GSS vocab test

[ajschumacher]

starting from Caplan's Case Against Education:

"Full-length intelligence tests have a very high reliability; the reliability of the AFQT, for example, is .94 (ASVAB 2015). Short intelligence tests, in contrast, have markedly lower reliability—.74 in the case of the General Social Survey's ten-word IQ test (Caplan and Miller 2010, p. 645)." (page 307, endnote 98 from page 93)

Caplan and Miller 2010 is "Intelligence makes people think like economists: Evidence from the General Social Survey" https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.412.8160&rep=rep1&type=pdf

"Relevant to our purposes, the GSS contains the variable WORDSUM, a ten-word vocabulary subtest from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (henceforth WAIS)." (Caplan and Miller 2010)

---

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wordsum

https://gssdataexplorer.norc.org/documents#doc_444

GSS Codebook Main Body

"We would like to know something about how people go about guessing words they do not know. On this card are listed some words--you may know some of them, and you may not know quite a few of them. On each line the first word is in capital letters -- like BEAST. Then there are five other words. Tell me the number of the word that comes closest to the meaning of the word in capital letters. For example, if the word in capital letters is BEAST, you would say "4" since "animal" come closer to BEAST than any of the other words. If you wish, I will read the words to you. These words are difficult for almost everyone -- just give me your best guess if you are not sure of the answer."

EXAMPLEBEAST 1.afraid 2. words 3. large 4. animal 5. separate

GSS Codebook Appendix D

"A ten-item word test was administered to respondents; as indicated in the previous usage appendix, the ten items were selected fromthe twenty-item Gallup-Thorndike verbal intelligence Form A. This test, developed by R.L. Thorndike and Irving Lorge for use in survey research, appeared on Gallup surveys of the early 1940's. Reliability coefficients range from .80 to .85.To minimize the admittedly small possibility that some form of publicity would affect the public's knowledge of the words included in the test, they are not reported here.Method of RecodeFor each of the ten words, there were five words (meanings) from which the respondent could choose. Each answer was scored as correct or incorrect, and the number of correct responses was summed. Respondents who did not attempt the test or who did not attempt a particular item are coded "9", No Answer.WORDSUMprovidesthe total number of words correct. Respondents who declined to guess on any of the words were given a score of "99"."

oh man... I am so curious about these questions

that's a 1944 paper, "Verbal Intelligence of the American Adult" https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00221309.1943.10544458

"The first and most imposing enterprise in testing representative adults was the testing of draftees in 1917 (6). The scores for a large sample of those tested were analyzed and reported, and these scores have provided adult norms on the Army Alpha test. A translation of these results into Binet mental ages, giving approximately 13 years as the average mental age for the white draft group, aroused much heated debate during the years after the war."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_age

oh man... it goes deeper:

"The test actually used was a 20-word vocabulary test, made up of two words from each of 10 levels of the vocabulary section of the I.E.R. Intelligence Scale CAVD. Two parallel forms of the test were prepared. The standardization of this test has been described elsewhere (4)."

"Here are some words which may be included on a quiz program, de- pending upon how many people understand their meaning. We are trying to find out now how familiar these words are to people. Will you please look at this card (hand card to respondent) and give me the number of the word that seems to be closest to each word in capital letters."

the example is again:

"BEAST 1. afraid 2. words 3. large 4. animal 5. bird"

and here's 4:

"4. THORNDIKE, R. 1. Two screening tests of verbal intelligence. J. Appl. Psychol., 1942, 26, 128-35."

gotcha!

Form A: space lift concern broaden blunt accustom chirrup edible pact solicitor allusion caprice animosity emanate madrigal cloistered encomium pristine tactihty [probably "tactility"] sedulous

Form B: nation every blond advertise bog aged conspire concur downcast average avarice dynasty sexton conflagration reciprocal broach largess monomania umbel sequestrate

"This test was composed of words chosen from the vocabulary section of the I. E. R Intelligence Scale, CAVD.[1] A twenty-word test was prepared, containing two words from each of the levels of CAVD from H through Q Parallel forms of the test were developed and were used in the adult survey described above. These were given in every case as an untimed power test. The words used in the two forms are listed below The multiple-choice alternatives are not given but may be found by referring to the original CAVD blanks"

okay, what's ref 1?

oh...

"The courtesy of the Institute of Educational Research in permitting the items to be used, and the cooperation of Dr Ella Woodyard in suggesting appropriate levels and items is gratefully acknowledged."

well, can I find it?

