Student Project/Web Site: IQ Tests Go to War—Measuring Intelligence in the Army
At http://historymatters.gmu.edu/puzzle/puzzle_old9. html, History Matters provides a brief overview
of the first widespread use of intelligence testing. With psychologist Lewis Terman’s assistance, the U.S.
government developed tests to evaluate arriving immigrants and 1.7 million World War I army recruits.
Invite students to match wits with the recruits by answering items from the actual army intelligence tests.
Presumed to be measures of inherent intelligence, the tests included many items that really assessed
acquired knowledge. For example, item 1 asks, “Bull Durham is the name of a A. chewing gum, B.
aluminum ware, C. tobacco, or D. clothing.”
II. Modern Tests of Mental Abilities
(pp. 432–433)
Student Project/Web Sites: Assessing Intelligence
There are many Web sites that provide visitors the opportunity to test their intelligence. Perhaps most
important, they provide students with the opportunity to apply what they have learned about the principles
of sound test construction. In addition to having students assess their own intelligence, ask them to
determine whether any of the online sites provide evidence of standardization, reliability, or validity.
http://www. brain.com/tests/Brain.com provides a variety of free IQ tests. Queendom.com provides
logic, culture-fair,
emotional, and spatial IQ tests at http://www.queendom.com/tests/ iq/index.html. Barbarian’s Online
Tests at http://www.wizardrealm.com provides one of the largest and most popular collections of tests on
the World Wide Web. Included are tests of intelligence that are regularly updated.
HANDOUT 30–1
Behavioral Checklist
Rate each of the following in terms of how characteristic it is of you. Write a number from 1 to 9 in the
blank before each item, with “1” meaning “extremely uncharacteristic of me” and “9” meaning “extremely
characteristic of me.”
I.
Practical problem-solving ability
1. Reasons logically and well
2. Identifies connections among ideas
3. Sees all aspects of a problem
4. Keeps an open mind
5. Responds thoughtfully to others’ ideas
6. Sizes up situations well
7. Gets to the heart of the problem
8. Interprets information accurately
9. Makes good decisions
10. Goes to original sources for basic information
11. Poses problems in an optimal way
12. Is a good source of ideas
13. Perceives implied assumptions and conclusions
14. Listens to all sides of an argument
15. Deals with problems resourcefully
II.Verbal ability
16. Speaks clearly and articulately
17. Is verbally fluent
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
Converses well
Is knowledgeable about a particular area of subject matter
Studies hard
Reads with high comprehension
Reads widely
Writes without difficulty
Sets aside time for reading
Displays good vocabulary
III. Social competence
26. Accepts others for what they are
27. Admits mistakes
28. Displays interest in the world at large
29. Is on time for appointments
30. Has social conscience
31. Thinks before speaking and doing
32. Displays curiosity
33. Does not make snap judgments
34. Makes fair judgments
35. Assesses well the relevance of information to a problem at hand
36. Is sensitive to other people’s needs and desires
37. Is frank and honest with self and others
38. Displays interest in the immediate environment
Source: Excerpt from INTELLIGENCE APPLIED by Robert J. Sternberg. Copyright © 1986 by Harcourt
Brace Jovanovich, reprinted by permission of the publisher.
HANDOUT 30–2
Maudsley Personality Inventory, Short Form
Instructions: The following questions pertain to the way people behave, feel, and act. Decide whether the
items represent your usual way of acting or feeling, and circle either “Yes” or “No” for each. If you find it
absolutely impossible to decide, circle the “?,” but use this answer sparingly.
1. Do you sometimes feel happy, sometimes depressed, without any apparent reason?
YES
?
NO
2. Do you have frequent ups and downs in mood, either with or without apparent cause?
YES
?
NO
?
NO
3. Are you inclined to be moody?
YES
4. Does your mind often wander while you are trying to concentrate?
YES
?
NO
5. Are you frequently “lost in thought” even when supposed to be taking part in a conversation?
YES
?
NO
6. Are you sometimes bubbling over with energy and sometimes very sluggish?
YES
?
NO
7. Do you prefer action to planning for action?
YES
?
NO
8. Are you happiest when you get involved in some project that calls for rapid action?
YES
?
NO
9. Do you usually take the initiative in making new friends?
YES
?
NO
10. Are you inclined to be quick and sure in your actions?
YES
?
NO
11. Would you rate yourself as a lively individual?
YES
?
NO
12. Would you be very unhappy if you were prevented from making numerous social contacts?
YES
?
NO
Source: Eysenck, H. J. (1970). The structure of human personality. London: Methuen. Reprinted by
permission of the author.
HANDOUT 30–3
Questionnaire for Business Management
This task asks you about your views on matters pertaining to the work of a manager. The questions ask you
to rate the importance you would assign to various items in making work-related decisions and judgments.
Use a 1 to 7 rating scale, with 1 signifying “not important,” 4 signifying “moderately important,” and 7
signifying “extremely important.”
