Thurstone's theory of primary mental abilities
- Verbal comprehension (factor v). The verbal comprehension factor is associated with knowledge related to language in...
- Verbal fluency (w). This ability can be defined as the ability of a person to emit coherent and structured verbal...
- Numerical ability (n). Numerical aptitude tests consist primarily of basic...
What is Thurstones primary mental abilities?
Thurstones Primary Mental Abilities is a test created to measure the primary mental abilities of superior children. As a clinical test, it would measure these seven abilities: word fluency, verbal comprehension, spatial visualization, number facility, associative memory, reasoning, and perceptual speed in advanced children.
What is Thurstone's theory of intelligence?
Louis Leon Thurstone proposed theory in 1930's that intelligence is composed of several different factors. The seven primary mental abilities in Thurstone's model were verbal comprehension, word fluency, number facility, spatial visualization, associative memory, perceptual speed and reasoning. Click to see full answer.
What did John Thurstone contribute to psychology?
The new statistical techniques developed by Thurstone provided the necessary tools for his most enduring contribution to psychology: The Theory of Primary Mental Abilities, a model of human intelligence that challenged Charles Spearman's then-dominant paradigm of a unitary conception of intelligence.
What is the differential characteristic of Thurstone in relation to others?
The differential characteristic of this author in relation to others of the time was its focus on the multiple nature of intellectual skills, thus opposing the Spearman g factor. Louis Leon Thurstone (1887-1955) is considered one of the most influential authors in the field of psychometrics.
What is an example of Thurstone's primary abilities?
word fluency, verbal comprehension, spatial visualization, number facility, associative memory, reasoning, and perceptual (how fast you can throw a bunch of words and numbers together) speed.
What is Thurstone known for?
Thurstone was responsible for the standardized mean and standard deviation of IQ scores used today, as opposed to the Intelligence Test system originally used by Alfred Binet. He is also known for the development of the Thurstone scale.
What is intelligence explain Thurstone's theory of intelligence?
“Intelligence, considered as a mental trait, is the capacity to make impulses focal at their early, unfinished stage of formation. Intelligence is therefore the capacity for abstraction, which is an inhibitory process (Thurstone, 1924/1973 p. 159).”
What is the difference between Gardner and Thurstone's theories?
Thurstone believed that the nine factors he identified, when taken together, make up intelligence. Gardner, on the other hand, proposes that the seven different intelligences are independent of each other. believes that different kinds of intelligence all work together.
Who proposed theory of primary mental abilities?
Psychologist Louis L. ThurstonePrimary Mental Abilities Psychologist Louis L. Thurstone (1887–1955) focused on seven primary mental abilities rather than a single, general ability.
Thurstone's theory of intelligence
Louis Leon Thurstone (1887-1955) is considered one of the most influential authors in the field of psychometry. His main contribution is his theory of the 7 primary mental abilities, who opposed the unitary and hierarchical models of intelligence proposed by other pioneers such as Charles Spearman or P. E. Vernon.
The 7 Primary Mental Skills
After his first investigation, for which he used 56 different intelligence tests, Thurstone identified 9 factors or primary mental abilities.
1. Verbal comprehension (factor v)
The verbal comprehension factor is associated with knowledge related to language in all its manifestations; it would therefore include vocabulary, semantics, syntax or pragmatics. The tests that weighted in factor v include tests of reading comprehension, ordering of text segments, spelling, verbal analogies, etc.
2. Verbal fluency (w)
This ability can be defined as the ability of a person to emit coherent and structured verbal sequences quickly and naturally. To measure it, various types of tests that involve rapid speech production; thus, for example, the classic test of giving animal names that begin with a certain letter could be used.
3. Numerical ability (n)
Numerical aptitude tests consist primarily of basic mathematical calculations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Although they can be more complex, the factor n is mostly weighted for simple arithmetic tasks; the most relevant aspects are speed of operations and precision of responses.
4. Spatial aptitude (s)
The s factor is manifested in spatial orientation, in the representation of objects in space or in rotation tasks; since these are very broad capabilities, often spatial fitness is divided into two or three secondary factors. The relevant tests involve the prediction of movements, the comparison of figures from different perspectives, etc.