I. E. R Intelligence Scale, CAVD

it's from 1926? http://collections.uakron.edu/digital/collection/p15960coll4/id/8212 emailed ahap@uakron.edu

https://www.intelltheory.com/ethorndike.shtml

"During the 1920's he developed a test of intelligence that consisted of completion, arithmetic, vocabulary, and directions test, known as the CAVD."

Merit https://merit.education.wisc.edu/hours-location/ has "The I.E.R. intelligence scale C A V D : levels A, B, C, D, and E" on microfilm: https://www.worldcat.org/title/ier-intelligence-scale-c-a-v-d-levels-a-b-c-d-and-e/oclc/45847826&referer=brief_results (at UW-Madison)

University of Ottawa has "I.E.R. Intelligence CAVD." on microfilm: https://www.worldcat.org/title/ier-intelligence-cavd/oclc/841621919&referer=brief_results#borrow

[ajschumacher]

"Is there an online Wordsum test?" https://www.fluther.com/52945/is-there-an-online-wordsum-test/

[ajschumacher]

sent a message to the Ottawa library via https://ocul.on.ca/node/6748 today, asking about access...

[ajschumacher]

A speedy response from the Ottawa library! They say I need to submit a request through my library. Makes sense! Probably should have thought of that! Just seems so international.

[ajschumacher]

Filed interlibrary loan request today, at MLK library! (Form in email.)

[ajschumacher]

Akron got back to me today! Maybe they'll let me see their original 1926 booklet!

[ajschumacher]

Akron sent a form and I filled it out and sent it back! $20/hour + $0.25/page, which isn't so bad for rare knowledge!

[ajschumacher]

heard from Akron yesterday! looks like they have the goods!

[ajschumacher]

Cornell University Library Copyright Information Center Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States https://copyright.cornell.edu/publicdomain

looks like anything published before 1926 is public domain, and anything published 1926 is public domain after 95 years, so definitely public domain in 2022.

[ajschumacher]

Level I

A. beast afraid words large animal [correct] bird

B. baby cradle mother little child [correct] youth girl

C. raise lift up [correct] drag sun brad deluge

D. blind man cannot see [correct] game unhappy eyes

21. confess agree mend deny admit mingle

22. backward downwards after toward the rear defense arrears

23. advertise detain explore give notice of adverse newspaper

24. combat fight dismay club expedition comb

25. blond polite dishonest dauntless coy fair

26. broaden efface make level elapse embroider widen

27. chubby indolent obstinate irritable plump muscular

28. concern see clearly engage furnish disturb have to do with

29. cargo load small boat hem draught vehicle

30. clutch exploit nest flit grasp cane

[ajschumacher]

Level J

21. awe lamb fear tool mound opera

22. aged years active old merciful punctual

23. arrive answer rival enter force come

24. blunt dull drowsy deaf doubtful ugly

25. accustom disappoint customary encounter get used business

26. bade gaze a tool fetched wait ordered

27. bog ebb disorder swamp field difficulty

28. cascade hat waterfall firmament disaster box

29. bray cry of an ass bowl cry of an ox frustrate raven's cry

30. disembark unearth go ashore dislodge disparage strip

[ajschumacher]

Level K

21. conspire plot breathe rely die outrun

22. check error stop flash rude haste

23. cherish dedicate happy covet hold dear marry

24. chirrup aspen joyful capsize chirp incite

25. accessible indefatigable successful limpid easy to reach liable

26. dingy afraid hostelry small bell midget dirty

27. edible auspicious eligible fit to eat sagacious able to speak

28. confound discovered fulfill establish mix up expire

29. concur agree race mongrel pounce ramble

30. contact tactful hate injunction touch oversight

[ajschumacher]

Level L

21. downcast thrown down neutral judicious sad broken

22. pact puissance remonstrance agreement skillet pressure

23. audible festive easy audit heard downy

24. solicitor lawyer chieftain watchman maggot constable

25. beguile entreat delight dispense deceive foster

26. dominate abide goad threaten control dissuade

27. average level count evident ordinary distinct

28. behave act own keep still enable entitle

29. comely ignoble handsome disagreeable enter in time

30. cycle scythe cyclone circle ode junction

[ajschumacher]

Level M

21. action play deed mention opinion crime

22. avarice ordinary various empress frailty greed

23. bearing a large ring behavior cub commendation destination

24. allusion aria illusion eulogy dream reference

25. dynasty davenport very unpleasant framework ruling family engine

26. habitat dweller bodice prodigality habit home

27. adversity ill fortune dialogue advertisement dislike distemper

28. caprice value a star grimace whim inducement

29. ignominious seductive not guilty incontestable ignorant shameful

30. chastity dissension pursuit eminence purity punishment

[ajschumacher]

Levels A, B, C, D, and E are done with (among other things) "picture vocabulary" in which there's a written word (perhaps read by the examiner?) and then five pictures to choose from.

