Citation

Biesheuvel S, Pitt DR. Acta Psychol. 1955; 11: 373-396.

Affiliation

National Institute for Personnel Research, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Johannesburg, South Africa

Copyright

(Copyright © 1955, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0001-6918(55)80099-6

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

1) A battery of psychomotor and perceptual tests correlates with a paired comparisons rating, serving as a criterion of secondary function, to the extent of R = .606 [plus-or-minus sign] .091. 2) Factor analysis shows that this criterion has projections on two indeoendent factors, of which only one, tentatively defined as "flexibility", can be related to mental inertia and thus to secondary function. The other, representing unstructured motor speed. merits further investigation as an additional dimension of temperament. 3) It is probable, therefore, that the behaviour pattern to which primary- secondary function gives rise excludes such elementary aspects of speed of response as quickness of movements and gestures. but that it includes speed resulting from mobility and plasticity of behaviour at a more discriminative level. 4) The extent to which secondary function can be measured by means of objective tests needs to be studied anew, as the multiple correlation obtained in this investigation refers to a complex criterion, involving other factors besides secondary function. 5) Secondary function is shown to have wider behavioural implications than perseveration, defined in the older sense of mental inertia, and to differ conceptually from the more recent definition of perseveration as "disposition rigidity". 6) Both unstructured motor speed and flexibility have saturations in alpha frequency, indicating their relation to level of excitability of the central nervous system. The physiological differentiation of the two factors remains obscure.