DIRECTIONS: READ THE FOLLOWING BULLETED INSTRUCTIONS AND THEN RESPOND TO THE LEARNER THAT FOLLOWS:
PLEASE CITE REFERENCES.
• Look for a subject line that identifies the historical figure that is opposite of your selection.
• For example, if you reported on Galton, then respond to a learner's post on Cattell (or vice versa); and if you reported on Binet, then respond to a learner's post on Terman (or vice versa).
• By now, you will have learned how the two individuals in each dyad are connected in some meaningful way.
• Additionally, you will have discovered some differences in what they did and where they did it.
• Compare and contrast the information and rationale for greatest impact presented by the learner with your own choice and rationale for the individual you selected for the discussion.
• Discuss how the learner's post has contributed to or facilitated your knowledge about the history of tests and measurements both in the United States and abroad.
Darcy Despain
History has always had a big impact on the present. Looking at the realm of tests and measurements, there are four historical figures who paved the way for us today. These figures are Sir Francis Galton, James Cattell, Alfred Binet, and Lewis Terman. None of these men worked together in collaboration, however there are some similarities and differences between each of them. Each have left a mark on psychology, but Alfred Binet has made the greatest impact.
Let's take a look at the first two, Sir Francis Galton and James Cattell. Sir Francis Galton is known for his contributions to psychometric methods, applying the normal curve to individual differences, and developed the covariance. He is also known for creating the ability test, which he thought measured intelligence. These test measured low-level cognitive functions, reaction time, sensation & perceptions, and physical traits.
(Embretson, 2004) James Cattell was inspired by Galton and created a series of ability tests but considered them to be more of a mental test, which he believed measured intelligence by using sensory and perceptual tasks. Both Galton and Cattell used large samples for their tests, which were standardized and objective.
(Embretson, 2004) Because Cattell used Galton's work to base his work on, this made their "intelligence" tests similar, focusing on "simple, easy-to-measure capacities such as sensory discrimination and simple reaction time". (Siegler, 1992, p180) Whereas their testing concepts were similar due to measuring the senses and perceptions, they were also different because Galton's also measured abilities and physical traits. Moreover, Galton started the "intelligence" measurement movement over in London, while Cattell used his "intelligence" tests in the United States, targeting college students.
The next pair to look at is Alfred Binet and Lewis Terman. Alfred Binet was a Frenchman who studied psychology on his own, without formal schooling. He is attributed as the founder of the modern intelligence test. These tests consisted of higher-order cognitive tasks, that looked at judgement, comprehension and reasoning.
Binet stressed the importance of using empirical data and to use tasks that increased with age as well as those that tested school achievement. How one performed on these tasks would determine their mental age. Binet believe you could measure retardation by subtracting a person's mental age from their chronological age. (Embretson, 2004) Lewis Terman was an American psychologist who agreed with Binet's research and findings regarding measuring intelligence.
Terman took Binet's intelligence test and improved upon it by adding new tasks and criteria, changing the methodology, and standardizing the procedures, directions, and scoring, thus focusing on consistency within the test to improve reliability. These changes paved the way for what is now called the Standford-Binet Intelligence Scale, which is the IQ testing we use today. (Embretson, 2004) While Binet focused on mental age and how to measure retardation with his cognitive scales, Terman focused more on using his version of the IQ test to study gifted students.
In comparing Galton and Cattell with Binet and Terman, each of them were interested in measuring intelligence and individual differences. However, they went about it in different ways. Galton and Cattell were focused on simple cognitive functions that centered around the senses and perceptions.
In contrast, Binet and Terman focused their measurements on complex mental processes. (Siegler, 1992) Because Galton began his attempts to measure intelligence, Binet and the others were able to improve upon measuring intelligence, giving us the knowledge we have today in regards to cognitive performance.
Focusing on Alfred Binet as having the greatest impact on psychology, and specifically school psychology, he had thoughts, theories, and concepts back in the early 20th century that are still very relevant to what is being studied and discovered today. According to Rachel Philip (2016) and Robert Siegler (1992), Binet was working on various studies that would fall into developmental, experimental, educational and social psychology. Binet did a lot of work regarding children, which he published in his book Modern Ideas About Children.
In this book, he talks about the importance of performing psychological tests in schools. Because of Binet's work on measuring intelligence, it lead the way for France to gain control over education, which paved the way for "new secular governing principles, deriving from the social sciences." (Philip, 2016, p 84) This can be seen in the American education system as well.
Even though Binet is most widely known for the intelligence test, his insights into cognition and memory, were years ahead of it's time. Here we are 100 years later and experimental child psychology is just now starting to catch up to some of Binet's theories and findings. (Siegler, 1992) Binet was ahead of his time, much like when Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton all discovered things that were contrary to current belief. Because of his findings and the many books he wrote, we are now able to study and look at these insights, which are still having a major impact on the field of psychology as a whole.
References
Embretson, S. E. (2004). The Second Century of Ability Testing: Some Predictions and Speculations. Measurement 2(1), p 1-32.
Philip, R. (2016). Revisiting Ideas of Assessment through the Work of Alfred Binet. Educational Quest--An International Journal of Education and Applied Social Sciences, 7(2), p 79-85.
Siegler, R. S. (1992). The Other Alfred Binet. Developmental Psychology, 28(2), p 179-190.