[ajschumacher]

Level F

A. pussy dog hen fox bird cat [correct]

B. chair hen seat [correct] rich weak baby

C. puppy cow bird dog [correct] cat fly

D. tall big [correct] small baby rich rose

21. rock stone often send was end

22. people heavy story not now men and women open

23. large not new late red big sweet

24. heaven iron fence sky bone corner

25. speak cause another come talk cover

26. mountain dress bread arm big hill night

27. dark close cut black take not easy

28. kind open fall good not far new

29. quiet complete equal middle chance still

30. short much great often small not well

[ajschumacher]

Level G

[repeats examples from F]

21. good late two nice not glad green

22. still build quiet heavy best large

23. warm much dear glad better not cold

24. walk not under see hot step boy

25. behind enough also free back of now

26. near cross not then close to early table

27. fast beautiful old quick not many tree

28. once drink one time fine sleep boy

29. sweet not any little not sour many last

30. bring were use put sleep carry

[ajschumacher]

Level H

[repeats examples]

21. love part like be afraid floor same

22. lift sort out raise value enjoy fancy

23. great now large use fear run

24. nation business daughter country chief animal

25. space school noon captain room board

26. non fourth seen quick not any present

27. every sweet not hot few large each

28. before earlier around roll where table

29. pair bag list two yard party

30. today ago two days this day yesterday did toe

[ajschumacher]

Level N

21. sexton cube janitor compass archbishop six singers

22. buckler keel servant stag shield scraper

23. animosity hatred animation disobedience diversity friendship

24. conflagration carnival celebration decoration with flags contagion fire

25. confidential respectable secure sensitive secret confident

26. scrivener searcher forger chaplain clerk sceptic

27. beaker cup binnacle beak slanderer bottle

28. emanate populate free prominent rival come

29. landau pier coach postern gable headdress

30. amaranthine jubilant bitter maritime ungracious purple

[ajschumacher]

Level O

21. gainsay persuade beshrew deny profit imprint

22. eclogue obituary a poem carousal epigram portrait

23. cloistered miniature bunched arched malady secluded

24. reciprocal saturnine mutual receptive morose careless

25. accolade salutation anchovy procession bivouac acolyte

26. benighted fraudulent weary insuperable ignorant venal

27. madrigal song mountebank lunatic ribald sycophant

28. pinnace a boat doublet pinnacle hold fast forfeiture

29. broach dodge clasp open top edify

30. nectarine bouillon a fruit a jewel a drink diurnal

[ajschumacher]

Level P

21. monomania flying machine conceit one-colored endogen aberration

22. saturnalian reptilian impertinent gloomy impregnated riotous

23. pristine flashing earlier primeval bound green

24. quaternion officer fourfold system four-line stanza trumulo geologic age

25. predatory hasty ante-dated rapacious foretold four-footed

26. persiflage camouflage wit banter vivacity metaphor

27. encomium repetition friend panegyric abrasion expulsion

28. abattoir usurpation cessation legal desertion slaughterhouse nuisance

29. meticulous partial spacious finical melodic tiny

30. largess enormity present monstrosity amiability size

[ajschumacher]

Level Q

21. radial light agitator straight line root ray

22. sequestrate follow petition horseman confiscate redwood

23. tactility tangibility grace subtlety extensibility manageableness

24. apogee orbit nadir ellipse culmination zodiac

25. nugatory candy belittling inoperative lump of gold hades

26. sedulous muddied sluggish stupid assiduous corrupting

27. umbel cluster canopy shadow pigment ribbing

28. asseveration pluck oath continuance partition cleverness

29. abjure swear recant refuse degraded illegal

30. auricular golden heard jointed distinct clear

[ajschumacher]

email 2022-02-25:

I’ve check the OCLC system for your title; I.E.R. Intelligence CAVD, Education Testing Service, 1975. I have made 5 separate request and each request has been denied, they classify your request as reference material, and only one Library own it, University of North Caroline, Charlotte. This request was first made in October 12, 2021 ending February 03, 2022, I apologized for the long delay, but I will not be able to bring in this request.