Q, 2.

(a) define intelligence test ( individual and group test)

Answer

Intelligence test

Intelligence test, series of tasks designed to measure the capacity to make abstractions, to
learn, and to deal with novel situations.

The most widely used intelligence tests include the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and
the Wechsler scales. The Stanford-Binet is the American adaptation of the original French
Binet-Simon intelligence test; it was first introduced in 1916 by Lewis Terman, a psychologist
at Stanford University. The individually administered test—revised in 1937, 1960, 1973, 1986,
and 2003—evaluates persons two years of age and older and is designed for use primarily with
children. It consists of an age-graded series of problems whose solution involves arithmetical,
memory, and vocabulary skills.

The test is scored in terms of intelligence quotient, or IQ, a concept first suggested by German
psychologist William Stern and adopted by Lewis Terman in the Stanford-Binet Scale. The IQ
was originally computed as the ratio of a person’s mental age to his chronological (physical)
age, multiplied by 100. Thus, if a child of 10 had a mental age of 12 (that is, performed on the
test at the level of an average 12-year-old), then the child was assigned an IQ of (12/10) X 100,
or 120. A score of 100, for which the mental age equaled the chronological age, was average;
scores above 100 were above average, scores below 100 were below average. The concept of
mental age has fallen into disrepute, however, and few tests now involve the computation of
mental ages. Yet many tests still yield an IQ; this figure is now computed on the basis of the
statistical percentage of people who are expected to have a certain IQ. Intelligence test scores
follow an approximately “normal” distribution, with most people scoring near the middle of the
distribution curve and scores dropping off fairly rapidly in frequency away from the curve’s
centre. For example, on the IQ scale about 2 out of 3 scores fall between 85 and 115 and about
19 out of 20 scores fall between 70 and 130. A score of about 130 or above is considered gifted,
while a score below about 70 is considered mentally deficient or intellectually disabled.

Intelligence tests have provoked a great deal of controversy about what kinds of mental
abilities constitute intelligence and whether the IQ adequately represents these abilities, with
debate centering on cultural bias in test construction and standardization procedures. Critics
have charged that intelligence tests favour groups from more affluent backgrounds and
discriminate against less privileged racial, ethnic, or social groups. Consequently, psychologists
have attempted to develop culture-free tests that would more accurately reflect an individual’s
native ability. One such test, the Johns Hopkins Perceptual Test, developed by Leon Rosenberg
in the early 1960s to measure the intelligence of preschool children, has a child try to match
random forms (ordinary geometric forms, such as circles, squares, and triangles, are avoided
because some children may be more familiar with the forms than are others). Another
attempted solution to the problem was to use test material pertinent to a child’s living
environment; for example, for inner-city children, urban and not pastoral scenes are
appropriate.

Types of Intelligence Tests

Intelligence tests may be classified under two categories:

Individual test

Group test

1. Individual Tests:

The first tests that were prepared were individual. The ideal of preparing group test was
motivated by economy and mass-scale testing work. Binet’s test was individual, and so was
Terman-Merril Stanford Revision. Individual tests are most reliable but these consume more
time and energy. These are, however, useful in making case-studies or individual studies of
behaviour problems or backwardness.

The tests prepared in the beginning were individual verbal i.e., where some sort of language
(the mother-tongue of the child) was used. Each question in Simon-Binet or Stanford Revision
test is in verbal form. The child has to read the question or listen to the question and answer in
language.

But suppose the child is not fully conversant with the language of the examiner, or he is
illiterate. In that case verbal tests do not serve the purpose. Hence non-verbal or performance
tests have been prepared. Here the tasks set up require the child to do ‘something’ rather than
reply a question.

The child may, for instance, fit in a wooden board with depressions in some geometrical forms,
some wooden shapes like triangles or rectangles or circles. He may put some cubes in
descending or ascending order of size. He may assemble certain disintegrated parts to form full
designs or pictures. No language is used here. Instructions also can be had through
demonstration or action.

A number of performance tests have been prepared. The most important are:
1. Alexander’s Pass-a-long test.

2. Koh’s Block Design test.

3. Collin and Drever’s Performance Tests.

4. Weschlers Performance Test.

5. Terman and Merill’s Performance Test.

6. Kent’s Performance Test.

Kent’s test is used for clinical purposes. It consists of five oral tests and seven written tests,
each requiring one minute.

Individual performance tests have the disadvantage that these take a lot of time. Their
reliability is also questioned on the ground that temporary response sets or work habits may
play a major role in determining score. The habits rewarded in one test may lead to a low score
or more scores on another.

Again, the intelligence measured by performance tests is not quite the same as tested by Binet
and others. Some psychologists have even questioned whether performance test batteries
measure general intelligence at all. Further details about performance tests are given below
elsewhere.

2. Group Tests:

These are more helpful as these deal with large masses of subjects such as in schools, industry,
army and public. Under favourable administering conditions these are reliable and have high
predictive validity, and can be compared favourably with individual tests.

The Army Alpha and Beta were the most prominent tests in the beginning, Spearman
constructed group tests in which questions were read out to the candidates. Cyril, Burt
prepared group test comprising of large number of sections each section being a large number
of problems of one particular kind.

His group-test no. 23 comprises 50 same-opposite problems, 30 sentence completion problems,

30 mixed sentences, 25 analogies and 18 reasoning problems.

A specimen of Burt’s graded reasoning test is given in Appendix VII.

In the ‘Omnibus’ test or ‘Richardson’s ‘Simplex Text’, the different sections are not timed
separately, but there is a time limit for the whole test.
Army Beta test is the most widely known group performance test.

In general, group tests have the following characteristics:

(i) Most of the group-tests have been standardised, and these are commonly used in
educational institutions in the western countries. The directions and manuals for examiners
have been worked out, so that even a layman can administer these.

(ii) Most of the test items in group verbal tests are linguistic in character. Some of the test items
include problems requiring reasoning about numbers, or geometrical forms.

(iii) Some group verbal tests have been used in measuring scholastic aptitude also.

(iv) These are convenient in administration and scoring.