Mod 32 Assessing Intelligence
Binet: 1st modern intelligence, France—identify children who weren’t up to same “mental status” as peers; very afraid of test
being used to “label” students
Mental age: the intelligence level you measure at that corresponds w/a chronological age
Binet did not care WHY this was your mental age
US Terman (Stanford) adapted the Binet test for Americans---Stanford-Binet
IQ (intelligence quotient): mental age / chronological age x 100
IQ 100 average IQ
85 to 110 are a standard normal (2/3rds of the population)
***not really acceptable for adults….as you get older, technically your IQ would diminish according to this scale
Terman believed that IQ scores supported concept of eugenics—encourage only smartest & mentally fit to reproduce (those
who were Western European in origin)
IQ for the army—Alpha test (verbal) Beta (nonverbal)
Obj 2 Modern Test
Weschler WAIS (scale) most widely used test—adults; several different components—verbal, perceptual org., performance,
tests for time of answer as well—could earn more points by answering faster
Aptitude test; predict future performance (SAT)
Achievement test: assess what you’ve already learned (AP, driving)
Obj 3 Standardization
1st give test to a representative sample/pop—compare the sample scores to the people then taking the test
Normal distribution: bell/normal curve—most of scores fall in the middle
IQ 100 pts
KNOW THE DIAGRAM & DISTRUBITON ON PAGE 446!!
Do have re-standardized periodically
Flynn effect: intelligence scores improved from the 1920’s an average of 10 points (ave. score was 76….)
Could be due to education, nutrition, etc
Obj 4 Reliability
Consistent scores—retesting
Split test reliability: give 1st odd questions, then give even quest
IQ tests have +.9 correlation—very high
Obj 5 Validity
Test measures what it is supposed to
Content validity: does it sample the behavior being tested?
Criterion: does test predict the material it is testing on
SAT has +.5 GRE +.3
Obj 6 Stability vs Change
IQ scores don’t stabilize until around age 7
Obj 7 Extremes of Intelligence
Mental retardation: limited mental ability (IQ of 70 & below) AND adapting life
Down’s Syndrome: extra chromosome on 21st
Used to keep mentally retarded children institutionalized—today mainstreaming
Self-fulfilling prophecy