A Difference score comparing educational and mental index values diagnoses whether a child's attainment is commensurate with measured ability, with Differences between minus 8 and plus 8 occurring in about half of cases¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 1920 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The Difference, obtained by subtracting the mental index from the educational index, expresses the relationship between a child's native capacity and actual accomplishment and is presented as the most important value for school diagnosis. → Pintner 1920 q2 i? Differences from minus 8 through zero to plus 8 were found in 53.5 per cent of 4303 cases and were treated as not significant. → Pintner 1920 (2)

Evidence¶

Pintner 1920¶

Pintner, R., and Marshall, H. (1920). A Combined Mental-Educational Survey. The Journal of Educational Psychology. https://www.google.com/search?q=A+Combined+Mental-Educational+Survey+Pintner+Marshall

q2 · i? · associational · r2

The authors describe their new rating from the standardization of both tests: the Difference is derived by subtracting the mental from the educational index, and they call it "the most important contribution that the science of mental measurement can offer to the educator".

"The new rating that we have introduced here is what we have called the Difference, i. e., the difference of a child's standing in the educational and mental tests, or the difference between his native capacity and his actual accomplishment."

Pintner 1920 (2)¶

Pintner, R., and Marshall, H. (1920). A Combined Mental-Educational Survey. The Journal of Educational Psychology. https://www.google.com/search?q=A+Combined+Mental-Educational+Survey+Pintner+Marshall

q2 · i? · associational · r2

A frequency distribution of Differences of 4303 cases was made and divided into a five-fold grouping; the middle band of minus 8 to plus 8 covers 53.5 per cent of cases. The article does not report an effect size for this distribution.

"In other words, Differences ranging from minus 8 through zero to plus 8 are found in about 50 per cent of the cases and are, therefore, not significant."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• For schools, where the Difference derives from median indices, the middle 50 per cent of 56 tested schools fell within plus 3 to minus 3, making school differences beyond 3 significant — related
• Cases with Differences of minus 9 or below — 21.5 per cent of the standardization sample — are described as marked cases of wasted intelligence whose ability is not being utilized — related