John Carlyle Raven (1902–1970) wasn’t just another psychologist—he was a game-changer in the world of intelligence testing. His name might not be as instantly recognizable as Freud or Pavlov, but if you’ve ever taken a nonverbal IQ test, especially one that involves patterns and logic, you’ve seen his influence firsthand. Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RPM)…
Robert Mearns Yerkes was one of those names that had a massive impact on psychology, but not always for the right reasons. Born in 1876 and passing in 1956, he left behind a complicated legacy—one filled with groundbreaking work in intelligence testing, pioneering research in primatology, and, unfortunately, a strong connection to the eugenics…
Back in 1917, the U.S. military was facing a serious challenge—how do you quickly assess the intelligence and abilities of millions of recruits? Enter the Army Alpha, one of the first large-scale intelligence tests, developed by psychologist Robert Yerkes and a team of experts. This test wasn’t just about picking the smartest soldiers; it…
