The abstract thinking abilities of mental patients

Abstract

PROBLEMPsychological tests purporting t o measure abstract thinking play an important role in the armamentarium of the clinical psychologist ( l , 8* 11-2 2 ) . Since many differeiit kinds of tests are used from which inferences are made about patients' abstract thinking abilities, it is of interest t o determine the relationship among these alleged measures on a patient sample by means of factor analysis. Conceivably this might serve as a preliminary step toward evaluating the validity of certain commonly held clinical assumptions and help t o provide a systematic framework for test rationale within which clinicians can function more accurately and effectivelyc6> l4. 2 5 ) . The major purpose of this study is to search for common factors in a wide variety of clinical psychological measures which are assumed t o bear on the abstract thinking abilities of psychiatric patients.In order to investigate this problem, it was necessary to select certain psychological tests which are used to measure the ability to abstract or its loss. The major criterion for selection in the test battery was that the tests employed should throw light on the abstract thinking processes. It was considered advantageous for the battery to include both verbal and performance tests so as to encompass a greater variety of functions. Also it was desired that tests amenable t o quantification should be employed as well as tests enjoying popular clinical usage. TESTS The final battery of tests included the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale Form I subtests of Vocabulary, Similarities and Block Cesign("), an inverted Cigit Symbol test, the Rorschach (l),