(5) The intelligence quotient decreases with age, and more for the higher than for the lower grades. (6) The intelligence quotient of cases above the average will increase with age instead of decrease, for the same reason that it will decrease for cases below average. E. MULHALL ACHILLES (Columbia) 249. REAM, M. J., Group Will-Temperament Tests. J. of Educ. Psychol., 1922, 13, 7-16. Ream describes a modification of the Downey Will-Profile test for group testing, developed by the Bureau of Personnel Research at Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh. Each part of the group test is described and compared with the original Downey test. Coefficients of correlation show the relation between the scores obtained by a group of 23 persons tested with both the individual and the group forms. It is concluded that the group test is "a fairly satisfactory approximation of the Downey individual test." The group test has been given to 500 insurance salesmen. As 125 of these salesmen had sales records in the form of amount of insurance sold, the diagnostic value of the tests for insurance sales ability could be determined. Two charts are presented to show the discriminative value of the tests with two separate groups of salesmen. It is concluded that "the tests are of positive value in predicting success in selling insurance." A. T. POFFENBERGER (Columbia) 250. RUGG, H. O., Is the Rating of Human Character Practicable? J. of Educ. Psychol., 1921, 12, 425-538, 485-501; 1922, 13, 30-42, 81-93. The data presented in this extended report, gathered under conditions practically impossible to duplicate, form the basis for a severe indictment of character rating scales. There are, according to the author, conditions under which the rating of human character by rating scales is possible, but these conditions cannot be fulfilled where such ratings are needed, e.g., in the public schools. They are: (1) Each final rating given a person must be the average of at least three independent ratings, each one made on a scale as objectified as the man-to-man-comparison type of scale. This is the kind of scale devised by Scott, on which the units are represented by persons known to the one who does the rating, who must construct his own scale. The correlations of intelligence judged by individual judges and objectively measured by the Army Alpha test in the case of 15 groups of 300 officers each were practically zero. (2) The scales on which the ratings are made must be comparable and equivalent, having been made in conference under skilled instructors. An examination of rating scales shows that they may be comparable at the extremes but widely divergent in the middle, alike at the lower end but otherwise dissimilar, etc. Even where the scales are in fair agreement, the ratings made against them may be widely divergent, or where the scales lack equivalence, the ratings made against them may be in agreement. Finally, exact agreement in comparing one man with another may be paralleled by large disagreement in comparing him with a third. (3) The three raters must be so thoroughly acquainted with the person rated that they are competent to judge. "The data that we studied during the investigation were impressive, pointing to the conclusion that estimates depend closely upon intimacy of acquaintance and that it is important to evaluate the competency of the rater." Each of these three conclusions is supported by an array of data which would seem to settle the matter of the validity of rating scales once for all. The author makes a plea for objective measures of social and dynamic traits as the real solution of the problem of character measurement. A. T. POFFENBERGER (Columbia) 251. STENQUIST, J. L., Constancy of the Stanford Binet I.Q. as shown by Retests. J. of Educ. Psychol., 1922, 13, 54-56. Stenquist answers the criticisms made against his findings of variability of the I.Q. as due to poor testing. He suggests that the greater variability found by him may be due to improvement through growing acquaintance with the English language on the part of foreign-language-speaking children. He also points out the difference between the variations in the I.Q. in the individual case and variations "on the average," and believes that the serious individual misplacement occurs frequently enough to make the question of the constancy of the I.Q. a very important one. A. T. POFFENBERGER (Columbia) 252. GEYER, D. L., The Reliability of Rankings by Group Intelligence Tests. J. of Educ. Psychol., 1922, 13, 43-49. The usual method of testing the reliability of intelligence test scores by the size of coefficients of correlation of various sorts is departed from in this paper. The author asks to what extent the order of intelligence of a group of persons depends upon the particular test used, and to what extent the groupings of a class of students into sections on the basis of intelligence test scores will be dependent upon the particular test used. Concerning two group tests, he says, "If the 120 pupils had been divided on the basis of the intelligence scores of one test into four class sections of ordinary size, 51.6 per cent of them would have been in the wrong section according to the other test, and 31.8 per cent of them would have been out of place by an amount equal at least to half the range of such a class section." Comparison of other pairs of group tests are made with somewhat similar results. The significance of these differences is discussed, and the question is raised as to whether the tests