James McKeen Cattell (1860-1944) was an American psychologist whose pioneering work on mental testing laid the foundation for modern intelligence testing. Cattell was one of the first to recognize the importance of measuring the mind’s ability to think abstractly and to solve problems. He was also the first to investigate the differences between individual’s mental abilities and developed tests to measure these differences.
Cattell was born in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1860. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1879 and a master’s degree in 1881. He then went on to pursue graduate studies in Germany, where he studied with Wilhelm Wundt and Hermann Ebbinghaus, two of the earliest researchers in experimental psychology.
In 1886, Cattell returned to the United States and became one of the first professors of psychology in the country at the University of Pennsylvania. He continued to research mental testing and eventually developed what he called the Mental Measurements series, which was a set of tests designed to measure mental abilities. Cattell believed that mental tests could be used to identify individual differences in mental ability and to predict academic success.
Cattell’s work on mental testing was extremely influential, and his tests were widely used in the early 20th century. His work laid the foundation for modern intelligence testing, which is still used today. Cattell also published numerous works on psychology, including the widely cited book Mental Tests and Measurements (1917).
Cattell died in 1944 at the age of 84. He was a significant contributor to the field of psychology and his research on mental testing had a lasting impact on the field.
References
Cattell, J. M. (1917). Mental tests and measurements. London: W. B. Saunders.
Griggs, R. A. (2005). Encyclopedia of psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Hothersall, D. (1995). History of psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kranzler, G. (2007). James McKeen Cattell: A legacy of science and service. American Psychologist, 62(7), 615-621. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.62.7.615