Tests and Bias
Name: Jialei Xu
Professor & Sec: Teddy. Chocos FYS-126G
Date:Oct 11
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IQ tests are a set of standardized questions attempting to measure a person's intelligence in a
number of subjects, including mathematics, language and reasoning. Average IQ is generally
recognized to be a score of about 100. Only about 2 percent of the population will score above
130 on most IQ tests. However, as described in its definition, IQ scores have its limitations. That
is IQ tests are designed to measure an individual's maximum cognitive ability especially
academic ability--The proficiency at mentally manipulating information concluding learning,
reasoning, spotting and solving problems. Thus, it is bias to measure people’s intelligence
according to IQ test scores since academic intelligence do not fully represent people’s real
intelligence. In addition, IQ tests are biased against certain populations (for example, people who
have little education) and cultural background (for example, people who do not know
terminologies or concepts well). Most importantly, IQ test results are easily being misinterpreted
as well as abused. They can be used to classify people into stereotypes categories, which will
limit people’s desires to learn and study.
To begin with, it is bias to measure people’s intelligence according to IQ test scores. IQ scores
fail to show other type of intelligences. Consider an engineer ’s superior spatial intelligence and
a lawyer’s command of words. Are they the same type of intelligence? An interesting
perspective to look at intelligence is through Howard Gardner's theory of "multiple
intelligences." As the name indicates, Gardner identifies many areas of "intelligence" covering
musical, linguistic, logical-mathematical, kinesthetic, personal and spatial intelligence which
different people tend to excel themselves with different approaches. Besides, people blindly
restrict the notation of intelligence in logical and linguistic area. Gardner wanted to prove that IQ
test scores cannot clearly and fully measure people’s wholly intelligence. He noted that the
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traditional views toward intelligence centers on IQ was incorrect since intelligence is not
measurable and IQ scores is no more than a numerical result which is not reliable to interpret
people’s intelligence. He stated, “IQ predictors might point to achievement in schools and
colleges but not necessarily to achievement in life. For example, students with middling score
performed at extraordinary levels in business, politics, and other walks of life, whereas highachieving students often settled for middling careers. The reports on high-performing executives
indicated a considerable intelligence at work, but it was not necessary the kind of intelligence
that could be measure by the Binet tests” In short, People’s intelligence is not only shown just
academically but also socially and many other aspects. Intelligence is not singularly directional
and linear related to IQ score hence IQ score is not a reliable source of judging people’s
intelligence.
It is not so surprised to know the fact that while doing IQ test, not everyone is given the same
opportunity to accomplish. Cultural biases have been demonstrated in the development of many
standardized tests, including IQ tests. IQ tests are biased against certain populations (for
example, people who have little education) As IQ test measure one’s academic ability, It is more
likely for a well-educated person to get higher score in the test. People who do not go to school
or do not have enough vocabulary or do not familiar with the terminology, is doomed to received
lower scores. Does it mean low scores of IQ indicated they are less intelligent? Or academic
smart is real intelligence? According to Asimov, the writer of what is intelligent anyway, he
mention his auto-repair man as comparison. Asimov always takes it for granted that he is much
more intelligent than his auto-repair man. Because he thought he was more educated than the
worker. He based his judgment by the fact that he received a score of 160 while average people
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only can only get around 100 on the IQ test. In addition the auto-repair-man by his estimation,
can get a score of no more than 80. Even though Asimov is intelligent, he still have to turn to a
less intelligent person — his auto-repair man for help whenever his car broke down. Asimov thus
doubted “actually, though, don't such scores simply mean that I am very good at answering the
type of academic questions that are considered worthy of answers by people who make up the
intelligence tests - people with intellectual bents similar to mine?” He then realized the
lamination of IQ test and the lamination of simply applying intelligence based on IQ scores. Due
to the fact that the auto-repairman did not receive higher level of education, he was considered
less intelligent. Even though he had showed his talent in repairing cars, his unique intelligence
was not accepted by the society. Society wants to define a kind of intelligence that can fits most
people. However, everyone is different, it is impossible to find a one-size-fits all test that can
well interpreted all people’s intelligence. If a test is generally accepted, then it is already bias
against certain population of people.
