The Binet Scales
The Stanford Binet Intelligence
Scale: Fourth Edition (1986)
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Probably the most radically changed version of
the Stanford-Binet since its inception
Prior to the 1986 SBIV, the Stanford-Binet
produced only one score
Different kinds of items were used for different
age levels; more difficult items were used for
higher age levels
In the 1986 SBIV, items with the same kind of
content were placed together into 15 separate
subtests; allowed for calculation of total IQ, as
well as scores for things such as verbal
reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and shortterm memory
Problems with the SBIV
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It was a “beast”
Very difficult to administer & score
although entire scale contained 15 tests, no one
individual took all the tests, because some were
suitable only within limited age ranges
in general, complete battery includes from 8 to
13 tests, depending on test taker’s age and
performance on vocabulary test
survey of school psychologists – rated ease of
administration, interpretation, usefulness – rated
SBIV lowest of four most popular tests
The Stanford-Binet Intelligence
Scale: Fifth Edition (SBV)
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Took over 7 years to develop
Released in spring of 2003
Contains 10 subtests
Underlying Theory
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SB5 based on the Cattell-HornCarroll (CHC) theory of intellectual
abilities, which assumed a
hierarchical cognitive model of
intellectual functioning
SB5 constructed on a 5-factor
model; these 5 factors considered
the most important in intellectual
functioning
Hierarchical Structure of SB5
Scoring System
Five Factors
Factor Name
Brief Definition
Fluid
Reasoning
Novel problem-solving; understanding of
relationships that are not culturally bound
Knowledge
Skills & knowledge acquired by formal & informal
education
Quantitative
Reasoning
Knowledge of mathematical thinking including
number concepts, estimation, problem-solving &
measurement
Visual-Spatial
Processing
Ability to see patterns & relationships & spatial
orientation as well as the gestalt among diverse
visual stimuli
Working
Memory
Cognitive process of temporarily storing & then
transforming or sorting information in memory
Non-Verbal & Verbal Subtests
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Each of the five cognitive factors is
measured by a non-verbal subtest &
a verbal subtest
Administration of Test
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Takes approximately 1 hour to administer
Begins with the “Object Series/Matrices” subtest,
used to assess non-verbal fluid reasoning
This subtest is also used as a “routing” test; the
score on this test determines where the examiner
begins testing on the remaining non-verbal
subtests
Has 36 items; uses coloured plastic shapes, toys,
blocks, then matrices
Examiner begins at “the estimated ability level of
the examinee (usually the chronological age of
the person)”
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Next subtest administered is the
Vocabulary subtest, used to assess
Verbal Knowledge
This subtest is used as a routing test
for all of the remaining verbal
subtests
Starts with an identification of facial
features, then toys, then pictures,
then word definitions
Adaptive Testing
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Stanford-Binet has always been an “adaptive”
test
Individual responds to only that part of the test
that is appropriate for his or her developmental
level
E.g., a young child is not given difficult problems
that would only lead to frustration; similarly, an
older examinee is not bored with questions that
are too easy
Each subtest starts with very easy items &
progresses to items that are more difficult
Routing tests assist examiner to begin each
subtest at an appropriate level of difficulty for
examinee
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All of the test items for the SB5 are
contained in 3 item books
Item Book 1 contains the first two
(routing) subtests
After the second subtest has been
administered, the examiner has
recorded estimated ability scores
designed to identify an appropriate
start point in Item Books 2 & 3
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Examiner administers the next four
nonverbal subtests of an appropriate level
determined from Book 2
Examiner starts at appropriate start point,
& if examinee answers items correctly, this
is assumed to be the “basal level” of
ability
Continues until examinee answers
incorrectly for a certain number of items
(this is the examinee’s “ceiling level” for
that subtest)
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Examiner then administers the final
four verbal subtests from Item Book
3, starting at appropriate level
determined from routing vocabulary
test
The Tasks
Fluid
Reasoning
Knowledge
Nonverbal
Verbal
Nonverbal
Verbal
Quantitative
Nonverbal
Reasoning
Verbal
Visual/Spatial Nonverbal
Reasoning
Verbal
Working
Nonverbal
Memory
Verbal
Matrices
Analogies
Absurdities
Vocabulary
Quant. Reasoning
Verbal Quant. Reas.
Form Board
Positions & Directions
Block Pattern Memory
Sentence Memory
Scoring
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Points are summed for each of the
subtests & converted to a “scaled score”
• Scaled subtest scores have a mean of 10 & a
standard deviation of 3
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Scores can also be computed for
nonverbal IQ, verbal IQ, full-scale IQ and
each of the five factors (fluid reasoning,
knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visualspatial processing, working memory)
• These “standard scores” have a mean of 100 &
a standard deviation of 15
Psychometric Properties of SB5
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Suitable for age range of 2 to 85+ years
of age
Range of possible scores runs from a low
of 40 to a high of 160
Reliability coefficients are as follows:
• Full scale IQ - .98
• Nonverbal & verbal - .95 to .96
• Factor scores - .90 to .92
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Test-retest reliabilities range from high
.7’s to low .9’s depending on age & testing
interval
Reliability of SB5
IQ Categories
Measure IQ Category
Range
145-160
Very gifted or highly advanced
130-144
Gifted or very advanced
120-129
Superior
110-119
High average
90-109
Average
80-89
Low average
70-79
Borderline impaired or delayed
55-69
Mildly impaired or delayed
40-54
Moderately impaired or delayed
Case Study:
Noor
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16 years 10 months old
Native of Pakistan who immigrated to the
United States two years ago with her
parents
Both parents are college-educated
Noor spoke English in the testing session,
but speaks her native language, Urdu, at
home with her parents
She is enrolled in an ESL program in her
high school, where she receives 4 hours
per week of language instruction