5. Associative memory (m)
This factor is associated with a specific aspect of memory: the ability to retain element pair associations. Thus, to measure associative memory, tests involving images, words (in visual or auditory format), symbols, etc are used; They can be presented in the same modality or in combinations of more than one of these materials.
What is Thurstones mental ability test?
Thurstones Primary Mental Abilities Test. To measure these abilities, each child would go through each of the seven mental abilities tests. For example, The Primary Mental Abilities – Reasoning, or PMA-R, would ask the child to complete a sequence of letters such as ijm, klm, mnm, and the answer would be “o” in the next series.
What was Thurstone's ability to solve?
Thurstone was able to apply his mathematical abilities to solve the contradictory results he would find in the Primary Mental Abilities testing and was able to address these issues in his Multiple Factor Analysis of which comprises of general factors as well as his seven abilities.
What did Louis Leon Thurstone want to do?
Louis Leon Thurstone had a vast interest in the measurement of mental functions, wanting to adapt statistical processes to psychological tests. Additionally, Thurstone wished to calculate the components of human knowledge using his seven factors.
When was Thurstone's test created?
Created in 1938 , Thurstone looked into each of these abilities after gaining interest in how the measurement of attitude and intelligence was being calculated. Thurstone’s testing found that mental abilities of children with similar IQ scores had differing primary mental abilities.
What are the primary mental abilities of a child?
As a clinical test, it would measure these seven abilities: word fluency, verbal comprehension, spatial visualization, number facility, associative memory, reasoning, and perceptual speed in advanced children. Louis Leon Thurstone had a vast interest in the measurement of mental functions, wanting to adapt statistical processes to psychological tests. Additionally, Thurstone wished to calculate the components of human knowledge using his seven factors. Thurstone also criticized the test methods behind ideal mental ages, setting the process into motion of using percentile ranges to identify comparisons in performances. His rating scale located individual attitudes as well as opinions in his rankings.>
What is the aptitude Thurstone denominated as?
Therefore, the aptitude that Thurstone denominated "speed of perception" refers to the speed with which we find the similarities and differences between several items.
Who is the most influential psychologist?
His main contribution is his theory of the 7 primary mental aptitudes , which opposed the unitary and hierarchical models of intelligence proposed by other pioneers such as Charles Spearman or P. E. Vernon.
What is Thurstone's approach to measurement?
Thurstone’s approach to measurement was termed the law of comparative judgment. He applied the approach in psychophysics, and later to the measurement of psychological values. The so-called ‘Law’, which can be regarded as a measurement model, involves subjects making a comparison between each of a number of pairs of stimuli with respect ...
What was Thurstone's work?
Factor analysis and work on intelligence. Thurstone was responsible for the standardized mean and standard deviation of IQ scores used today, as opposed to the Intelligence Test system originally used by Alfred Binet. He is also known for the development of the Thurstone scale. Thurstone’s work in factor analysis led him to formulate a model ...
What is inductive reasoning?
Inductive reasoning. This ability requires generalization—reasoning from the specific to the general. It is measured by tests, such as letter series, number series, and word classifications, in which the examinee must indicate which of several words does not belong with the others. Spatial visualization.
Where did Thurstone get his masters?
Thurstone originally received a masters in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 1912. Thurstone was offered a brief assistantship in the laboratory of Thomas Edison. In 1914, after two years as an instructor of geometry and drafting at the University of Minnesota, he enrolled as a graduate student in psychology at the University ...
What are the mental abilities?
From this point of view there are seven primary mental abilities: Verbal comprehension. This factor involves a person’s ability to understand verbal material. It is measured by tests such as vocabulary and reading comprehension. Verbal fluency.
Who is the founder of the theory of intelligence?
Thurston’s Theory of Intelligence. Louis Leon Thurstone (29 May 1887 – 30 September 1955) was a U.S. pioneer in the fields of psychometrics and psychophysics. He conceived the approach to measurement known as the law of comparative judgment, and is well known for his contributions to factor analysis.
Who proposed the theory of primary mental abilities?
The Theory of Primary Mental Abilities. Thurstone (1938) proposed a theory of primary mental abilities. Although this theory is not widely used today, the theory forms the basis of many contemporary theories, including two contemporary theories discussed later, those of Gardner (1983) and Carroll (1993).
