Question

How have evolving definitions and conceptualizations of intelligence influenced the way testing methods are used in academic or work settings? (Chapter 9)

Answer 1

Definitions and conceptualizations of intelligence have evolved over time, and intelligence testing has evolved along with it. Research is continually improving IQ testing so that they can measure intelligence more accurately in academic and work settings

Binet-Simon intelligence scale

IQ means intelligence quotient, and one of the first modern intelligence test this term was used in, was published in 1905 by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon. It was called the Binet-Simon intelligence scale. Since it was easy to administer, this test was adopted as a standard IQ test in many countries. In the United States, psychologist Lewis Terman of Stanford University adapted this test for American population. He called it the Stanford-Binet IQ test. He stated that an individual’s intelligence level be measured as a quotient (hence the term “intelligence quotient”) of their estimated mental age divided by their chronological age. The original formula for the quotient was:

IQ = Mental Age/Chronological Age x 100.

So, a seven year old child who achieved at the same level as his seven year old peers would score a 100. Thus, the score of 100 became the average score.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

This was the first intelligence test which was explicitly designed for adult population. WAIS was published by David Wechsler and after it was released, Wechsler extended this scale for younger people too, creating the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, or WISC. The Wechsler scale scored individuals seperately for verbal IQ and performance IQ, and thus, they were less focussed on verbal ability than the Stanford-Binet scale. These tests were the first intelligence scales to base scores on a standardized bell curve.

Modern IQ tests now give a specific mathematical score based on a bell curve, with a majority of people scoring the average and only small amounts of people with higher score or lower score than the average. Around 95% of the population scores in the middle, i.e. roughly between 70 and 130 points.

General Intelligence Factor

Charles Spearman put forth this definition, by using factor analysis in intelligence testing. He developed the concept of the g factor of general intelligence, which influences the performance on all mental tasks. He also found out another factor s of specific intellectual abilities, which influences abilities on a particular task. g and IQ are approximately 90% correlated in normal population

Culture-Fair Tests

Raymond B. Cattell created the Culture-Fair Intelligence Test, in order to develop a test which separated environmental from genetic factors, . Cattell proposed that general intelligence g consists of two parts: fluid intelligence (capacity to think logically and solve problems) and crystallized intelligence (ability to use skills, knowledge, and experience). He also argued that g should be free from cultural bias, like differences in upbringing, language and education etc.

A widely used culture-fair test is Raven’s Progressive Matrices. It was developed by John C. Raven in 1936. This test is a nonverbal group test typically used in educational settings, designed to measure the reasoning ability associated with g.

The most commonly used test series currently is the Wechslers Scales i.e. the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and its version for children, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). At present most IQ tests tend to measure both verbal and performance IQ. Verbal IQ is measured through both comprehension and working memory skills, such as vocabulary and arithmetic. Performance IQ is measured through perception and processing skills, such as matrix completion and symbol coding. All of these measures and tasks are used to calculate a score for IQ