Battery Of Psychomotor Tests Research Articles

The relationship between secondary function and some aspects of speed and tempo of behaviour

1. A battery of psychomotor and perceptual tests correlates with a paired comparisons rating, serving as a criterion of secondary function, to the extent of R = .606 ± .091 . 2 .Factor analysis shows that this criterion has projections on two indeoendent factors, of which only one, tentatively defined as “flexibility”, can be related to mental inertia and thus to secondary function. The other, representing unstructured motor speed. merits further investigation as an additional dimension of temperament. 3. It is probable, therefore, that the behaviour pattern to which primary- secondary function gives rise excludes such elementary aspects of speed of response as quickness of movements and gestures. but that it includes speed resulting from mobility and plasticity of behaviour at a more discriminative level. 4. The extent to which secondary function can be measured by means of objective tests needs to be studied anew, as the multiple correlation obtained in this investigation refers to a complex criterion, involving other factors besides secondary function. 5. Secondary function is shown to have wider behavioural implications than perseveration, defined in the older sense of mental inertia, and to differ conceptually from the more recent definition of perseveration as “disposition rigidity”. 6. Both unstructured motor speed and flexibility have saturations in alpha frequency, indicating their relation to level of excitability of the central nervous system. The physiological differentiation of the two factors remains obscure.

PSYCHOMETRIC PERFORMANCE OF CHILDREN RECEIVING AMPHETAMINE (BENZEDRINE) SULFATE

The effect of amphetamine sulfate upon the intelligence scores of 21 children was noted. Following therapeutic oral doses of 10 mg. and 20 mg. of the drug, performances on the revised Stanford- Binet scale and on a battery of psychomotor tests were not significantly affected. It is suggested that amphetamine sulfate may result in an apparent intellectual improvement in certain situations by its effect on the emotional attitude of the individual toward his task.