The evaluation of a method for finely graduated estimates of abilities

Abstract

Evaluates Thorndike's method of combining judges for estimation of abilities. 70 judges graded 140 seniors, each estimating 12 Ss on six traits. The average of four estimates on each student gave a fairly constant order of merit when estimated by teachers who knew the students personally. This method allowed for a quantitative estimate on a common standard without requiring all the members of the class to be known by the same person. The records supplemented the scholarship ratings of some students. Five traits estimated to be important in recommending graduates for employment were common sense, energy, initiative, leadership and reliability. Leadership was least correlated with scholarship ratings, and estimates of general ability showed highest intercorrelations with special traits. Different orders of merits were not achieved as a result of transmuted measures or scoring the estimates in divisions of the class. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)