Testing Origins & History of Studying What is it? Assessing –Modern testing –Test construction Dynamics –Stability or change? –Extremes –Creativity Genetics and environmental influence –Bias

Objectives Trace the origins of intelligence testing and describe Stern’s formula for the intelligence quotient Describe the nature of intelligence and discuss whether intelligence should be considered a general mental ability or many specific abilities Describe efforts to correlate intelligence with brain anatomy, brain functioning, and cognitive processing speed Distinguish between aptitude and achievement tests and describe modern tests of mental abilities such as the WAIS

Describe test standardization and explain the importance of appropriate standardization samples for effectively interpreting intelligence test scores Distinguish between the reliability and validity of intelligence tests and explain how reliability and validity are assessed Discuss the stability of intelligence scores and describe the two extremes of the normal distribution of intelligence Identify the factors associated with creativity and describe the relationship between creativity and intelligence Describe group differences in intelligence test scores and show how they can be explained in terms of environmental factors Discuss whether intelligence tests are culturally biased

Overview Is intelligence inborn? Are tests fair? Many questions and controversies. What makes a good test? How to interpret scores? Kinds of tests?

Origins Intelligence tests assess mental abilities and compare them Alfred Binet – first tests Lewis Terman – IQ –Intelligence quotient = mental age / chronological age x 100

What is it? Difficult to define / The ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations. One general ability or several specific? Factor-analysis approach G factor (general - Spearman) Broadened theories Multiple (Gardener) Successful (Sternberg) Emotional

Is it measurable? Brain size and intelligence Brain function and intelligence Modern Assessments Aptitude Tests (predict) Achievement Tests (reflect) WAIS / WISC

Test Construction Standardization –Normal (bell-shaped) curve / norms have been established – to compare –Flynn effect – test scores have been improving (a mystery!) Reliability –Retesting to get the same results (repeatability) Validity –What it is supposed to measure

Stability or change over life span? Extremes –Mental retardation Degrees Down syndrome –Gifted Creativity and Intelligence –The ability to produce ideas that are both novel and valuable Intelligence

Questions/controversies Bias in testing Nature versus nurture Genetics and the environment What is intelligence Group differences Ethnic Gender