Tests are also biased against certain cultural background. Take Scholastic Assessment Test
(SAT) as an example. SAT score is a key while applying universities in U.S. According to the
ministry of education of China, there were roughly 8,340,000 Chinese student took SAT in 2009.
Most of them did not do well due to the language barrier. They did not have large enough
vocabulary to support them while doing the reading. They did not do well not because they did
not know the concepts or principles but because they did not know the terminology in terms of
English. There is a translation between inches and centimeters, Fahrenheit and Celsius. However,
there are tons of translation between different cultural and languages. He who is outside that
cultural group cannot get in and therefor cannot understand what people means inside that
cultural group. Since most generally accepted standardize test are written in English, it is
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unavoidable that these tests are already biased against people whose first language is not English.
Academically, not merely SAT, but also GRE, GMAT, MCAT test are also written in English. In
people’s work and life, a lot more test than the list above that when test designer create the test
itself, designers have set the bias against certain group of people.
IQ test results are easily being misinterpreted as well as abused. People might use IQ to classify
people into stereotypes categories, which will limit their desires to learn. However, many
colleges, employers and the armed services still use paper-and-pencil or computer-based
intelligence tests to help them select applicants within large populations. Academically, people
heavily rely on test score to identify a person. Take the two children in Joseph Walter’s article as
an example. Two eleven-year-old girls took the same IQ test. One had performed at a superior
level. She answered more question correctly than her peers. While the other girl’s performance
was average. Teachers then had high expectations on the first girl that she should do well in any
aspects. It is likely that teachers therefore will pay more attention to the first girl. Since she is
predicted to be very smart and she is more likely to success. And it is not hard to predict that
teachers will somehow have low expectations on children who get lower score in the IQ test and
therefore pay less attention to those children. It may seem ridiculous but it is true that people
tend to believe intelligent students deserve more attention and they are more likely to succeed. In
turn, people do not willing to pay attention to those less intelligent students because they know
these students won’t succeed, anyway. Since people have classified students into several
categories and have already set expectations for each category of students, they begin to doubt
the value of guiding those so-called less intelligent students. They prefer to devote more time to
guide those more intelligent students and simply turn a blind eye to less intelligent students and
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justify their bad grades as being less intelligent. In this case, people abused the use of
intelligence. They are judging people by their IQ score. Like people often judge people by their
appearance, people tend to judge people by their IQ score. Academically, it is also very common
that people judge each other by their GPA. Better colleges like the Ivy League only accept
applicants whose GPA is 3.5 or higher. Some associations won’t take candidates whose GPA is
lower than 3.0 into consideration. Since those groups want to collect as many intelligent people
as possible and they believe people who have high GPA are more intelligent than those who do
not. However, it is people’s stereotypes and prejudices that high GPA equals high intelligence.
In addition, people who get high score of IQ often take it for granted that they should go to better
schools, have better opportunities, get better grades, have better performance, get better jobs,
have a better life than average people. They should make more money and have higher social
statues. Deriving from this view, people get lower scores of IQ, are deemed to go to bad school,
get lower grades, performance badly at school and they deserve to get lower paid. People who
work with their hands instead of their brain powers, like workers and farmers are less intelligent
people. At school, teachers look down upon students with bad grades. In society, people do not
show resection to people who get lower wages. It is considered that people who do humble
works like cleaning and fixing cars is less superior to engineers, lawyers, politics and doctors.
These phenomenons are all due to the abuse of IQ test and misinterpretations of IQ scores.
It is not always 100% correct to judge people by the test he take and the score he got. Using IQ
test score or any other test score to measure people’s intelligence is limited. Since IQ tests are
man made, it is unavoidable that they have their own limitations. They failed to show other types
of intelligence which are not shown in the test. In addition, IQ tests as well as many other tests
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are bias against certain group of people. What is more dangerous, a generally accepted test is
easily being abused and misused to categorizing people into different groups. People are more
likely to judge each other by the scores and their prejudices by simply converting scores into
abilities. In the long run, it will lead to distinguish treatment and will prevent people to
performance the best they can.
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Bibliography
Gardner, Howard. Multiple Intelligence: the Theory in Practice. 1943. Print.
Walters, Joseph. A Rounded Version : the Theory of Multiple Intelligence. Print.