On the Technique of Establishing the “Goodness” of an Intelligence Test

Abstract

The following discussion on the technique of certain methods of evalu ating tests is the result of examining somewhat critically the methods pro posed by Dr. V. A. Jones in his recent monograph, The Effect of Age and Experience on Tests of Intelligence.1 The purpose of Dr. Jones' monograph is to investigate the influence of chronological age upon mental age. The methods used are those of partial correlation and the K index. The latter will be explained presently. It is, of course, important to measure mental maturity as distinct as possible from the effects of chronological age, environmental factors, health, etc. Jones has a group of twenty-six tests which he ranks from one to twenty-six as he considers best for measuring MA independently from CA. The total population used in this study is 487. The author classifies the population into three groups: (1) Richmond Sampling, 208 white children from the lower half of the fifth grade. (2) Miscellaneous Sampling, grades 5-7, population 179. (3) Miscellaneous Sampling, grades 3-4, population of 100. The tests studied were the subtests, totaling twenty-six, from the following: National Intelligence Test, Scale A; National Intelligence Test, Scale B ; Haggerty Intelligence Examination, Delta 2 ; Otis Group Intelligence Scale, Advanced; and the Otis Group Intelligence Scale, Primary, for grades 3 and 4.2 Jones uses two criteria to establish the goodness of a test ; first, that the partial correlation between rsma<ca should approach 1, where s can stand for any subtest ; second, that the partial correlation rs ca.ma should approach zero.