Accession Number:

AD0653602

Title:

A FACTOR ANALYSIS OF SYMBOLIC MEMORY ABILITIES,

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES PSYCHOLOGICAL LAB

Personal Author(s):

• Tenopyr,Mary L.
• Guilford,J. P.
• Hoepfner,R.

Report Date:

1966-12-01

Pagination or Media Count:

31.0

Abstract:

The purposes of this investigation were to determine whether six symbolic-memory abilities hypothesized by the structure-of- intellect model could be demonstrated, and to confirm the existence of five of the behavioral-cognition factors. Twenty-six experimental measures of symbolic memory, ten tests to measure the symbolic-cognition reference factors, two to measure a symbolic-evaluation factor, and two for a semantic-cognition factor were factor analyzed, along with ten tests of behavioral cognition. Tests were administered to 266 tenth-grade students. Pearson rs, or estimates thereof, between pairs of variables were subjected to a principal-components analysis. Nineteen factors were rotated orthogonally to achieve positive manifold, agreement with hypotheses, and simple structure. The six hypothesized symbolic-memory factors were demarcated essentially as anticipated. Memory for symbolic units MSU was defined by list-learning tests where order of recall is not important. Tests requiring retention of a concept based on numerical properties or word structure identified memory for symbolic classes MSC. Memory for symbolic relations MSR was indicated by tests requiring memory for rules by which letter series are formed and requiring retention of ways in which one word is changed to make another. The tests that defined memory for symbolic systems MSS involved retention of the order in which symbolic stimuli were presented. Memory for symbolic transformations MST was identified by tests requiring retention of words formed by changes in the grouping of given ordered letters. Memory for symbolic implications MSI was defined by tests of the paired-associates type. Author

Descriptors:

• (*MEMORY(PSYCHOLOGY)
• FACTOR ANALYSIS)
• SYMBOLS
• INTELLIGENCE TESTS
• BEHAVIOR
• PERCEPTION(PSYCHOLOGY)
• SEMANTICS
• LEARNING
• RECALL
• TEST CONSTRUCTION(PSYCHOLOGY)
• PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• APTITUDE TESTS

Subject Categories:

• Psychology

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE