The Freshman: Thorndike College Entrance Tests, first semester grades, Binet tests

Abstract

The Thorndike Intelligence Examination for High School Graduates was given to 569 freshmen at the University of Pittsburgh. The college grades were expressed as sigma values and each freshman's rank-order determined by finding his average sigma. The average sigma values arranged in descending rank-order were compared with the corresponding rank-orders in the Thorndike tests. Forty of the upper rank-orders of the Thorndike test and 40 of the lower rank-orders were given the Binet Tests. "While there is a fairly high correlation between academic grades and the Thorndike tests, upon analysis the approximation is found to be too rough to permit exclusion, inclusion, or the assumption that the highest test group (above 95) is peculiarly superior." The college entrance tests are undoubtedly superior to any impressionistic estimates of freshmen. They need to be supplemented by an investigation of the high school course, etc. From Psych Bulletin 21:01:00166. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)