really measure the same thing. The discrepancy between the size of reliability coefficients for the tests and the coefficients showing the relations between the tests gives point to the question. A. T. POFFENBERGER (Columbia) 253. HENMON, V. A. C., and LIVINGSTON, W. F., Comparative Variability at Different Ages. J. of Educ. Psychol., 1922, 13, 17-29. The belief in increased variability during the adolescent period, which forms the basis of certain educational practices in the grades and secondary schools, is subjected to critical examination. The authors make a survey of the data available from a variety of sources on physical and mental measurements at different ages. The law of increasing variability at adolescence holds for height and weight, but it is very evident that it "does not hold for mental traits, so far as the groups for which measurements are available are concerned. On the contrary, there is in the school groups a marked reduction in variability at adolescence as contrasted with childhood." Two reasons for this reduced variability are discussed, namely, the factor of selection and inadequacy of training for the higher levels of intelligence. "In any case pedagogical inferences are based on the normal school population," and this population does not show increased variability at adolescence. A table of data is presented which shows a slightly greater variability among boys than among girls in both physical and mental traits. A. T. POFFENBERGER (Columbia) 254. CAPEN, S. P., A Year of the Educational Research Com mittee. J. of Educ. Psychol., 1922, 13, 98-104. This is a report of the first year's activities of the Educational Research Committee appointed by the Director of the Commonwealth Fund. The general lines of research which will be supported and the conditions under which grants of money will be given are outlined. There is a brief description of the investigations now being conducted. The following extract from the paper should be of interest: "The Educational Research Committee believes that there should be many more appeals for subventions than have thus far come to it and that requests should be made by a much wider range of institutions. Indeed, the conditions of the grant and the policy of the Committee are so flexible that any first-class project which can be clearly defined and budgeted is likely to receive favorable consideration." A. T. POFFENBERGER (Columbia) 255. ZIRBES, L., Research Problems Raised in Recent Issues of Educational Periodicals. J. of Educ. Psychol., 1922, 13, 1-6. This study of the contents of nine educational journals (about 3 recent issues of each) is intended to show the trend of research and the problems mentioned as needing solution. The unsolved problems are classified under seven heads, as follows: (1) Mental tests. (2) Curriculum studies. (3) Studies of Administration and supervision. (4) Educational test problems. (5) Learning studies. (6) Rating scale problems. (7) Problems of statistical methods and devices. Altogether there are sixty-four problems mentioned. This list should be very suggestive for persons seeking research problems with a practical educational bearing. A. T. POFFENBERGER (Columbia) 256. BIRD, G. E., The Devious Path of Slow Work. J. of Educ. Psychol., 1922, 13, 50-53. The difference in the character of motor reactions in slow and rapid work which has become an important fact in industrial efficiency is shown to have its counterpart in mental activity. The devious path in space of the slow movement is paralleled by the devious neurone paths traversed in slow mental work. Speed in solving arithmetic problems is correlated positively with accuracy. The introspections of subjects during slow and fast work showed the presence of distractions during slow work which were absent during rapid work. These distractions include a variety of imagery, unnecessary repetition of numbers, physical uneasiness, losing one's place, etc. Since fast motions are essentially different from slow motions, learning methods should emphasize speed in order that the method learned may be the method that will be finally used. A. T. POFFENBERGER (Columbia) 12. ΜΕΝTAL EVOLUTION 257. HONIGMANN, H., Untersuchungen über die Lichtempfindlichkeit und Adaptierung des Vogelauges. Arch. f. d. ges. Physiol., 1921, 189, 1-72. Untersucht wurden junge und ausgewachsene Hühner in reinen spektralen Lichtern. Die Lichtintensität wurde variiert, indem das Lichtbündel zwei Nikolsche Prismen passierte, von denen das eine gedreht werden konnte. Schwellenprüfung durch Aufpickenlassen von Reiskörnern aus Vertiefungen des Bodenbretts. Sehr scharfe Schwellenwerte. Junge, helladaptierte Hühner sehen rotes Licht sehr viel heller als helladaptierte Menschen! Mit der Geschlechtsreife sinkt die Empfindlichkeit für kurzwellige Lichter. Dunkeladaptation ist vorhanden, tritt aber viel langsamer ein als beim Menschen. Bei Dunkeladaptation ist das Menschenauge für Rot dem Hühnerauge überlegen. Während der Adaptation steigt die relative Empfindlichkeit für kurzwellige Strahlen (Purkinjesches Phänomen). BETHE (Frankfurt a/M.) 258. ZÜHLSDORFF, E., Die mechanistische Unterströmung in der modernen Tierpsychologie. Deutsche Schule, 1921, 25, 251-255. Wägt die von der Naturwissenschaft herkommende Tierpsychologie gegen die von der Psychologie ausgehende gegeneinander ab. Würdigt das Verdienst der ersteren in Bezug auf den exaktwissenschaftlichen Unterbau, den sie der Lehre von der starken Gebundenheit des Willens im Naturgesetzlichen gegeben hat. BOGEN (Berlin) |