reliability and validity of intelligence tests

As a result, the test was normed and standardized, which means that the test was administered consistently to a large enough representative sample of the population that the range of scores resulted in a bell curve (bell curves will be discussed later). Louis Terman, a Stanford professor, modified Binet’s work by standardizing the administration of the test and tested thousands of different-aged children to establish an average score for each age. American researchers soon realized the value of such testing. Binet was asked by the French government to develop an intelligence test to use on children to determine which ones might have difficulty in school it included many verbally based tasks. Reliable intelligence testing (you may recall from earlier modules that reliability refers to a test’s ability to produce consistent results) began in earnest during the early 1900s with a researcher named Alfred Binet.

Although he was not a psychologist, his contributions to the concepts of intelligence testing are still felt today (Gordon, 1995). In the late 1800s, Sir Francis Galton developed the first broad test of intelligence (Flanagan & Kaufman, 2004). The IQ test has been synonymous with intelligence for over a century.

How then, can intelligence be measured? And when we measure intelligence, how do we ensure that we capture what we’re really trying to measure (in other words, that IQ tests function as valid measures of intelligence)? In the following paragraphs, we will explore the how intelligence tests were developed and the history of their use. It seems that the human understanding of intelligence is somewhat limited when we focus on traditional or academic-type intelligence. In this section, we will explore what intelligence tests measure, how they are scored, and how they were developed. Intelligence testing has been considered both a bane and a boon for education and social policy. When might an IQ test be used? What do we learn from the results, and how might people use this information? IQ tests are expensive to administer and must be given by a licensed psychologist. Similarly, IQ tests-the tools designed to measure intelligence-have been the subject of debate throughout their development and use. You’ve already learned that there are many ways psychologists describe intelligence (or more aptly, intelligences). While you’re likely familiar with the term “IQ” and associate it with the idea of intelligence, what does IQ really mean? IQ stands for intelligence quotient and describes a score earned on a test designed to measure intelligence.

Explain the bell curve, and how IQ is measured.

Describe the development of IQ tests, their purposes, and benefits.

Reliability and validity of intelligence tests