The 1940 Mental Measurements Year Book
- Author:
Oscar Krisen JBuros.
Published by Mental Measurements Year Book at Highland Park, New Jersey, U.S.A., 1941, pp. 1137.
The ultimate aim of the publishers of this book is to review all widely used mental tests irrespective of their date of publication. At present only those tests have been included which have appeared in thelast two or three years. The tests are classified under the headings: ‘’ Achieve- ment Batteries Character and Personality, English, Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, Intelli- gence, Mathematics, Reading, Science, Social Studies, Vocations, and a miscellaneous group including tests in Agriculture, Religious and ” Safety Education “, and Sensory Motor Tests. Each test is reviewed two or more times by a variety of reviewers to enable more than one angle of criticism to be directed on it. The name and status of the reviewer is given in each case and, where possible, references to literature bearing on the compilation of the test or to investigations involving its use.
There is a preface setting out the safeguards attempted in choosing reviewers, and interesting selections from correspondence with test pub- lishers and authors whose comments on the reviews were invited. It is proposed in a later Year Book to allow authors to reply to the reviewers’ criticism.
The reviews are frankly evaluative in aim and are particularly directed, in almost all cases, to noting the adequacy of published data available with the test to substantiate the author’s claims for it. In this respect the Year Book may do much to ensure that vast gaps between claims and substantiation are covered with satisfaction to the statistically minded test-using public.
The level of criticism is high and shows a sense of the pragmatic value of the tests as such.
There is no greater need for this than in the mental testing field. There are some excellent douches of cold water for batteries which certainly test something, but not necessarily what is claimed for them in this respect.
The Year Book, which contains both English and American tests, fills a real need for those wishing to keep abreast of publication in a vast field.
It contains an index to authors and reviewers, and a periodical directory. R.T.
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