The Theories and Theorists that Shape our Understanding of the Learning Process
Dr. Cattell studied human nature by using a statistical method to map the domains of personality, motivation, and abilities. He studied a large number of adjectives describing personality and used the concept of factor analysis to group like adjectives together until he narrowed it down to 16 personality factors. Dr. Cattell spent the next 30 plus years studying and validating an inventory of questions identifying where individuals fall on the continuum for each of the16 traits believing we all have the traits but at different levels. The 16-Factor Personality Questionnaire is frequently used in the areas of employee testing and selection, career counseling, and marital counseling.
Dr. Cattell is also tied with the topic of Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence. Earlier in his career, he teamed up with John Horn to develop the concept that intelligence is a result of different abilities working together. Dr. Cattell referred to the type of ability to think and reason abstractly and solve problems as fluid intelligence. He referred to the type of ability to use prior knowledge and experience as crystallized intelligence. One type of intelligence decreases with age (fluid) while the other increase with age (crystallized) both complement each other and thus enforcing the importance of moving away from studying single variables of intelligence and human nature and moving toward studying multi-factors.
Impact on Education
Dr. Cattell’s impact on education, teaching and learning is not so much on what he developed but focused on how he developed his work. He started his research in a time where the discipline of psychology was not well established. He brought the application of science to lend an influential hand in establishing a scientific focus on human behavior.
Suggested Teaching/Facilitation Methods
Dr. Cattell’s passion was research; not teaching. His work on understanding human behavior supports the importance of student-centered teaching. Much like giving any personality/trait inventory, the goal is to know more about your learners and how to instruct to multiple intelligences and temperaments.
Raymond B. Cattell
1905-1998
Dr. Cattell, a psychologist with a background in chemistry and statistics, spent 70 years contributing to the application of scientific methods to the study of human behavior. His most noted work comes from his statistical use of applying the factor analysis concept to develop a well respected model used in personality/trait assessment called the 16-Factor Personality Model.