Intelligence Tests
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Intelligent Quotient (IQ) is the measure of an individual’s intelligence. It describes the score from a test of one’s intelligence. There are various tools used by psychologists to measure a person’s intelligence. However, these tools have been subjected to debates over time throughout their development as well as usage. Testing of intelligence has been considered a bane and boon for both social and education policy. Alfred Binet, a researcher in the early 1900s, developed an intelligence test that was used to test the intelligence of the French children. The test was normed and standardized; it was used to determine the total IQ score. On the other hand, David Wechsler developed an intelligence test that aimed at determining separate abilities. Although all these tests are fundamental in psychology, it has been argued that the Wechsler intelligence scale is a highly reliable and standardized instrument (Silverman et al., 2010).
In the performance scale of the Wechsler test adult intelligence scale test, items require manipulation and alteration of pictures, blocks, or other materials. This is important because it allows for the score to be recorded for each of the subtests. Therefore, the tester gets a better understanding of the intellectual strength and weaknesses of and individual. On the other hand, the core purpose of the Stanford-Binet IQ scale is to provide a measure of an individual’s general intelligence. The measure of general intelligence is obtained by providing an individual with a variety of tasks that are known to have increasing difficulty. Therefore, Wechsler’s IQ tests are more beneficial as compared to the Stanford-Binet IQ test.
The underlying reason for both the Stanford-Binet intelligence test and Wechsler adult intelligence test were too similar; to carry out intelligence tests in human beings. The two tests provide valuable information about an individual’s mental abilities. They also reflect an individual’s personality, motivation, and test-taking skills. The main aim is to get a definitive, reliable, and authentic intelligence score of a person. However, the Stanford-Binet test requires some specific standardizations and norms before the tests. It emphasizes more on the verbal skills instead of other cognitive processes.
Wechsler adult scale was developed since the Stanford-Binet intelligence test relied heavily on an individual’s language ability. Stanford-Binet test also had a significant focus on children, thus not catering to the needs of the adult population. This made it weak as compared to the Wechsler adult intelligence test that has more than one section. It includes a performance scale and a verbal scale. Each of these sections facilitates the generation of separate intelligence score as well as the overall IQ score. Various elements are used to determine the verbal score of an individual, for example, oral and vocabulary similarities. For instance, a comparison using 50 children of six years of age, as a sample, was made to compare Wechsler and Stanford-Binet IQ tests. It was found that the Wechsler intelligence scale was 2 points higher than the Stanford-Binet intelligence scale. Additionally, the IQ scores for the Stan-Binet intelligence scale could not be computed below 4o points for IQ scale and below 45 points for performance or verbal scale, unlike on the Wechsler intelligence scale (Powell, 1951). This proves the inefficiency in the Stanford-Binet IQ test.
Additionally, another difference is that Stanford-Binet scales is fundamentally an age scale as compared to the Wechsler adult intelligence scale. The content changes with age. The evaluation of percentage passing items determines the validity of their distribution. Stanford-Binet intelligence scale is reasonable by a single factor. Nevertheless, both Stanford-Binet and Wechsler intelligence tests yield valuable knowledge about someone’s mental capabilities and give accurate IQ scores. The tests reflect basic cognitive abilities. However, the Wechsler intelligence scale provides a more standardized display of individual cognitive skills. Despite the test’s vital differences, the two scales are essential in the development of IQ testing.
References:
Powell, J. A. (1951). A Comparison of the Stanford-Binet and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children at Different Age and Intellectual Levels. Philosophy and Psychology, 1-12.
Silverman, W., Miezejeski, C., Ryan, R., Zigman, W., Krinsky-Mchale, S., & Urv, T. (2010). Stanford-Binet and WAIS IQ differences and their implications for adults with intellectual disability (aka mental retardation). Intelligence, 38(2), 242-248. doi:10.1016/j.intell.2009.12.005