Speed and precision in the General Aptitude Test Battery

Abstract

Tested the hypothesis that speed and precision are unrelated as found in the use of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). 7 time-limited paper-and-pencil tests of the GATB were used to measure the 2 factors among 893 men and 115 women. The tests consisted of name comparison between lists of names, simple arithmetical computations, 3-dimensional space, vocabulary, tool matching, arithmetical reasoning, and form matching. Scoring of speed was based on the number of items answered correctly (r) and incorrectly (w). Precision was measured by r/(r + w). Factor analysis indicates that the 2 factors of mental speed and mental precision were unrelated. Evidence was found of a content-bound factor in the performance on pictorial and numerical tests, although its effect was negligible.