Intelligence Testing Essay Research Paper In reviewing

Intelligence Testing Essay, Research Paper

In reviewing the text, I found the definition of intelligence testing to be very

simple; testing used to measure intelligence. Two definitions found on an

Internet site at dictionary.com are: (a) A standardized test used to establish

an intelligence level rating by measuring a subject’s ability to form concepts,

solve problems, acquire information, reason, and perform other intellectual

operations. (b) A psychometric test of intelligence; "they used to think

that intelligence is what an intelligence test tests. In defining intelligence,

there has always been the question of whether intelligence is measured as one

phenomenon or if it has many variables that are combined. For example, is it how

smart a person is. Or is it a mixture of survival, mathematical, social and

other abilities. There are many debates regarding weather measuring intelligence

is determined from test scores and results or if it is measured by the person

ability to process and problem solve. Uses of Intelligence Testing In an

educational setting, intelligence and achievement tests are administered

routinely to assess individual accomplishment. They are used to improve

instruction and curriculum planning. High schools use these test to assist in

the students future educational planning. Elementary schools utilize screening

and testing procedures to help determine readiness for reading and writing

placement. Intelligence can be measured, though imperfectly, by intelligence

tests, among them the Standford-Binat Intelligence and the Wechsler scales.

These tests are intended to determine an individual’s intelligence quotient

(IQ). Intelligence tests usually provide an estimate of global cognitive

functioning as well as information about functioning within more specific

domains. Compared to measures of virtually all other human traits, intelligence

test scores are quite stable. However, the degree of stability increases with

age such that early childhood and preschool measures of intellectual function

are far less predictive of later functioning than assessments taken during

middle childhood. Furthermore, despite their relative stability, intelligence

test scores may change as a function of important environmental factors.

Therefore, intelligence test scores are descriptive of a child’s functioning at

that point in time. This could change with alterations in the child’s

psychiatric status, environmental conditions, or educational program. Components

of a good intelligence test are (a) Validity; does the test really measure

intelligence and not something else. (b) Reliability; does the test produce

consistent measurements. (c) Norms; are the participants being fairly compared.

Components that make an intelligence test flawed are (a) Poor validity; many

intelligence tests are sensitive to social factors in addition to intelligence.

(b) Poor norms; being compared to people who are different. (c) Inappropriate

application; test measures something that has nothing to do with the

participants school or job. Theories of Process Psychometric Model Psychometric

approach is defined as psychology that deals with the design, administration,

and interpretation of quantitative tests for the measurement of psychological

variables such as intelligence, aptitude, and personality traits. The

psychometric model is a theoretical perspective that quantifies individual

differences in test scores to establish a rank order of abilities. There are

various psychometric approaches to intelligence. The following paragraphs

describe three different theorists and their psychometric model. Charles

Spearman`s believed that intelligence is a combination of two parts. According

to his two-factor theory of intelligence, the performance of any intellectual

act requires some combination of g, (general intelligence factor) which is

available to the same individual to the same degree for all intellectual acts.

(Specific factors) or s is specific to that act and varies in strength from one

act to another. S is specific knowledge such as verbal reasoning or spatial

problem solving. Spearman equated g with mental energy. If one knows how a

person performs on one task that is highly saturated with g, one can safely

predict a similar level of performance for another highly g saturated task.

Prediction of performance on tasks with high s factors is less accurate. Thus,

the most important information to have about a person’s intellectual ability is

an estimate of their g or mental energy (Plucker 1989). Thurstone’s theory is

based on seven primary mental abilities. In the area of intelligence, his theory

maintains that intelligence is made up of several primary mental abilities

rather than just the g and s factors. He was among the first to propose and

demonstrate that there are numerous ways in which a person c

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