Verbal Abstraction in Psychiatric Illness: Assay of Impairment Utilizing Proverbs

Abstract

As far as published records show, Europeans used proverbs for evaluating mental processes some years before they were similarly used in America. In 1906, Finckh (20) published his research concerning the use of proverbs in intelligence testing, which is still cited most frequently in Germany and considered the foundational research in this field. In 1907, Bühler (13) published his extended article dealing with the problems of studying the thinking process. He pointed out the value of proverbs because they were interesting while at the same time demanding all the psychic energy of the subject. In 1920, Achilles (1) used familiar and not so familiar proverbs in memory studies, testing children, adults and “insane patients”. In 1923, Piaget (39) referred to the use of proverbs for the study of thinking. Also in 1923, Ziehen (53) described the use of proverbs for testing the mentally gifted; both normal and clinical cases. In 1927, Bronner (11) reported a proverbs test being used in the United States. Thurstone's test consisted of two sets of 20 proverbs each.

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