Differential responses among college students on the vocabulary subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale.

Abstract

Geretein (1) in an article in the Journal of Consulting Psychology in 1949 suggests a relationship between the use of language and the underlying cognitive process involved. She proposes placing more emphasis on this relationship instead of merely determining whether or not the subject has given the correct definition of a word on a vocabulary test. That is, one should, in addition to determining whether the definition is correct or incorrect, attempt to differentiate the type of definition which is considered correct.Reichard, Schneider and Rappaport (#) using the Goldstein-Weigl (3) color-sorting test as an instrument for investigating concept formation in children arrived at the conclusion that there exist three basic methods for forming concepts: (a) the concretistic, (b) the functional and (c) the conceptual.Gerstein on the basis of the Reichard, Schneider and Rappaport study feels that the same three methods of concept formation which were exhibited in that study to solve a performance problem may also be used in classifying the definitional levels of responses to verbal stimuli. She suggests the following three classifications which parallel the aforementioned three: (a) the concretistic or descriptive method which is considered to be at the lowest level of verbalized definitions (the most primitive level), e.g., "an apple is red" or "a diamond is very hard and glitters, shines and sparkles"; (b) the functional or usage method, a more complex level and considered to be at the next higher level of verbalized definitions, e.g., "a coat is something you wear to keep warm" or "a microscope is used to make observations of minute objects"; and (c) the categorical or conceptual or abstract method, the most complex method and considered to be at the highest level of verbalized definitions, e.g., "wood is a fuel" or "a bicycle is a means of transportation".

Research with the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale: 1950-1955.

“…A similar result was obtained when concentrating on S answers (113). In the most recent study, Stacey and Spanier (115) switched to superiors for a study of V responses. The functional was actually associated with lower intelligence than was the descriptive-type definition.…”

“…Subnormals failed to confirm the predictions of frequency of occurrence for the three types of definitions for V (114). A similar result was obtained when concentrating on S answers (113). In the most recent study, Stacey and Spanier (115) switched to superiors for a study of V responses.…”

“…A series of studies by Stacey and others (113,114,115) investigated Gerstein's hypothesis about conceptual performance. Gerstein designates the descriptive definition as lowest in intellectual requirements, while the functional is intermediate; and the conceptual definition is most associated with high intelligence.…”

Differential responses among college students on the vocabulary subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale.

“…In two separate studies, Stacey and Portnoy (4,5) attempted to test the hypothesis put forth by Gerstein. Both studies used groups of individuals that were subnormal in intelligence as determined by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale.…”

The abstract thinking abilities of mental patients

“…In all an eleven-test battery was used from which estimates of thirty-two variables were obtained. Fourteen of the variables came from the Rorschach test, (variables 1 through 14), four from the Similarity-Dif 'erence Association test4 (variables 16,17,18,19) POPULATION Fifty white, male hospital patients were randomly selected as subjects from the Acute Intensive Treatment section of the Veterans Administration Neuro-psychiatric Hospital a t North Little Rock, Arkansas. The mean age of the sample at the time of testing was 31.1 years with a standard deviation of 8.4.…”