The General Factor Fallacy in Psychology

I. A natural relatiomhip common to all sets of correlation co-cents is what Prof. Spearman has called hierarchical order. I I . The illusion that the hierarchical order found in psychologicalresearch is perfect is due to a mathematical error. I I I . The j r s t ' u m d i t h ' whi2hMr Garnett would impose on the bonds which cause correlation is as un9wcessary as is a General Factor.I P .So also is Mr Garnett's sewnd 'condition.' V .Mr Garnett's 'linear transformation' is only completely successful when hierarchical order is prjkct, and is in any case only an elabate way of saying that hierarchical order m y be due to a General Factor. V I . comlzcsions.IT is with regret that I find it necessary, in view of a recent article by Mr J. C. Maxwell Garnettl, to return t o the question of the phenomenon of hierarchical order among correlation coeEcients and to insist, with all the emphasis of which my pen is capable, that the deduction of the presence of a General Factor which Professor Spearman has based upon this phenomenon is utterly and entirely invalid. I.Hierarchical order is the natural order to be found among any set of correlation coefficients, however the correlations may be caused, provided only that the bonds which cause the correlations are left, as we say, to chance: that is, provided the phenomenon is of that complex nature which, in default of analysis, we call random.Hierarchical order will arise among correlation coefbcients unless we take pains to suppress it.It does not point to the presence of a General Factor, it cannot be made the touchstone for any particular form of hypothesis, for it occurs even if we only make the negative assumption that we do not know how the