Terman-Merril Test: What It Is and Application of the Terman-Merrill Test

The Terman-Merrill test is one of the so-called psychometric intelligence tests, whose purpose is to evaluate intelligence by identifying those factors that are relevant in people’s cognitive development.

It is one of the oldest intelligence tests (similar to the Wonderlic test) still in use, which is why it is generally recommended to use a more modern test, such as the 24-Question Intelligence Test or the Complete IQ Test.

Development of the Terman-Merrill test

The Terman test was developed in 1916 by Lewis Madison Terman (American psychologist at Stanford University, born in 1870) and Maud Amanda Merrill (American psychologist, professor at Stanford University).

The Terman-Merrill scale comes from an improvement of the Binet-Simon test. The revision used was published in 1937. The test can be applied from the age of 2 through adulthood.

Purpose of the Terman-Merrill test

The objective of the test is to measure a series of abilities and skills, all related to general intelligence. These capacities fall under human cognition, and they are intellectual capacity (general intelligence), analysis, synthesis, and organization.

The test has 122 heterogeneous items consisting of verbal and non-verbal tasks. There are two parallel forms, L and M, which allow successive administrations without any learning effect. It is a scale of intellectual development that is widely used today.

It consists of a set of ten structured tests, whose measurement objectives are:

• Common sense to enjoy social situations

• Development of comprehension skills

• Concepts expressed in words

• Knowledge of the language

• Ability to summarize, connect, and abstract essential ideas

• Development of the ability to concentrate and work under pressure

• Anticipating situations to predict the future and mentally imagine the solution to a problem.

Each series has a time limit, and the test takes 27 minutes

The test is divided into 6 main areas:

• General intelligence

• Quantitative reasoning

• Fluid reasoning

• Visual-spatial processes

• Working memory

• Knowledge

The activities of the Terman-Merrill test that make up these 6 areas are of different types, through which two values are obtained: the IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and the subject’s degree of learning.

The activities that make up the test include judgment, concentration tasks, analogies, abstract reasoning, language, and memory, among others.

The areas are addressed through ten subtests, including tasks that measure verbal and non-verbal intelligence. When the results are obtained, they are scored using the test’s equivalence tables to determine the subject’s final score.

Measurements and use of the test

The Terman-Merrill test assesses intelligence and determines the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) through a set of subtests with different tasks, with a total duration of between 40 and 50 minutes.

On the other hand, the test measures general knowledge, planning, and decision-making. In a more academic sense, the test assesses skills such as numerical and verbal ability, comprehension, and academic performance.

Its use is intended for evaluating individuals with a minimum level of education that allows them to understand the questions posed throughout the test.

The subtests measure different abilities, all related to intelligence. The test makes it possible to obtain two very special measures: intelligence and learning capacity. In addition, it allows an interpretation of the scores and a diagnosis of the person examined.

From each of these measures (intelligence, learning capacity, interpretation, and diagnosis), different scores are obtained that refer to five values or ranges and that make it possible to “classify” the subject. These values are five:

• Poor

• Below average

• Average

• Above average

• Superior

Subtests

As we have said, the Terman-Merrill test evaluates intelligence in 6 main areas divided into subtests, which are:

Information

It measures long-term memory, as well as the level of information the person is able to gather from their surroundings. It is related to the individual’s capacity for association when using data.

This part seeks to determine the subject’s intellectual interest, in addition to their level of general culture.

Judgment or understanding

It is related to comprehension, common sense, and the ability to solve everyday problems. Likewise, the subject’s handling of reality and adaptation to social norms. Likewise, it is related to prior habits for functioning.

Vocabulary

It evaluates the presence or absence of abstract thinking, the cultural level, and the analysis of various concepts. Likewise, it evaluates the subject’s ability to communicate, in addition to their reading ability.

Synthesis or logical selection

It measures reasoning, the capacity for abstraction, and the inferences the individual makes through logic.

It allows us to know the ability to interpret and evaluate reality objectively, the ability to synthesize, connect ideas, and reach conclusions.

Arithmetic or concentration

It evaluates processing, concentration, and resistance to distractions. It is the degree of attention under pressure.

Analysis or practical judgment

It determines whether the subject is able to break down the information in a problem and explain the underlying causes.

Abstraction

It measures comprehension of information and the ability to generalize. It is related to the ability to connect different ideas to reach a conclusion.

Its purpose is to understand the ability to choose between different options, as well as the precision in the use of abstract and complex concepts.

Planning

It assesses planning, organization, attention to detail, anticipation, and imagination. It also relates to the subject’s capacity for logical classification.

Organization

It measures the ability to detect problems and the skill to solve them. It also considers good use of time.

Anticipation, attention, and seriousness

It measures the ability to interpret and verify certain numerical calculations, as well as the ability to concentrate, especially under pressure.

In conclusion, we can say that the purpose of the Terman test is the precise measurement of a set of abilities and skills related to general intelligence. Among them are intellectual capacity, analysis, synthesis, and organization.