The Terman Merril test consists of 10 subtests that include activities to measure verbal and non-verbal intelligence. In general, the test evaluates intelligence through 6 areas: general intelligence, fluid reasoning, quantitative reasoning, knowledge, visuo-spatial processing and working memory. Some of the activities are verbal analogies, patterns of form, procedural knowledge, memory of the sentence and the word, etc.
From these activities, an IQ is obtained and the degree of learning of each person evaluated different aspects (abstract reasoning, numerical ability, attention, concentration, practical judgment, analogies, logical organization, attention and concentration, etc.). In this Psychology-Online article, we will talk about Terman Merril test: what it measures and how to interpret it.
What is the Terman Merril test and what does it measure?
This is a psychometric test that determines the general number of people who have a sufficient educational level to understand problems presented in written form.
By completing the subtest items, the test provides us with 4 measures in relation to: intelligence, learning capacity, diagnosis and interpretation. In each of these 4 dimensions the person can obtain the following scores (poor, below average, average, above average and superior).
Completing the test takes approximately 40-50 minutes.
What does the Terman Merril test measure?
This test measures academic achievement, concentration, general culture, abstraction, understanding, capacity for analysis and synthesis, organization, planning, intellectual capacity, numerical, verbal and decision-making abilities.
History of the test
Tests for the evaluation of intellectual capacity (better known as ) were born at the end of the 19th century, when Binet and Simon developed the first test to detect the cognitive strengths and weaknesses of children in public schools. Decades later, Terman and Merrill They adapted and revised this scale to find a more effective way to measure intelligence.
Terman Merril test: technical sheet
The evaluation of the Terman Merril test is carried out through the measurement of 6 specific factors (general intelligence, knowledge, fluid reasoning, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial process and working memory) through 10 subtests. The subtests include activities that involve verbal and non-verbal intelligence.
Subtests of the Terman Merril test
The test consists of the following subtests:
- Subtest 1. Information: evaluates long-term memory and the level of information captured by the person from the environment. The score in this subtest indicates the association capacity for data management and generation of information based on the relationship of general and/or cultural knowledge. In general, it reflects the intellectual ambition of the person.
- Subtest 2. Judgment or understanding: measures common sense, logical reasoning of a series of given situations, understanding and management of reality. The person’s performance on this subtest is interpreted as the presence or absence of understanding and resolution of daily life problems. It could indicate the person’s level of adjustment to social norms and the use of previous experiences, distinguishing concrete from abstract thinking.
- Subtest 3. Vocabulary: It evaluates knowledge of language and the ability to analyze and synthesize concepts. The person’s score here is interpreted as the level of abstract and cultural thinking. The ability or difficulty to express oneself, as well as the level of reading and culture, level of vocabulary and the possibility that the person has to direct attention towards ideas or concepts.
- Subtest 4. Synthesis: evaluates reasoning, logical deduction and abstraction capacity. This score allows us to know the person’s ability to appreciate the environment objectively, performing a superficial or deep analysis of the elements of judgment that allow us to establish fundamental purposes of a particular task or topic. Therefore, it reflects the ability to summarize, relate and abstract essential ideas.
- Subtest 5. Arithmetic or concentration: measures the level of management of quantitative aspects, attention and resistance to distraction. It allows us to know whether or not the person has the ability to concentrate to work under a certain degree of pressure without paying attention to attentional distractions.
- Subtest 6. Analysis or practical judgment: measures common sense, foresight and identification of inconsistencies. It helps us know whether or not the person can break down the information and get to the causes of a particular problem. As well as, knowing whether, in addition to making an accurate judgment of reality, it is also capable of identifying certain points that can lead to a problematic situation and preventing it.
- Subtest 7. Abstraction: measures generalization and understanding of ideas. This subtest reflects the ability to observe the qualities of an object in a different way and relate them to reach a solution to a problem, and therefore, allows us to know if the person is agile in choosing alternatives.
- Subtest 8. Planning: evaluates the ability to plan, organize, anticipate, imagine and pay attention to details. This subtest implies that the person is able to foresee the advantages or consequences of certain future situations. It’s about paying attention to the details as well as not losing sight of the global whole.
- Subtest 9. Organization: evaluates the ability to discriminate, organize and monitor processes. It allows us to know the ability to identify failures in processes and make it possible for things to work well. It is very important to be aware of the times.
- Subtest 10. Anticipation, attention or seriousness: measures attention, concentration and deduction. The person’s performance will indicate the level of ability to interpret and verify numerical calculations and the ability to concentrate on a task that requires handling symbols under certain pressure.
What does the Terman Merril test give us?
- Allows a greater understanding of the intellectual capacity of the person by delving into specific aspects, as well as a complete description of the general intellectual level.
- It gives us specific information about expression, organization, comprehension, vocabulary, attention, learning ability, persistence, concentration, common sense, conceptualization, numerical ability and memory.
- It provides us with specific information regarding the person and their chronological or real age.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.