A Factor Analysis of Learning Data and Selected Ability Test Scores

The purpose of the investigation was to examine in the laboratory the type of learning commonly found in the school situation -- the formalized acquisition of concepts. A verbal concept-learning task suitable for college students was devised which permitted the externalizing and quantifying of behavior at six points in the learning process. The learning task and sixteen nonarbitrarily selected ability tests purporting to measure reasoning, memory, and verbal factors were administered to 102 college females. Data for the total group were analyzed by both alpha factor analysis and incomplete image analysis. Six alpha factors and twelve image factors were extracted and orthogonally rotated. Four areas of cognitive ability were associated with the mathematically deduced factors.