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A Critical Study of Certain Tests of Mechanical Ability Herbert A University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 1930 A critical study of certain tests of mechanical ability Herbert A. Landry University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses Landry, Herbert A., "A critical study of certain tests of mechanical ability" (1930). Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014. 1697. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/1697 This thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UMASS/AMHERST 312066 0306 7566 2 FIVE COLLEGE DEPOSITORY A Critical Study of Certain Tests of Mechanical Ability Herbert A. Landry I This thesis is not to be loaned outside the library building. For this purpose, use the copy in the department where the work or the thesis was done. 9o(, k critical 3tuby cp cbwmi tests cp stofajical abiiitt BY H*WB*R? A, LAEDRT IWPAOTifTO? 0? AGRICULTURAL SWCATICB THESIS SUBMITTED POH MMHtt CP tttffi OP SCUBfCT. massashuswts agricuitoral nun AHHEPST. MASS. 1 9 3 0. The writer wishes to record here his indebtedness to those persons who have assisted in this study. His greatest obligation is to Professor Harry IT. Glide, who has followed the study with interest and who has offered valuable criticisms and sureestlons. Tb Superintendent John ft* Fausey and " Principal ''illiara A.. Cowing of the West Springfield Schools where the testing was done, he is indebted for their very willing cooperation. TO Johnson O'Connor of the General Electric Company, lyrrn, Massachusetts, he is Indebted for his permission to use the Wigply Block Test. i Chanter Page I. IHTHODUCTIOH. 1. The Problem 1 2. Method of Study 2 II. TEE TESTIMR Of APTITUDES. 1. The Heed of Aptitude Testing U 2. The Basis of Aptitude Testing 5 3. The Rise of Aptitude Testing 5 U. The Aptitude Prediction Value ef the "General Intelligence" ".. Test 9 III. MCHAKICAL ABILITY. Preliminary 1. Investigations 12 2. Vore Recent Studies 16 Summary of 3. Studies to Date 19 U. The Sature of Mechanical Aptitude 20 IT. RESEARCH. 1. Tests Used in Study 2U 2. The Assembly Test 24 3. O'Connor ~UgKly Block Test 29 11 Chapter Page 17. (cont'd) Healy Puzzle Box ,, * 33 5. Wae^uarrlo Test of Mechanical Ability 36 6. Manual Dexterity Series 30, Subjects 7. Used in Study Uj 8. The Testing Procedure 1^2 7. PRESENTATION 07 DATA. Results 1. for Each Are on the Assembly Test... k$ 2. Results for Each Age on the Block Test Ug Results 3. for Each Age on the Puszle Box 5U Results for Each Are on the MacQuarrle Test. 60 5. Results for Each Age on the Manual Dexterity Test 6. Sunraary of Results from Study of Data 69 71. CORRELATIONS BETWEEN TESTS. 1. Correlation of Mechanical Tests with "General Intelligence" 72 2. Intercorrelations of 7arious Mechanleal Tests 75 ill Chapter Pa^« fll. GENURAL COECLUSIOKS g2 APPEKDIX A. 1. Administration of Assembly Test 89 2. Administration of Block Test 90 3. Administration of Puzzle Box 96 k. Administration of •Vanual Dexterity Test .... 97 5. Administration of Uae<2uarrie Test 10U REFIRSHCKS 106 LIST OF FIGU3ES F1^ure Page 1. Stenquist Assembly Test, Series II, as It Is Presented to Candidate for Assembly 27 2. O'Connor Block Test in Assembled and Disassembled Form y± 3. Healy Puzzle Box Assembled 3U Whitman Manual Dexterity Series llO 5. Distribution on Stenquist Assembly Test, Series II, for 13, \K and 15 Year-old Age Groups ... UU 6. Distribution on Stenquist Assembly Test, Series II, for 16, 17, and IS Year-old Age Croups ... 7. Comparison of Age Group Medians of This Study with Stenquist 1 8 Medians 1+7 g. Distribution on O'Connor Block Test for lU, 15, and 16 Year-old Age Groups U9 9, Distribution on O'Connor Block Test for 17 and 18 Year-old Age Groups 50 LIST OF FIGURES (Cont'd) F1 ure ^ Page 10. Comparison of Age Group Medians of This Study with Medians Found by O'Connor and Clark 53 11. Distribution on Eealy Puzzle Box for 13, lh, and 15 Year-old Age Groups 55 12. Distribution on Healy Puzzle Box for 16. 17, and 18 Year-old Age Groups 56 13. Graph Showing Medians of Time Required to Open Puzzle Box for Each Age Group 59 lk. Distribution on Mac^uarrie Test of Mechanical Ability for 13, lU, and 15 Year-old Age Groups , a 15. Distribution on MacCJuarrie Test of Mechanical Ability for 16, 17, and lg Year-old Age Groups 52 16. Comparison of Age-group Medians of This Study with Medians Found by Mac^uarrie 65 LIST 0? riQUBES Figure Page 17. Distribution on Whitman Manual Dexterity Serlee for lU, 13, and 15 Tear. i d ^ Group* • •••• 66 18. Distribution on Whitman Manual Dexterity Series for 16, 17, and lg Tear-old Age Group* 67 19. Comparison of Age-Group Medians of This Study with Median* Found by Whitman ; 70 20. Cross-section of Block Showing Those to be Turned Fnd for End ^ 21. Arrangement of Block and "ray for Test 1, 2 and 93 97 22. Arrangement of Pegboard and Tray for Teet k 90, 23. Arrangement of Tray and Bolt* for Test 5 and 6 ... 