Retrospective Anticipation

Abstract

The objectives of the Psychometric Society are coincident with those of its journal, namely, “the development of psychology as a quantitative rational science.” This general theme has frequently been referred to by the past presidents in their annual addresses. They did so by employing several different approaches: some by proposing directions of future research of the Society; some by making critical-instructive appraisals of past research; some by presenting reports of their own ongoing research; and some by viewing the present scene from an historical or philosophical perspective. Furthermore, the tone of these addresses has run the gamut from the frivolous to the profoundly scholarly. A brief analysis of the previous addresses disclosed some interesting items. First, there have been eight instances, in our 34 year history, when the address was skipped entirely, beginning with Thurstone’s [1937] published in Science rather than in Psychometrika. Of the addresses that subsequently appeared in Psychometrika, the average was 13 pages (including references) with a range from 5 to 26 pages. (Hopefully, the longer ones were not read in their entirety.) More than half the papers were expository in nature. Although 12 were reports on serious research problems, only four contained heavy mathematical developments. Five addresses could be characterized as facetious or humorous, but nonetheless carried a moral for the Society. In general, suggestions were made in 13 instances for future research or directions of emphasis for the Society, and 9 addressed themselves explicitly to its aims. There was also a sprinkling of criticism, philosophy, and history relating to the Society or to specific psychometric methods. Of course, the foregoing classifications were not mutually exclusive, and merely constitute one man’s opinions.

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