Psychological Test, J. O'Connor Wiggly Block
date: label: date made
content: ca 1927
notes: label: Description
content: The American psychometrician Johnson O’Connor (1891-1973) obtained an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Harvard University in 1913 and then studied mathematical astronomy under Percival Lowell. He next worked in electrical engineering at American Steel and Wire and then General Electric. Managers at GE encouraged O’Connor’s development of tests like this one, designed for potential employees. It is intendeed to measure aptitude for visualizing objects in three-dimensional space.
label: Description
content: The test consists of nine wooden blocks with curved surfaces that fit together to form a rectangular parallelepiped. O’Connor found that the ability to assemble the puzzle rapidly correlated with success in engineering, mechanics, and design drafting. By the mid-1930s the test would be sold by C. H. Stoelting Company. This example has no maker’s mark.
label: Description
content: For tests developed at General Electric, see MA.316371.012. For a score sheet relating to O’Connor’s dexterity test, see 1989.0710.70.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: J. O’Connor, <I>Born That Way</I>, Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins Company, 1928.
label: Description
content: J. O’Connor and F. L. Keane, “A Measure of Mechanical Aptitude,” <I>Personnel Journal</I>, 1927, vol. 6 #1, pp. 15-24.
label: Description
content: C.H. Stoelting Com., <I>Apparatus, Tests and Supplies, Supplement</I>, Chicago; Stoelting, 1937, p. 43 (#42042). By this time, O’Connor was at the Stevens Institute of Technology.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Psychology
label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Psychological Tests
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of David Shakow
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.316372.09
label: catalog number
content: 316372.09
label: accession number
content: 316372
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Psychological Test
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 26 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm; 10 1/4 in x 5 29/32 in x 5 29/32 in