Charles Spearman: Difference between revisions

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'''Charles Edward Spearman''' ([[september 10]] [[1863]] - [[september 7]] [[1945]]) was an English [[psychologist]] known for work in [[statistics]], as a pioneer of [[factor analysis]], and for [[Spearman's rank correlation coefficient]]. He also did seminal work on [[intelligence (trait)|human intelligence]], including the discovery of the [[gGeneral theoryintelligence factor|''g'' factor]].

Spearman had an unusual background for a psychologist. After 15 years as an officer in the [[British Army]] he resigned to study for a PhD in experimental psychology. In Britain psychology was generally seen as a branch of [[philosophy]] and Spearman chose to study in [[University of Leipzig|Leipzig]] under [[Wilhelm Wundt]]. Besides Spearman had no conventional qualifications and Leipzig had liberal entrance requirements. He started in 1897 and after some interruption (he was recalled to the army during the [[South African War]]) he obtained his degree in 1906. He had already published his seminal paper on the factor analysis of intelligence (1904). Spearman met and impressed the psychologist [[William McDougall]] who arranged for Spearman to replace him when he left his position at [[University College London]]. Spearman stayed at University College until he retired in 1931. Initially he was [[Lecturer#United Kingdom|Reader]] and head of the small psychological laboratory. In 1911 he was promoted to the Grote professorship of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic. His title changed to Professor of Psychology in 1928 when a separate Department of Psycholgy was created.