1
not
important
2
3
4
5
moderately
important
6
7
extremely
important
Try to use the entire scale when responding, although not necessarily for each question. For example, you
may decide that none of the items listed for a particular question are important, or that they all are. There
are, of course, no “correct” answers. You are encouraged to scan briefly the items of a given question
before responding, to get some idea of the range of importance for the items. Remember, you are being
asked to rate the importance you personally would assign each item in making the judgment or decision
mentioned in the question stem.
1.
It is your second year as a mid-level manager in a company in the communications industry. You
head a department of about 30 people. The evaluation of your first year on the job has been generally
favorable. Performance ratings for your department are at least as good as they were before you took
over, and perhaps even a little better. You have two assistants. One is quite capable, but the other just
seems to go through the motions without being of much real help.
You believe that, although you are well-liked, there is little that would distinguish you in the
eyes of your superiors from the nine other managers at a comparable level in the company.
Your goal is rapid promotion to the top of the company. The following is a list of things you are
considering doing in the next two months. You obviously cannot do them all. Rate the importance of
each as a means of reaching your goal.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2.
Participate in a series of panel discussions to be shown on the local public television
station.
Find ways to make sure your superiors are aware of your important
accomplishments.
As a means of being noticed, propose a solution to a problem outside the scope of
your immediate department that you would be willing to take charge of.
When making decisions, give a great deal of weight to the way your superior likes
things to be done.
Accept a friend’s invitation to join the exclusive country club that many higher-level
executives belong to.
Your company has sent you to a university to recruit and interview potential trainees for management
positions. You have been considering characteristics of students that are important to later success in
business. Rate the importance of the following student characteristics by the extent to which they
may lead to later success in business.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
ability to set priorities according to the importance of the task
motivation
ability to follow through and complete tasks
ability to promote one’s ideas, to convince others of the worth of one’s work
the need to win at everything no matter what the cost
HANDOUT 30–3 (continued )
3.
A number of factors enter into the establishment of a good reputation in a company as a manager.
Consider the following factors and rate their importance.
a. critical thinking ability
b. speaking ability
c. extent of college education and the prestige of the school attended
d. no hesitancy to take extraordinarily risky courses of action
e. a keen sense of what superiors can be sold on
4.
Rate the following strategies of working according to how important you believe them to be for doing
well at the day-to-day work of a business manager.
a. Think in terms of tasks accomplished rather than hours spent working.
b. Be in charge of all phases of every task or project you are involved with.
c. Use a daily list of goals arranged according to your priorities.
d. Carefully consider the optimal strategy before beginning a task.
e. Reward yourself upon completion of important tasks.
5.
You are looking for several new projects to tackle. You have a list of possible projects and desire to
pick the best two or three. Rate the importance of the following considerations when selecting
projects.
a. Doing the project should prove to be fun.
b. The project should attract the attention of the local media.
c. The project is of special importance to me personally.
d. The risk of making a mistake is virtually nonexistent.
e. The project will require working directly with several senior executives.
Source: Excerpted from Intelligence applied: Understanding and increasing your intellectual skills by Robert J.
Sternberg. Copyright © 1986 by Harcourt Brace & Company. Reproduced by permission of the publisher.
HANDOUT 30–4
Emotional Intelligence Scale
Instructions: Indicate the extent to which each item applies to you using the following scale:
1 = strongly disagree
2 = disagree
3 = neither disagree nor agree
4 = agree
5 = strongly agree
1. I know when to speak about my personal problems to others.
2. When I am faced with obstacles, I remember times I faced similar obstacles and overcame
them.
3.
4.
5.
6.
I expect that I will do well on most things I try.
Other people find it easy to confide in me.
I find it hard to understand the nonverbal messages of other people.
Some of the major events of my life have led me to re-evaluate what is important and not
important.
7. When my mood changes, I see new possibilities.
8. Emotions are some of the things that make my life worth living.
9. I am aware of my emotions as I experience them.
10. I expect good things to happen.
11. I like to share my emotions with others.
12. When I experience a positive emotion, I know how to make it last.
13. I arrange events others enjoy.
14. I seek out activities that make me happy.
15. I am aware of the nonverbal messages I send to others.
16. I present myself in a way that makes a good impression on others.
17. When I am in a positive mood, solving problems is easy for me.
18. By looking at their facial expressions, I recognize the emotions people are experiencing.
19. I know why my emotions change.
20. When I am in a positive mood, I am able to come up with new ideas.
21. I have control over my emotions.
22. I easily recognize my emotions as I experience them.
23. I motivate myself by imagining a good outcome to tasks I take on.
24. I compliment others when they have done something well.
25. I am aware of the nonverbal messages other people send.
26. When another person tells me about an important event in his or her life, I almost feel as
though I have experienced this event myself.
27. When I feel a change in emotions, I tend to come up with new ideas.
28. When I am faced with a challenge, I give up because I believe I will fail.
29. I know what other people are feeling just by looking at them.
30. I help other people feel better when they are down.
31. I use good moods to help myself keep trying in the face of obstacles.
32. I can tell how people are feeling by listening to the tone of their voice.
33. It is difficult for me to understand why people feel the way they do.