Anne Anastasi

The Concept of Validity in the Interpretation of Test Scores

with some independently observed criterion of the behavior under consideration. It is only as a measure of a specifically defined criterion that a test can be objectively validated at all. For example, unless we define &dquo;intelligence&dquo; as that combination of aptitudes required for successful school achievement, or for survival on a certain type of job, or in terms of some other observable criterion, we can never either prove

The K-ABC in Historical and Contemporary Perspective

The K-ABC is examined within the setting of contemporary ability testing, with particular attention to the evolution of current psychometric concepts and methods, as well as the historical sources of popular misconceptions. The discussion focuses on five key questions relevant to test construction and to the interpretation of test results : what intelligence tests measure, the effects of training on the development of intelligence, cultural differences in the meaning of intelligence, how to construct valid tests, and the differentiation between aptitude and achievement testing. When examined in this light, the K-ABC reveals sophisticated application of current test construction methodology. Like any psychological test designed for intensive individual assessment, however, it requires an examiner thoroughly knowledgeable about both clinical assessment procedures and research findings in the psychology of individual differences.

A Survey of the Literature on Artistic Behavior in the Abnormal: II. Approaches and Interrelationships

The artistic behavior of the abnormal has been regarded from such divergent viewpoints and has been related to such a multiplicity of other artistic phenomena that it is difficult to classify and synthesize the material in any definitive manner. The present article is concerned with the basic approaches to the problem of insane art,, with the relation of such a problem to the fields of primitive, child, “populistic,” and modern and fantastic art, and with special consideration of the questions of genius and insanity in art and the relationship between artistic ability and personality traits. This article represents the second in a series of literature surveys covering different aspects of the major field of artistic behavior in the abnormal. The first article of the series (Anastasi and Foley 1941a) deals with historical and theoretical background, the material being classified geographically and chronologically; the third article (Anastasi and Foley 1940b) is devoted to a survey of the literature dealing with spontaneous productions of the insane; the fourth article (Anastasi and Foley 1941b) surveys the purely experimental investigations; further articles are concerned with the literature on special related phenomena, such as “trance” or mediumistic drawings and prison art. These articles, although autonomous, should logically be considered together and in sequence. It should be constantly kept in mind, as indicated in the other papers, that the term “artistic behavior” is here used to denote the patient’s concrete behavior in the activities of drawing, painting, modeling, writing, composing or playing, without recourse to value judgments of any sort whatever.

Sex differences: Historical perspectives and methodological implications

Abstract Apart from its historical interest, early psychological research on sex differences provides methodological and interpretive insights and permits the comparison of sex differences under different societal conditions. Conclusions about sex differences from published studies should consider sample size, differential selection, overlapping of distributions, psychometric properties of the measuring instruments, and nature of the constructs employed as a basis for sex comparisons In order to advance from a description of sex differences to an understanding of the operation of biological and cultural factors in their etiology, male and female differences in both cognitive and personality variables should be investigated under changing cultural conditions. Examples of etiological hypotheses that can be tested through such an approach are followed by some illustrative findings on changing sex differences over time. The need for well-designed cohort studies spanning critical periods of societal change is indicated.

An Empirical Comparison of Certain Techniques for Estimating the reliability of Speeded Tests

IT has been repeatedly demonstrated, both theoretically and empirically, that the reliability coefficients of speeded tests may be completely meaningless when computed by the usual single-trial, or &dquo;internal consistency,&dquo; procedures (1, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12). Split-half techniques and those based upon inter-item consistency, such as the Kuder-Richardson formulas, may yield spuriously high coefficients when applied to speed tests. An examination of the procedures followed in finding such reliability coefficients will show that these coefficients are based upon the consistency in number of errors made by the subject. In so far as individual differences in test scores depend upon speed of work, however, the measures of reliability must be based upon consistency in speed as well as in errors. In the

Commentary on the Precocity Project

First I should like to underscore a point made by Stanley in his paper. The social value of any efforts to identify and cultivate outstanding talent should need no justification. Yet in the present humanitarian surge of interest in the mentally retarded, the brain-damaged, and the physically disabled, we may lose sight of societys continuing need for the talented. Remember that it is discoveries by talented researchers in biochemistry, neurology, psychology, and other sciences that underlie current improvements in the condition and functioning level of the handicapped. Good intentions without the requisite knowledge base are not enough. Society needs the maximum cultivation and utilization of human talent—wherever found and in all fields of human endeavor—in order to improve the quality of life for all of us.

Experiential structuring of psychological traits

Abstract The major object of this article is to examine the part that the organization of our experiences may play in the structuring of our psychological traits. How does an individuals learning history influence the formation of his or her psychological traits? This question is approached by considering the traits identified in diverse contexts that provide substantially different experiential histories for the developing individual. Examples of such contexts are taken from research on (1) affective and cognitive domains, (2) academic and practical intelligence, (3) trait development in different species, (4) trait structure across the life span, and (5) cross-cultural trait comparisons. Special attention is given to the role of formal schooling in the formation of cognitive traits and to the contribution of such technological developments as phonetic writing, counting and numerical systems, and Computers.

An Empirical Study of the Applicability of Sequential Analysis to Item Selection

ESSENTIALLY, the sequential test of an hypothesis consists in taking observations one at a time and deciding after each observation whether to (i) accept the hypothesis, (2) reject the hypothesis, or (3) make an additional observation (9; 10; 3, chapter 18). To make such a decision, it is necessary to set up probability tables showing the critical region for each sample size, with the acceptance and rejection points at the desired

Relationship between Masculinity-Femininity and Creativity as Measured by the Franck Drawing Completion Test

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that creative Ss share more of the traits commonly associated with the opposite sex than do noncreative Ss. The Franck Drawing Completion Test (FDCT) protocols of 240 high school students, equally divided in terms of sex and creative-versus-control status, were analyzed. The results confirmed the validity of the masculinity-femininity (M-F) scale of the FDCT for adolescents (p < .001) but did not support the hypothesis. The principal explanation for the latter finding seems to be that the FDCT does not measure those aspects of the M-F variable which creative Ss share with the opposite sex. Previous studies with the FDCT have also confirmed its validity as a measure of M-F but have been unable to specify exactly which aspect of M-F it taps.

The tetrad-difference criterion and the measurement of mental traits

In the physical sciences progress in precise measurement seems to consist largely in an increasing refinement both of the tools used and of the things measured. In physics, for example, with increasing precision in measurement, the molecule, the atom, and the electron have successively been regarded m ultimates-and the end is not yet. What is true of the physical sciences is becoming increasingly true of psychology, although progress here has not been so great, nor can steps in the refinement of measures be so clearly indicated. One of the reasons for this slackness has been the enormous popularity of the “general intelligence” tests. The really astonishing success of the Binet and the Army Alpha tests of general intelligence set many psychologists hard at work attempting to find measures of this broad hypothetical ability. Opinions &s to what constitutes general intelligence have been many and varied-and often contradictory (29)t; but most psychologists have believed, or have seemed to believe, that a.wide range of worksamples involving the knowledge and use of words and numbers would, when combined into a total score, give a valid index of general ability. There are today nearly a score of tests of general intelligence varying much inter se aa to Iength and content. The positive correlation among these tests indicates clearly that they are measuring much in common; while their lack of perfect correlation shows even more clearly that they