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Exploring Intelligence Testing and Issues 7.5

Feb 6, 2025

Psychology 2e - Measures of Intelligence

Learning Objectives

  • Explain development of intelligence tests
  • Describe the history of IQ test usage
  • Understand purposes and benefits of intelligence testing

Understanding IQ

  • IQ (Intelligence Quotient): A score from tests designed to measure intelligence
  • Debate over definition: Multiple intelligences vs. single measure

Uses and Controversies

  • Applications: Education, psychological evaluation
  • Limitations: Historical misuse (e.g., eugenics)
  • Controversial cases: e.g., Buck v. Bell legalized forced sterilization

Development of IQ Tests

  • Early Testing:
    • Sir Francis Galton (1800s) initiated broad intelligence tests
    • Alfred Binet (early 1900s) developed tests for French children, focusing on verbal tasks
    • Louis Terman standardized Binet's test (Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale)

Wechsler's Contributions

  • Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale (1939):
    • Combined verbal and nonverbal skills
    • Evolved into the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
    • Other tests: WISC-V, WPPSI-IV
    • Focus on multiple cognitive abilities

Modern Testing and the Flynn Effect

  • Recalibration: Regular updates to maintain test relevance
  • Flynn Effect: Observation of rising IQ scores over generations

Validity of Intelligence Tests

  • Concerns:
    • Debate on skills assessed
    • Limitations in measuring true intelligence

Key Case Studies

Atkins v. Virginia

  • Background: Daryl Atkins' intellectual disability questioned in a death penalty case
  • Outcome: Supreme Court rules against execution of intellectually disabled individuals
  • Impact: States to define intellectual disability standards

The Bell Curve

  • IQ Distribution:
    • Normal bell curve distribution
    • Standard deviations show variance
    • Average IQ is 100, SD is 15
    • IQ < 70 can indicate intellectual disability

Intellectual Disabilities

  • Subtypes: Mild, Moderate, Severe, Profound
  • DSM-5 Criteria: Details cognitive deficits and adaptive functioning

High Intelligence

  • Gifted Individuals: IQ > 130
  • Study by Lewis Terman: High IQ individuals well-adjusted and successful
  • Mensa: Organization for top 2% IQ scores

Terminology and Social Impacts

  • Shift from "Mental Retardation" to "Intellectual Disability"
    • Rosa's Law supports this change
    • Reflects societal language evolution

Importance of Measuring Intelligence

  • Educational and Clinical Benefits:
    • Identifying learning difficulties
    • Legal implications for defendants
    • Social security benefits

Case Study: Candace

  • Background: 14-year-old with significant school struggles
  • Findings: IQ of 68 indicating need for assistance
  • Conclusion: Highlights necessity for early detection and intervention

Evolving Testing Methods

  • Recent Developments:
    • Focus on equitable, accurate assessments
    • Differentiated tests for various groups