Intelligence & Psychological Testing
Practice Exam
Short Answer – 5 Questions
1. Outline the landmark developments in intelligence testing.
2. Draw a graph showing the distribution of IQ scores in a typical population. Indicate several
meaningful “cut-points” which to show how IQ is distributed. For example, what % of people
have an IQ below 70?
3. Identify and briefly describe three key components you would use to assess the quality of a
psychological test.
4. To what extent is IQ heritable? Include relevant research findings.
5. What are the main difference between Spearman’s and Gardener’s theories of intelligence?
[check the readings for answers to these short-answer questions]
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Multiple Choice – 30 Questions
1. One of the turning points in psychology was the development of the first intelligence test in 1905
by:
a. Francis Galton
b. Cyril Burt
c. Lewis Terman
d. Alfred Binet
e. David Weschler
f. Jean Piaget
2. There is a positive correlation between almost every reliable measure that involves mental
processing, retrieval, or manipulation of information and almost any other measure that involves
cognitive activity:
a. True
b. False
3. Without ___________________, the ability of a theory to make predictions is more difficult.
a. precision
b. parsimony
c. substantial research
d. all of the above
4. Theories are evaluated favourably to the extent that they are:
a. supported by research findings
b. accepted by a large number of psychologists
c. obviously correct
d. all of the above
5. Theory and research operate best when:
a. research always precedes theory
b. theory always precedes research
c. they are totally independent of each other
d. there is continuous cycling between them
6. Which of the following questions is useful in determining the explanatory and predictive value of
a theory?
a. Is the theory stimulating in terms of further consideration and research?
b. Is the theory based on too narrow a set of information?
c. Does the theory feel reasonable or sensible?
d. All of the above
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7. Raven’s Progessive Matrices is an Intelligence Test which shows:
a. high loadings on Spearman’s g
b. contains perceptual analogies in the form of a matrix
c. has 3 forms for different levels of difficulty
d. has minimal cultural item loading
e. all of the above
8. Francis Galton measured intelligence by:
a. developing a test with more factors than anyone else had
b. scoring the detail of testee’s drawings
c. developing a battery of verbal and visual tasks
d. developing sensori-motor tasks
9. The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was proposed in 1912 by:
a. Francis Galton
b. Alfred Binet
c. Lewis Terman
d. David Weschler
e. None of the above
10. During World I, ___________, developed a group-based method of intelligence testing in order
to help optimally place people in the US army:
a. Terman
b. Yerkes
c. Binet
d. Jensen
e. Piaget
11. Charles Spearman proposed a _____ factor theory of intelligence:
a. one
b. two
c. three
d. four
e. five
12. What prevents the results of a single case study from being applied to many people?
a. lack of retest reliability
b. lack of generality
c. general scoring error
d. singular inconsistency
13. Two variables, X and Y, are said to be correlated if:
a. the values of X and Y tend to go together in a systematic way
b. a change in X tends to cause a change in Y
c. variable X and variable Y both influence variable Z
d. none of the above
14. As a correlation moves from r = 0 to r = 1, it gets progressively:
a. more positive and stronger
b. more positive and weaker
c. more negative and stronger
d. more negative and weaker
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15. Correlational research cannot provide information concerning the ____________ of the
relationship between two variables.
a. strength
b. causality
c. position
d. direction
16. What method of personality research allows inferences to be drawn concerning the cause of a
phenomenon under investigation?
a. case study
b. experimental
c. correlational
d. all of the above
17. If a study categorizes subjects on the basis of some naturally occurring difference, it is most
likely:
a. a correlational study
b. an experimental study
c. a cross-lagged study
d. a case study
18. Which type of study is best, correlational or experimental?
a. Correlational.
b. Experimental.
c. Impossible to tell.
d. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with each.
19. _________________ allow researchers to observe how different types of people respond to
variations in situations.
a. Single-factor designs
b. Crossed designs
c. Main effects
d. None of the above
20. A scale is "objective" if:
a. a person's responses are recorded directly, with no interpretations until a later time
b. an interpretation is made before information about behaviour is recorded
c. another researcher has used it
d. It is included in the "Manual of Personality Inventories"
21. Which of the following is a potential source of error in a measure?
a. the way an item is phrased
b. variations in an observer's attention
c. variation in what an observer is thinking about while administering a measure
d. all of the above
22. Reliability within a set of observations measuring the same aspect of personality is referred to
as:
a. lack of random error
b. unified reliability
c. internal consistency
d. internal clarity
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23. A measure is high in validity when:
a. the results obtained with the measure match the researcher's predictions
b. the operational definition closely matches the conceptual definition
c. all the researchers agree to its use
d. the experimenter has been found to be absolutely trustworthy
24. Which of the following is NOT a dimension of construct validity?
a. criterion
b. discriminant
c. split-half
d. convergent
25. Discriminant validity deals with the following general question:
a. Does the test measure the intended conceptual characteristics?
b. Does the test predict what it is supposed to predict?
c. Does the test correlate with measures of other characteristics thought to be similar?
d. Does the test fail to correlate with measures of other characteristics thought to be
different?