101 2U. 4rrangement of Tray Pegs and for Test 7 103 LIST Off TABLES Table Page 1. Summary of Results in This Study on Stenqulst Assembly Test for Each %e, and Comparison with Stenquist's Results 2. Summary of Results on Block Test for Each Age and Comparison with Results of O'Connor and Clark 51 3. Comparison of Medians of Puszle Box with those Obtained by Healy, KaFarlane. and Woolley 57 Summary of Hesults in This Study for %eh Age on the fcacquarrie Test and Comparison with Results of WacQuarrie g5 5- Summary of Results ' in This Study for Each Age on Manual Dexterity Test and Comparison with Whitman's Results gg 6. Correlations between I. (J.'s and Wechanieal MST 0? imii (Cont'd) Table !sg| 7. Correlatione "between "General Intelligence* and Mechanical Tests Scores Tyund in Other Studies fk g. Xntereorrel&tiofi between test Scores end I. Q,.»« 80 9. Analysis of Total Distribution So" CHAPTHR I IKTB3QriCTI<Bf -?h» Problaa . *Mt iatelll^ce le na 8lngl9 ^puM, 0J, f<ctor but 1* « eoapo.it. of ^ different abiHtlea which sr. no * MM perfectly correlated is a evenly accepted idea. *hai the extent of these abilities varies la different individuals ha. been fairly wall estebliehed. The educational .isaifieano. of thi, una™.. la npparont. it ha. eaphaei.ed tha importance of adequate educational and vocational futdaac. that each individual may h. give* tha opportunity to develop hi. special capacity or aptitude. This need of directing an individual late tha field of hi. special ability ha. stimulated tha development of fat. to »ea.ure aptitude.. these epeoial aptitude, for whloh testa hi to been developed i. mechanical aptitude. There are available today several teats vhich waeure thi. aptitude. A. such, it is evident that these teet. must tap somewhat the mm abillti... So far there ha. been submit ted but ltttl. evidence to indicate abetter they do or not. It la the purpose of thi. study to .bed MM li^t upon thl. situation, so that a better understanding W n M of the relationship, existing between thorn. Hfc.ro to conflicting belief, regarding the sxtont of relationship exi.ting between »echanioal ability and Mt°r *Mlltar - a »•*» 1. question ss to what extent wooes, la one is predictive of success in the other, with this problem in «ln4. a test of annual dexterity will be included la the battery of tests used, and the degree to which ««, dexterity is a factor for success in the wo-ianlcal tests will be determined. While prewloue Investigations see* to Indicate that the relatloneblp between mechanical ability and abstract ability is relatively low. there is still opportunity to eubmit further evidence concerning their egreemeat. Accordingly, the achievement in the mechanical tests will be oexpared etatistically with the achievement in a test of abstract ability. 2. H*thod of Starty. «»e plan for carrying on this study involves the following procedure: (a) The selection of tosts of mechanical aptitude to be compared In the study. 3 0>) 'Aie administration of tests to two hundred boys of high school &ee. (c) Statistical treatment of data* including ooaputation of correlations. (d) Dressing of Inferences sad conclusions. - k - CHAPTRR II *h. ration of the *reat economic and aocial lo„ r.«ultia* fro. national lefit. i. one of the ,srlmii pro.l«. which confront u. today. Th.w a^ mr0 Urg8ly the raault of the -hlt-or-**..- ^thod. by which llfa TOOrttl0ns haTe "Iwted. For a poraon to eater a nation and apend tha neceaeary ttoa la * period of training a of mmm dlacoTerin* whether or not he ia fitted for that vocation ie certainly a dire ra.f of huaw thne and effort, "any. after baring ffone tbua far. only to di .cower that they •re not auited by nature for that particular vocation, find themaelvea in clrcunatanee. Vhlch **» it lapo.eible to brin, about a nee choice. <m. economic le.e and the 1„. to huanm bapptoe.s i» apparent. 1Mb aitoation baa aiwen rise to an insistent deoend for reaaonably quick, accurate, and iaespeB.twe method, of detecting latent aptitude.. Kaay «ethoda haw. been adwocated. •*ae of which are known to be of distinct walue.
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