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Abstract
This paper provides an overview of the psychometric and information processing approaches to measuring cognitive abilities. The psychometric approach has historically been the dominant approach, focusing on the measurement of capacities. The information processing approach originates in the cognitive psychology field and focuses on the measurement of processes. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), exemplifying the psychometric approach, and the British Army Recruit Battery (BARB) and the Learning Abilities Measurement Program (LAMP), exemplifying the information processing approach, are reviewed, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each instrument. Contemporary views of cognitive ability assessment acknowledge the importance of both the psychometric and information processing approaches, and postulate a synthesis of the two approaches. Suggestions regarding the possible integration of the traditional psychometric measures with tests of psychomotor skills, working memory, and spatial ability are proposed.
Review of the Psychological Literature on the Psychometric and Information Processing Approaches to Measuring Cognitive Abilities
The origins of both the psychometric and information processing approaches to measuring cognitive abilities can be traced back to the turn of the century. The psychometric approach stems primarily from the work of Sir Alfred Binet, whereas the information processing approach originated with the work of Sir Francis Galton. Although many current tests of intellectual ability still bear a strong resemblance to the early measures developed by Binet, there has been growing interest in the use of information processing measures derived from cognitive psychology as indicators of intellectual ability. The psychometric and information processing approaches are frequently viewed as distinct approaches to measuring intellectual ability, and questions of the adequacy of each approach in performance prediction are common. However, the two approaches can be viewed as complementary, with a combination of the psychometric and information processing approaches potentially leading to enhanced validity in performance prediction. This paper provides an overview of the development of the psychometric and information processing approaches to measuring cognitive abilities, provides examples of the two approaches in military testing, and discusses the potential for integrating the two approaches.
PSYCHOMETRIC APPROACH
The psychometric approach to assessing cognitive abilities is undoubtedly the dominant approach (Neisser et al., 1996) and the vast majority of currently popular intelligence tests are modeled after the original tests developed by Alfred Binet (Binet & Simon, 1905,...