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Public Domain · 1884 · Pre-modern

Galton's Anthropometric Laboratory Measures: Pre-Binet intelligence measurement

The earliest systematic attempt to measure individual differences in mental capacity. Sir Francis Galton's Anthropometric Laboratory at the 1884 International Health Exhibition in London tested 9,337 people on 17 physical and sensory measurements that Galton believed reflected mental ability. The data Galton collected here directly influenced Cattell, Spearman, and every researcher who came after.

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About the Galton's Anthropometric Laboratory Measures

In the summer of 1884, Sir Francis Galton set up the world's first laboratory for measuring individual differences in mental and physical traits. Located at the International Health Exhibition in South Kensington, London, his Anthropometric Laboratory tested visitors for sixpence (about $5 today) and produced a detailed report card. Over the course of the Exhibition, 9,337 people participated.

Galton measured: keenness of sight (Snellen chart), colour sense (wools to match), judgment of the eye (line bisection), hearing (highest pitch detected, by Galton's own pitch-pipe whistles up to 22,000 Hz), reaction time to sound and to light, strength of squeeze (dynamometer), strength of blow (punching a pad), breathing capacity (spirometer), span of arms, height standing, height sitting, weight, and several others.

Galton's theoretical framework was that intelligence is rooted in the keenness and speed of the basic senses and motor system - the same Galtonian view that James McKeen Cattell later took to America. The framework was largely demolished by 1901 (Wissler showed Cattell's tests had no correlation with college grades), but Galton's methods - systematic measurement, large samples, statistical analysis - were foundational. The very concept of measuring individual differences in mental capacity comes from this 1884 laboratory.

About this interactive version: Galton's 1884 measurements required specialized Victorian-era apparatus (whistles, dynamometers, spirometers) and trained operators. We describe each measurement below; some can be approximated with modern smartphone apps.

The 17 subtests

#1
Keenness of Sight (Snellen) Visual acuity using the standard Snellen chart - the same eye chart still used today.
Equipment
#2
Colour Sense (Holmgren wools) Match colored wools to a target color. Tests color discrimination.
Equipment
#3
Judgment of the Eye Bisect a line of given length; mark the midpoint without measurement.
Pencil + Paper
#4
Highest Audible Pitch (Galton whistle) Using Galton's specially-designed whistles, find the highest frequency the subject can hear (up to 22,000 Hz). Galton invented this method.
Equipment
#5
Reaction Time to Sound Time from a buzzer to the subject's key-press response.
Equipment
#6
Reaction Time to Light Time from a flash to the subject's key-press response.
Equipment
#7
Strength of Squeeze Hand dynamometer - how hard can the subject squeeze?
Equipment
#8
Strength of Blow Punch a striking pad; force measured by indented spring.
Equipment
#9
Breathing Capacity (spirometer) Lung volume measured by single-breath exhalation into a calibrated cylinder.
Equipment
#10
Span of Arms Distance from fingertip to fingertip with arms outstretched.
Body Measurement
#11
Standing Height Body height in inches.
Body Measurement
#12
Sitting Height Body height seated, measured from the seat surface to the top of the head.
Body Measurement
#13
Weight Body weight on a calibrated scale.
Body Measurement
#14
Hand Span Distance from tip of thumb to tip of little finger, fingers spread.
Body Measurement
#15
Body Strength (lifting) Heaviest weight the subject can lift overhead, in a graded series.
Equipment
#16
Co-ordination Test Various tests of motor coordination (Galton tried several).
Equipment
#17
Pitch Discrimination Smallest detectable difference between two adjacent musical tones.
Equipment

Source

All test materials and historical content on this page are transcribed from:

Galton, F. (1885). On the Anthropometric Laboratory at the late International Health Exhibition. Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, 14, 205-221.

Public domain. Galton's complete archive is available at galton.org, maintained by Gavan Tredoux. Galton (1822-1911) was Charles Darwin's half-cousin and the father of psychometrics, biometrics, and (regrettably) eugenics. Read it on Internet Archive: https://galton.org/essays/1880-1889/galton-1884-jaigi-anthro-lab.pdf.

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