General Mental Ability Test Research Articles

Comparison of the Pintner and Otis-Lennon Scores of Caucasian Boys in First Grade

The Pintner-Cunningham Primary Test-Revised Edition (Pintner, Cunningham, & Durost, 1965 ) and the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test, Primary I1 Level (Otis & Lennon, 1967) are two tests of general mental ability for young children. The Pintner is designed to be used with children from the second half of kindergarten through Grade 2 whereas the Primary I1 Level of the Otis-Lennon is designed to assess the mental abilities of pupils enrolled in the first half of the first grade. Both instruments are entirely pictorial in content. Directions for both instruments ate given orally. Administration times for the Pintner and Otis-Lemon are 25 and 30 to 35 min., respectively. Data were collected from 41 6-yr.-old Caucasian boys (mean age = 76 mo., SD = 1.2) who were enrolled in an integrated public school system in South Central Alabama. These first grade children were from upper-lower class socioeconomic background. The Pintner and Otis-Lennon were administered in randomized order by a white female school counselor unfamiliar to the examinees approximately 3 wk. after the initial enrollment in the first grade and within one week of each other. The purpose was to identify boys who might benefi't from further psychometric testing. Mean IQs for the Pintner and Otis-Lennon were 81.11 and 84.44, respectively, with standard deviations of 11.90 and 12.95, respectively. The mean IQ on the Pintner was lower than the mean IQ on the Otis-Lemon (t = -1.49). A Pearson r of .56 was computed between the Pintner and Otis-Lemon IQs. As, for these 6-yr.-old white boys, the Otis-Lennon mean IQs were higher than those on the Pintner and the correlation between the rwo instruments was .56 suggests that the tests are not directly comparable although both the Pintner and Otis-Lennon purport to measure general mental ability.

Chapter II: Development and Application of Tests of General Mental Ability

Chapter II: Development and Application of Tests of General Mental Ability

Development and Application of Tests of General Mental Ability

THIS CHAPTER is concerned with tests which purport to provide an overall index of intellectual skills. Although such tests appear to be becoming more objectionable to many researchers on the grounds that they lack theoretical bases or that they fail to do justice to all aspects of human intellect, they nevertheless continue to demonstrate great usefulness in many applied and research activities. Throughout this review, an attempt has been made to indicate the specific test used; the reader should keep in mind that results cited for a test do not necessarily generalize to all tests classified under the heading being discussed. During the period reviewed, the largest number of studies pertained to predictive validity and analysis of test intercorrelations. There appeared to be an increase in studies contributing to knowledge of construct validity through the study of predicted relationships to such variables as ease of learning and cultural characteristics; this trend is encouraging. Of the persistent issues, only a few associated with measures of general ability appeared to be reaching the stage where a fairly definitive answer would be possible.

Chapter II: Development and Applications of Tests of General Mental Ability

Chapter II: Development and Applications of Tests of General Mental Ability

Development and Applications of Tests of General Mental Ability

THIS review is concerned primarily with the literature since 1955. However, because the report by Stanley (71) in 1953 is the latest REVIEW chapter on this topic, a few references from the 1952-55 period are included. In eliminating potential references to meet space commitments, the review was made as comprehensive as possible and was restricted to studies most relevant for workers in education. Coverage in many areas may consequently appear thin, but the number of studies reviewed is not necessarily indicative of the total amount of work on a given test or topic. Many studies of more clinical than educational interest were purposely excluded. This chapter was further limited generally to singleor double-score tests of intelligence.

Profile of the Mechanical Engineer. I. Ability

SummaryA group of 240 mechanical engineers in a large manufacturing plant were examined with a battery of general mental ability and engineering aptitude tests. Percentile norms are presented. Comparisons of relative proficiency were made with test norms for the general population. It was found that mechanical engineers were clearly superior on all tests. Insofar as comparisons could be made between different normative groups, no greater superiority was found on tests which are usually regarded as indicative of engineering aptitude, such as Mechanical Comprehension and Space Relations, than on tests of general intelligence. The engineers also did as well on verbal as on non‐verbal tests. Mechanical Comprehension was much easier for them than Space Relations.

Chapter II: Development and Applications of Tests of General Mental Ability

Chapter II: Development and Applications of Tests of General Mental Ability

Development and Applications of Tests of General Mental Ability

BECAUSE intelligence tests permeate most areas of education and psychology, the writer has found it imperative arbitrarily to omit much clinical material from this chapter and to treat the literature on individual differences very lightly in order to prevent his bibliography from preempting all space allotted for comments. Thus a number of important and interesting studies in related areas get little or no recognition here.

The new Army individual test of general mental ability.

The new Army individual test of general mental ability.

Army Instruments of Individual Appraisal

In addition to the tests universally used in classifying men in the Army (see “Every Man in the Right Place,” Lieut. George P. Warner, Occupations, Oct., 1941, p. 3), there are other tests used by different organizations within the Army for a variety of purposes. The Army Air Corps, for example, uses a group of aptitude and achievement tests in selecting recruits for its technical schools. A Weather Aptitude Test, a combination of general mental ability and physics achievement test, has been found to have a high correlation with grades of students who attend the Weather Observers School. A special battery of clerical tests is used in selecting students for the special Air Corps Clerical School. Shop mathematics is covered in another test and is used as a part of the general Mechanical battery. Tests of the surface development and mechanical movements types are also included. Parachute riggers, Link Trainer service men, airplane mechanics, weather observers, photographers, radio operators are all selected for training partially upon the basis of test scores.The factor of interest is probably given greater consideration in the selection of men for the Air Corps than in any other branch of the service. Men entering the Air Corps are informed about the different courses and the nature of the work. If they have a high school education and their score on the Army General Classification Test is at the 50th percentile or above, they may choose the technical school they wish to attend. Aptitude and achievement tests are used to verify the wisdom of a man's choice. Only when the odds are hopelessly against success in his chosen school is he encouraged to make a different choice.