Northern_Paladin
02-03-2010, 10:49 PM
"Possessed of a remarkably high degree of intelligence (an estimated IQ of 200) and a wealth of novel ideas, Galton is perhaps without equal in the history of modern psychology." He was the first to note the importance of individual differences, he created the first tests of mental ability, was the first to use questionnaires, and devised the first tests to measure the association between ideas in a subject's mind. He initiated interest in many areas that are now part of psychology, including mental imagery, the role of adaptation, comparison of species, heredity versus environment, and studies of children. He created several statistical procedures to help him analyze his data, including techniques still in use today.
Galton, however, was not a psychologist. Psychology was simply an area that caught his attention for 15 years. His contributions in other areas include: the introduction of the use of fingerprints in police work; the modern weather map; and investigations into fashion, geographical distribution of female beauty, weight lifting, and the efficacy of prayer.
The study of individual differences: "Galton effectively brought the spirit of evolution to bear on future psychology in his brilliant work on the problems of mental inheritance and individual differences in human capacity. Prior to Galton the phenomenon of individual differences had not been considered a subject for serious study in psychology...
When his cousin Darwin published the Origin of Species, Galton immediately became interested in the new theory."
After investigating the evolution of physical characteristics, his attention moved to the evolution of mental characteristics and abilities in humans.
Mental tests: "Galton was the first to develop certain specific mental tests; indeed, it may be said that he initiated the whole idea of mental tests. He began by assuming that intelligence could be measured in terms of one's level of sensory capacity...the higher the intelligence, the higher the level of sensory discrimination...With characteristic ingenuity and enthusiasm, he devised a number of such instruments to measure the senses."
Statistics: Galton found that a wide array of measures of human physiology and mental abilities produce a 'normal curve'. As a normal curve can be meaningfully summarized by its mean and standard deviation, he advocated the use of those two measures to describe measures of human attributes.
In looking for an appropriate way to express the strength of association between variables, he encouraged his student (Karl Pearson) to take his (Galton's) ideas and develop an appropriate statistical technique. Pearson invented the measure of correlation still in use today (the 'Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation'). Galton invented the scatter-plot to graph the data.
Eugenics: "Galton's ultimate interest was in encouraging the productivity of the more eminent or fit, and discouraging the birth rate of the unfit. To help achieve this end, he founded the science of eugenics and argued that the human strain, like livestock, could be improved by artificial selection. He believed that if men and women of considerable talents were selected and mated generation after generation, a highly gifted race of people would be the eventual result."
http://www.psych.utah.edu/gordon/Classes/Psy4905Docs/PsychHistory/Cards/Galton.html
Galton, however, was not a psychologist. Psychology was simply an area that caught his attention for 15 years. His contributions in other areas include: the introduction of the use of fingerprints in police work; the modern weather map; and investigations into fashion, geographical distribution of female beauty, weight lifting, and the efficacy of prayer.
The study of individual differences: "Galton effectively brought the spirit of evolution to bear on future psychology in his brilliant work on the problems of mental inheritance and individual differences in human capacity. Prior to Galton the phenomenon of individual differences had not been considered a subject for serious study in psychology...
When his cousin Darwin published the Origin of Species, Galton immediately became interested in the new theory."
After investigating the evolution of physical characteristics, his attention moved to the evolution of mental characteristics and abilities in humans.
Mental tests: "Galton was the first to develop certain specific mental tests; indeed, it may be said that he initiated the whole idea of mental tests. He began by assuming that intelligence could be measured in terms of one's level of sensory capacity...the higher the intelligence, the higher the level of sensory discrimination...With characteristic ingenuity and enthusiasm, he devised a number of such instruments to measure the senses."
Statistics: Galton found that a wide array of measures of human physiology and mental abilities produce a 'normal curve'. As a normal curve can be meaningfully summarized by its mean and standard deviation, he advocated the use of those two measures to describe measures of human attributes.
In looking for an appropriate way to express the strength of association between variables, he encouraged his student (Karl Pearson) to take his (Galton's) ideas and develop an appropriate statistical technique. Pearson invented the measure of correlation still in use today (the 'Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation'). Galton invented the scatter-plot to graph the data.
Eugenics: "Galton's ultimate interest was in encouraging the productivity of the more eminent or fit, and discouraging the birth rate of the unfit. To help achieve this end, he founded the science of eugenics and argued that the human strain, like livestock, could be improved by artificial selection. He believed that if men and women of considerable talents were selected and mated generation after generation, a highly gifted race of people would be the eventual result."
http://www.psych.utah.edu/gordon/Classes/Psy4905Docs/PsychHistory/Cards/Galton.html