Thomson, Godfrey Hilton, Sir, 1881-1955 (psychologist and Bell Professor of Education, University of Edinburgh)
Person
Found in 15 Collections and/or Records:
Are We Becoming Less Intelligent?, 13 May 1949
File
Identifier: Coll-1310/3/1/2/30
Scope and Contents
The lecture outlines the concept and possible explanations for a differential birth rate, and the relationship between family size and intelligence. Thomson describes the purpose and findings of the Scottish Mental Surveys and follow-up studies.
Also includes invitation from the BBC to undertake the talk, and copy of the agreement form.
Dates:
13 May 1949
Bingley Lecture, 1952
File
Identifier: Coll-1310/3/1/2/33
Scope and Contents
Thomson outlines the purpose of intelligence testing, referring to his own work in Northumberland in 1919, which was to ensure clever children weren't being passed over for entry into secondary education as a result of their social background. In relation to this, Thomson talks about the benefits of standardisation of intelligence tests, and discusses the problem of coaching and how it can be overcome. Thomson also mentions a child who was tested and subsequently given a place in...
Dates:
1952
Darlington, 25 Nov 1930
File
Identifier: Coll-1310/3/1/2/17
Scope and Contents
Thomson discusses the limitations of intelligence testing, and its positive qualities, citing its objectivity and scientific basis. He outlines the processes involved in trialling the tests to establish their suitability and reliability, describing how the final order and content of the paper is decided; the difficulties involved in obtaining a representative sample of children; the need to incentivise children to do their best in the trial test, and the process of standardisation...
Dates:
25 Nov 1930
Draft article titled The Use of Tests of Intelligence in English and Scottish Schools, 10 Mar 1931
File
Identifier: Coll-1310/3/1/2/20
Scope and Contents
The article explores the uses of intelligence testing in determining mental defects in young children; examinations at 11 (eleven-plus) to determine the child's future schooling; and testing for the purpose of administering vocational guidance. Thomson examines each of these three uses in turn, citing examples of the use of intelligence tests in England and Scotland. He explores some of the problems of testing for selection to secondary school, in particular the possibility of...
Dates:
10 Mar 1931
Godfrey Thomson Unit for Educational Research, 1896-1979
Sub-subfonds
Identifier: EUA IN1/ACU/G1
Scope and Contents
Material regarding the Moray House Tests, c1920s-1970s;
Northumberland Mental Tests, c1920s;
Sample tests, 1920-1987;
Testing Samples, United States, c1920s-1950s;
Publications, 1896-c1978;
Godfrey Thomson, c1930s-1947;
Correspondence...
Dates:
1896-1979
Inaugural lecture, 1925
File
Identifier: Coll-1310/3/1/2/2
Scope and Contents
Thomson discusses how intelligence is distributed between the various social or occupational levels of society. He explains the normal distribution of intelligence within the population, drawing parallels with the distribution of height. Thomson refers to inquiries carried out by him in Northumberland in 1922, and inquiries carried out in the Isle of Wight in 1924, which demonstrated that individual differences outweigh social differences, and supported the notion that heredity...
Dates:
1925
Movement and Reciprocity in Geometric figures, c1951
File
Identifier: Coll-1310/3/1/5
Scope and Contents
Set of lecture notes titled G, regarding Spearman's Theory of Two Factors in relation to mathematical ability, with illustrative diagrams. The other set of notes relates to this, with further illustrative diagrams including the 9 point circle, and a graph regarding both Scottish Mental Surveys. These are mostly written on the back of minutes from the British Psychological Society business for council meeting, 1951, and minutes...
Dates:
c1951
Notes for Thomson's lecture, The Nature and Measurement of Intelligence, 30 Jul 1928
File
Identifier: Coll-1310/3/1/2/7
Scope and Contents
Rough notes which take the form of lists of topics and corresponding examples Thomson wishes to discuss, and includes notes regarding different mental tests; genetic aspects of intelligence; social classes; and vocational selection.
Dates:
30 Jul 1928
Papers of Godfrey H. Thomson
Fonds
Identifier: Coll-1310
Scope and Contents
Biographical and personal papers, c mid 19th century-1972;
Publications authored and co-authored by Thomson, 1904-1954;
Unpublished materials by Thomson, 1897-1954;
Publications collected by Thomson regarding education, intelligence, psychology, and statistics, 1879-1971
Unpublished material collected by Thomson and authored by others, c mid 20th...
Dates:
c1890s-1978
Papers of Professor Walter Ledermann
Fonds — Box CLX-A-667
Identifier: Coll-1064
Scope and Contents
The collection largely consists of letters from Godfrey Thomson to Ledermann. Many are highly mathematical in content, containing formulae and mathematical notation, though they also regard social events and contain enquiries from Thomson with regards to the safety of Ledermann's family throughout the war.
Dates:
1937-1954
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 13
- Collection 2
- Subject
- Intelligence 11
- Intelligence tests 11
- Education 7
- Edinburgh -- Scotland 5
- Mathematics 4
- Statistics 4
- Education research 3
- Psychology 3
- Child psychology 2
- Eugenics 2
- Heredity 2
- Newcastle Upon Tyne (England) 2
- Bingley West Yorkshire England 1
- Birmingham (England) 1
- Cambridge (England) 1
- Child development 1
- Darlington England 1
- Durham England 1
- Factor analysis 1
- Heredity, Human 1
- Individual differences 1
- Mental deficiency 1
- Nature and Nurture 1
- Newcastle-under-Lyme (England) 1
- Oxford Oxfordshire England 1
- Sampling 1
- Strasburg Germany 1 + ∧ less
∨ more