Gould

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

• to look critically at Colonel Yerkes’ intelligence testing of US army recruits in WW1 & his attempt to establish psychology as a scientific discipline

Question 2

Method

Answer 2

• Gould: review article
• Yerkes: self-report/IQ tests

Question 3

Sample

Answer 3

• 1.75m army recruits, USA WW1 - including white Americans, black ppl, European immigrants
• tested to measure ‘native abilities

Question 4

Procedure 1

Answer 4

Alpha Test
> for literate recruits
requires good basic understanding of Eng lang/skills

but
> instructions in English
> black men failing = not allowed to take beta test
> immigrants couldn’t take ~ 0 score
> competitions between camps - trained to take A test

Question 5

Procedure 2

Answer 5

Beta Test
> for illiterate/failed Alpha
> picture completion tasks

but
> pics culturally specific
> 3/7 parts had to be written
> 1/5 only took ~ not many tested
> lowered standards, too many passed?

Question 6

Procedure 3

Answer 6

Individual Spoken Exam
> failed both
> tested individually
> given grade A to E to determine job
> C = low average
> D = low intelligence, unskilled work

but
> not many tested ; inidividual = time consuming
> spoken examination system broke down