IQ TEST

IQ test

1. MARIELLE MARIZ P. GAZA

2. Binet and the First IQ Test

3. Born: July 8, 1857 Nice , France Died: October 18, 1911 (aged 54 ) Paris , France Nationality: French Fields: Psychology Influences: John Stuart Mill , Ilona Gheorghiesh , Symeon Vouteros Influenced:Jean Piaget Spouse: Laure Balbiani Alfred Binet

4. Alfred Binet. A French psychologist who invented the first practical IQ test, the Binet-Simon test. In 1904, the French Ministry of Education asked psychologist Alfred Binet to devise a method that would determine which students did not learn effectively from regular classroom instruction so they could be given remedial work. Along with his collaborator Théodore Simon, Binet published revisions of his test in 1908 and 1911, the last of which appeared just before his death

5. The first intelligence test, referred to today as the  Binet-Simon Scale , became the basis for the intelligence tests still in use today. However, Binet himself did not believe that his psychometric instruments could be used to measure a single, permanent and inborn level of intelligence. First IQ Test

6. Instead, he insisted that intelligence is influenced by a number of factors, changes over time and can only be compared among children with similar backgrounds Binet stressed the limitations of the test, suggesting that intelligence is far too broad a concept to quantify with a single number.

7. The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test

8. When the Binet-Simon Scale was brought to the United States, it generated considerable interest. Stanford University psychologist  Lewis Terman took Binet's original test and standardized it using a sample of American participants. This adapted test, first published in 1916, was called the  Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale  and soon became the standard intelligence test used in the U.S.

9. The Stanford-Binet intelligence test used a single number, known as the intelligence quotient (or IQ), to represent an individual's score on the test. This score was calculated by dividing the test taker's mental age by their chronological age, and then multiplying this number by 100.

10. The Stanford-Binet remains a popular assessment tool today, despite going through a number of revisions over the years since its inception.

11. Pros and Cons of IQ Testing Through History

12. At the outset of World War I, U.S. Army officials were faced with the task of screening an enormous number of recruits. In 1917, as chair of the Committee on the Psychological Examination of Recruits, psychologist  Robert Yerkes developed two tests known as the  Army Alpha and Beta tests .

13. The Army Alpha was designed as a written test, while the Army Beta was administered orally in cases where recruits were unable to read. The tests were administered to over 2 million soldiers in an effort to help the Army determine which men were well-suited to specific positions and leadership roles.

14. At the end of WWI, the tests remained in use in a wide variety of situations outside of the military with individuals of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. For example, IQ tests were used to screen new immigrants as they entered the United States at Ellis Island.

15. The results of these mental tests were unfortunately used to make sweeping and inaccurate generalizations about entire populations, which led some intelligence "experts" to exhort Congress to enact immigration restrictions.

16. The Wechsler Intelligence Scales

17. Building on the Stanford-Binet test, American psychologist David Wechsler created a new measurement instrument. Much like Binet, Wechsler believed that intelligence  involved different mental abilities , describing intelligence as "the global capacity of a person to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment" (1939).

18. What Exactly Are IQ Tests Measuring?

19. Intelligence tests are designed to measure  crystallized and fluid intelligence. Crystallized intelligence involves your knowledge and skills you have acquired throughout your life while  fluid intelligence is your ability to reason, problem-solve and make sense of abstract information.

20. Fluid intelligence is considered independent of learning and tends to decline in later adulthood. Crystallized intelligence, on the other hand, is directly related to learning and experience and tends to increase as people grow older.

21. Logic , spatial awareness, verbal reasoning, and visual abilities are some of the key areas assessed by many IQ tests. IQ tests are more interested in looking at your ability to use logic to solve problems, to recognize patterns, and to make rapid connections between different points of information.

22. Modern intelligence tests often focus on abilities such as mathematical skills, memory, spatial perception, and language abilities. The capacity to see relationships, solve problems, and remember information are important components of intelligence, so these are often the skills on which IQ tests focus.

23. While you might often hear that brilliant individuals, including Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking, possessed IQ's of 160 or higher or that certain Presidential candidates have specific IQs, these numbers are simply estimates. In most of these cases, there is no evidence that these well-known individuals ever took a standardized IQ test

24. IQ tests are administered by licensed psychologists. There are different kinds of intelligence tests, but many involve a series of subtests that are designed to measure mathematical abilities, language skills, memory, reasoning skills and information-processing speed. Scores on these subtests are then combined to form an overall IQ score.

25. Understanding IQ Scores

26. To understand what the score on an IQ test means, there are a few key terms that you should know: Bell Curve :  When IQ scores are plotted on a graph, they typically follow a bell-shaped curve. The peak of the "bell" occurs where the majority of the scores lie. The bell then slopes down to each side - one side representing scores that are lower than the average, the other side representing scores that are above the average. An example of a bell curve can be seen in the image above.

27. Mean :  The average score. The average is calculated by adding all of the scores together, then dividing by the total number of scores. Standard Deviation :  A measure of variability in a population. A low standard deviation means that most of the data points are very close to the same value. A high standard deviation indicates that the data points tend to be very spread out from the average. In IQ testing, the standard deviation is plus or minus 15.

