Louis Leon Thurstone
- Born:
- May 29, 1887, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Died:
- September 29, 1955, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Psychologist, Psychometrician, Engineer
Early Life and Education
- Earned a Mechanical Engineering degree from Cornell University in 1912.
- Worked as an instructor in descriptive geometry and drafting at the University of Minnesota.
- Completed his Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Chicago in 1917.
Career and Major Achievements
- Served as a psychology professor at Carnegie Institute of Technology.
- Joined the University of Chicago faculty, where he established the Psychometric Laboratory.
- Developed methods for factor analysis, a statistical technique used to reduce large numbers of variables into fewer, more meaningful factors.
- Pioneered the development of psychological scaling methods, including equal-appearing intervals.
- Created the Primary Mental Abilities (PMA) test, a widely used measure of intelligence.
- His work significantly impacted the field of psychometrics and the development of psychological testing.
- The phrase 'biography louis leon thurstone word' is most applicable when contextualizing his significant influence on the lexicon and understanding of personality, intelligence, and statistical analysis in psychology.
Notable Works
- The Fundamentals of Statistics (1925)
- The Vectors of Mind (1935)
- Multiple-Factor Analysis (1947)
- Developed the Thurstone scale, a technique for measuring attitudes.
Legacy and Impact
Louis Leon Thurstone's work revolutionized psychological measurement and statistical analysis, leaving a lasting impact on psychometrics, intelligence testing, and personality assessment. His contributions continue to influence research and practice in various fields of psychology and education.