Cognitive Factors: Some Recent Literature.

This report is based on a review of analytic studies in the cognitive domain published in the decade 1963-1973. The main purposes of the review were to consider the status of the factors included in the Kit of Reference Tests for Cognitive Factors and to consider what additional factors might be added to a revised Kit. The first section of this review gives a brief description of different theories and models of cognitive factors. It is followed by a short summary of some of the major issues raised by the research on cognitive factors. The third section of the review describes the current status of each of the 24 factors included in the 1963 edition of the Kit. The need to reconceptualize many of the factors in light of research findings is discussed. Major recommendations include the removal of the length estimation and mechanical knowledge factors from the revised Kit, the development of new marker tests fo1 speed of closure and for adaptive flexibility, the development of better scoring procedures for originality and spontaneous flexibility, and further study of the expressional fluency, semantic redefinition, and sensitivity to 'problems factors which have not been as clearly demonstrated as is desirable for inclusion in the Kit. The final section of the report describes new factors which have appeared in the literature. Recommendations are made to include factors of concept formation, figural fluency, integration, visual memory, and verbal closure in the new revision of the Factor Kit since each has been fairly clearly demonstrated