26. Acquiescence is a problem in research because:
a. everyone's degree of acquiescence is about the same
b. people vary a lot in how much they tend to acquiesce
c. the scores of people who are highly acquiescent are often deflated
d. It is difficult to counteract
27. The theoretical approach to assessment often results in measures that have a high degreee of
_______________ validity.
a. construct
b. face
c. discriminant
d. internal
28. Thurstone proposed ______ ‘primary mental abilities’:
a. three
b. five
c. seven
d. ten
e. twelve
29. In the 1960’s, Raymond Cattell proposed measurement of:
a. culture-free intelligence
b. non-verbal intelligence
c. fluid and crystallised intelligence
d. achievement rather than intelligence
e. practical intelligence
30. Probably the most widely accepted factorial description of intelligence is a hierarchical one,
with g at the top and specific mental abilities at the bottom:
a. True
b. False
THE END
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Intelligence & Psychological Testing
Multiple Choice ANSWERS
1. One of the turning points in psychology was the development of the first intelligence test in 1905
by:
d. Alfred Binet
2. There is a positive correlation between almost every reliable measure that involves mental
processing, retrieval, or manipulation of information and almost any other measure that involves
cognitive activity:
a. True
3. Without ___________________, the ability of a theory to make predictions is more difficult.
a. precision
4. Theories are evaluated favourably to the extent that they are:
d. all of the above
5. Theory and research operate best when:
d. there is continuous cycling between them
6. Which of the following questions is useful in determining the explanatory and predictive value of
a theory?
d. All of the above
7. Raven’s Progessive Matrices is an Intelligence Test which shows:
a. all of the above
8. Francis Galton measured intelligence by:
d. developing sensori-motor tasks
9. The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was proposed in 1912 by:
c. Lewis Terman
10. During World I, ___________, developed a group-based method of intelligence testing in order
to help optimally place people in the US army:
b. Yerkes
11. Charles Spearman proposed a _____ factor theory of intelligence:
b. two
12. What prevents the results of a single case study from being applied to many people?
b. lack of generality
13. Two variables, X and Y, are said to be correlated if:
a. the values of X and Y tend to go together in a systematic way
14. As a correlation moves from r = 0 to r = 1, it gets progressively:
a. more positive and stronger
15. Correlational research cannot provide information concerning the ____________ of the
relationship between two variables.
b. causality
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16. What method of personality research allows inferences to be drawn concerning the cause of a
phenomenon under investigation?
b. experimental
17. If a study categorizes subjects on the basis of some naturally occurring difference, it is most
likely:
a. a correlational study
18. Which type of study is best, correlational or experimental?
d. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with each.
19. _________________ allow researchers to observe how different types of people respond to
variations in situations.
b. Crossed designs
20. A scale is "objective" if:
a. a person's responses are recorded directly, with no interpretations until a later time
21. Which of the following is a potential source of error in a measure?
d. all of the above
22. Reliability within a set of observations measuring the same aspect of personality is referred to
as:
c. internal consistency
23. A measure is high in validity when:
b. the operational definition closely matches the conceptual definition
24. Which of the following is NOT a dimension of construct validity?
c. split-half
25. Discriminant validity deals with the following general question:
d. Does the test fail to correlate with measures of other characteristics thought to be
different?
26. Acquiescence is a problem in research because:
b. people vary a lot in how much they tend to acquiesce
27. The theoretical approach to assessment often results in measures that have a high degreee of
_______________ validity.
d. internal
28. Thurstone proposed ______ ‘primary mental abilities’:
a. seven
29. In the 1960’s, Raymond Cattell proposed measurement of:
c. fluid and crystallised intelligence
30. Probably the most widely accepted factorial description of intelligence is a hierarchical one,
with g at the top and specific mental abilities at the bottom:
c. True
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