28. IQ Scores: 1 to 70 - Mental disability 71 to 84 - Borderline mental disability 85 to 114 - Average intelligence 115 to 129 - Above average; bright 130 to 144 - Moderately gifted 145 to 159 - Highly gifted 160 to 179 - Exceptionally gifted 180 and up - Profoundly gifted

29. I t is important to remember that IQ tests are only one measure of intelligence. Many experts suggest that other important elements contribute to intelligence, including social and emotional factors. Some experts even suggest that these social and emotional skills actually matter more than IQ when it comes to determining success in life. The average score on an IQ test is 100. Sixty-eight percent of IQ scores fall within one standard deviation of the mean. So that means that  the majority of people have an IQ score between 85 and 115.

30. IQ Tests Are Standardized

31. In order to adequately assess and interpret test scores, psychometricians use a process known as  standardization . The standardization process involves administering the test to a representative sample of the entire population that will eventually take the test. This initial sample represents the total population as accurately as possible and reflects many of the things that are present in the general population.

32. For example, a representative sample should include the same percentage of individuals of certain sexes and ages as one would find in the total population.  Each test taker completes the test under the same conditions as all other participants in the sample group. This process allows psychometricians to establish  norms , or standards, by which individual scores can be compared.

33. What Does It Mean to Have an Average IQ?

34. A few things they don't measure are practical skills and talents. You might have an average IQ score, but you might also be a great musician, a creative artist, an incredible singer or a mechanical whiz. Psychologist Howard Gardner developed a theory of  multiple intelligences  designed to address this perceived shortcoming in popular conceptions of IQ.

35. Researchers have also found that IQ scores can change over time. One study looked at the IQ's of teenage subjects during early adolescence and then again four years later. The results revealed that scores varied as much as 20 points over that four-year period.

36. IQ tests also fail to address things like how curious you are about the world around you and how good you are at understanding and managing emotions. Some experts, including writer Daniel Goleman, suggest that  emotional intelligence  (often referred to as EQ) might even be more important than IQ. And researchers have found that while having a high IQ can indeed give people and edge in many areas of life, it is certainly no guarantee of life success.

37. So don't stress out if you're not a genius since the vast majority of people aren't geniuses either. Just as having a high IQ doesn't ensure success, having an average or low IQ doesn't ensure failure or mediocrity. Other factors such as hard work, resilience, perseverance and overall  attitude are important pieces of the puzzle.  

38. What Is a Genius IQ ?

39. People often talk about very high IQ scores, often referred to as genius IQ scores: High IQ: Any score over  140 Genius IQ Score:  160 and up Unmeasurable Genius: Scores that are  200 and over

40. What Is Considered a Low IQ Score ?

41. In the past, an IQ score below 70 was considered a benchmark for mental retardation, an intellectual disability characterized by significant cognitive impairments. Approximately 2.2 percent of all people have an IQ score below 70.

42. Older conceptions of low IQ tended to focus purely on cognitive abilities, but more modern approaches also stress how well an individual functions mentally and in areas of everyday life. Individuals with an IQ score below 70 may be diagnosed with an intellectual disability if they also experience deficits in two or more areas that influence daily living. Examples of such adaptive behaviors include the ability to take care of oneself and the ability to communicate and interact with other people.

43. The term "mental retardation" was previously used to describe individuals diagnosed with low IQ, but this term is now viewed as an insult and has been largely replaced by the term "intellectual developmental disorder" or "intellectual disability." The previous term is still used in some settings including some diagnostic codes and for insurance purposes.

44. The most common causes of intellectual disability include: Genetic conditions such as Down syndrome Problems during pregnancy that impact brain development such as drug and alcohol use Injuries such as head trauma and illnesses such as meningitis

45. IQ Facts and Figures

46. International IQ charts place Hong Kong at the top of the IQ world with citizens averaging 107. South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan and Singapore follow. The US ranks 18th. The average IQ in America is 98. New Hampshire residents have the highest IQs, averaging 104, followed by Oregon and Massachusetts at 103. The lower figures reside in Mississippi and South Carolina, where the average IQ is 94.

47. 0.1% of the world's population has an IQ of 145 or above, the level required to be deemed profoundly gifted. Experts have been able to compile a list of causes of mental retardation (from "mild" at IQs between 50 and 70 to "profound" at 20 or below) but are still largely uncertain about specific causes of genius.

48. According to a 2007 study, orangutans are the most intelligent non-human primate, followed by chimpanzees, spider monkeys, langurs, and macaques. Chimpanzees, parrots, and dolphins typically have IQs between 35 and 49. In a human, these numbers would suggest moderate retardation.

49. Some studies show that children who are breastfed have IQs of up to 10 points higher by age 3 than children restricted to bottles. Research has shown that US children gain about 3.5 IQ points during each year they are in school.

50. A New York City study of 1 million students discovered that removing preservatives, dyes, and artificial flavors from school lunches increased IQ test scores by 14%. According to a Danish study, people with lower IQs are at greater risk of sustaining a concussion.