Classics in the History of Psychology

An internet resource developed by
Christopher D. Green
York University, Toronto, Ontario
ISSN 1492-3173

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"GENERAL INTELLIGENCE," OBJECTIVELY DETERMINED AND MEASURED

C. SPEARMAN (1904)

First published in American Journal of Psychology 15, 201-293


Posted May 2000

TABLE OF CONTENTS



Introductory.  PAGE
1. Signs of Weakness in Experimental Psychology 202
2. The Cause of this Weakness 203
3. The Identities of Science 204
4. Scope of the Present Experiments 205
Historical and Critical
1. History of Previous Researches 206
2. Conclusions to be drawn from these Previous Researches 219
3. Criticism of Prevalent Working Methods 222
Preliminary Investigation
1. Obviation of the Four Faults Quoted 225
2. Definition of the Correspondence Sought 226
3. Irrelevancies from Practice 227
     (a) Pitch 228
     (b) Sight 232
     (c) Weight 233
     (d) Intelligence 233
4. Irrelevancies from Age 233
5. Irrelevancies from Sex 235
6. The Elimination of these Irrelevancies 236
7. Alternations and Equivocalities 238
Description of the Present Experiments
1. Choice of Laboratory Psychics 241
2. Instruments 242
     (a) Sound 243
     (b) Light 244
     (c) Weight 245
3. Modes of Procedure 246
     (a) Experimental Series I 246
     (b)      "          "             II 247
     (c)      "          "             III 248
     (d)      "          "             IV 249
       (e)      "          "              V 249
4. The Estimation of Intelligence 249
5. Procedure in Deducing Results 252
     (a) Method of Correlation 252
     (b) Elimination of Observational Errors 253
     (c) Elimination of Irrelevant Factors 255
The Present Results
1. Method and Meaning of Demonstration 256
2. Correspondence between the Discrimination and the Intelligence 259
     (a) Experimental Series I 259
     (b)      "               "        II 263
     (c)      "               "        III 264
     (d)      "               "        IV 265
     (e) Conclusions 268
3. Correspondence between General Discrimination and General Intelligence 268
     (a) Village School 269
     (b) The High Class School 269
     (c) Practical Verification of the Argument  271
       (d) Conclusion 272
4. Universal Unity of the Intellective Function 272
5. The Hierarchy of the Intelligences 274
6. Outer Factors Determining the Amount of Correlation 277
7. Previous Researches Conflicting with the Present Results 279
8. Summary of Conclusions 283
Tabular Statements of Original Data and Calculated Correlations 286