Profiling System (MAPS) is a language independent screening test, i.e., relies on cognitive rather than language-based measures, capable of predicting children at risk (possible dyslexics) and equipping teachers with a profile of their mental abilities so as to design personalized remediation programs.

Fig. 1. Examples of three out of the 8 interfaces used in the study reported here to evaluate non-verbal mental attributes. Categorization ability (left) orientation (center) and navigation (right).  

The test (Fig. 1; Left) presents an object on the lower part of the screen and invites the subject to “drag” it in one of three squares that represent different “worlds,” for which there is a match. The following “categories” were tested: (1) Objects of different color to be placed in one of three possible “colored worlds,” i.e., squares of three different colors; (2) One geometrical object, (i.e., triangular, circular, or rectangular), to be placed in its corresponding world, i.e., the squares contained triangular, circular or rectangular shapes respectively; (3) A plant matched as a vegetable, a tree, or a flower. (4) An animal (or fish) to be placed in one of three possible environments: sea, sky, or open fields. (5) Objects usually found in a home environment, to be “placed” in one of three rooms of a house (office, kitchen, or bathroom), i.e., as in the example snapshot shown in Fig. 1 (left). The software measured the time to response and whether the move was correct or false. For this study we used only the average response time (i.e., the cumulative response time of each test divided by 5: (ctt1+ctt2+...ctt5)/5 in Table 1), as it has been shown previously to have a higher correlation than the Correct/False values.

Orientation: “Left-Right Game” Lateral awareness Test

The Navigation test (Fig 1; Right) consists of an 8x8 matrix of small pieces of cheese and a mouse. The computer instructs the subject to move the mouse in one of eight possible directions to “eat” the corresponding piece of cheese: Up, Right-up, Right, Right-Down, Down, Left-down, Left, and Left-up. The instructions are given both visually (with the aid of a small arrow) and/or orally. For the tests reported here the instructions were given only orally. The software measured the total number of correct responses and the total number of correct responses divided by total number of trials.

The main screen of the test features two human-like figures, who “speak” a word, one after the other. The subject is asked to decide whether the two words are the same or different by clicking on an “” or a “•” sign. Each word includes consonants, which sound similar and are therefore confused by weak readers and especially by dyslexics in the Greek language. The following letter combinations were tested: (1) φ-β, (2) δ-θ, (3) ζ-σ, (4) χ-γ, (5) τ-ντ, (6) κ-γγ/γκ, (7) π-μπ, (8) τσ-στ, (9) γ-γγ/γκ, (10) ξ-κς. In additional sets, the test also evaluates the ability of the child to differentiate between the same letter combinations when they are embedded in non-sense words. The test kept record of the time and correctness of each instance. In Tabl.1 adtt(1), adtt(2),...adtt(n) are used to denote the time taken to respond to each card presented.