Psychometric and information processing approaches to measuring cognitive abilities: Paradigms in military testing

This paper provides an overview of the psychometric and information process ing approaches to measuring cognitive abilities. The psychometric approach has historically been the dominant approach, focusing on the measurement of capacities. The information processing approach originates in the cognitiv e psychology field and focuses on the measurement of processes. The Armed S ervices Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), exemplifying the psychometric approach, and the British Army Recruit Battery (BARB) and the Learning Abil ities Measurement Program (LAMP), exemplifying the information processing a pproach, are reviewed, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each in strument. Contemporary views of cognitive ability assessment acknowledge th e importance of both the psychometric and information processing approaches , and postulate a synthesis of the two approaches. Suggestions regarding th e possible integration of the traditional psychometric measures with tests of psychomotor skills, working memory, and spatial ability are proposed.