Intelligence test

A standardized test of assessing a person’s mental ability, Stanford-Binet test; Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

Tests intended to measure general mental abilities, dubbed “intelligence”; the validity of such tests has been greatly attacked in recent years, as it is unclear what intelligence tests actually measure (a question of content validity) and how well the tests estimate future intellectual performance [predictive validity). Old-style, strongly verbal intelligence tests, such as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test, have been accused of unfairly discriminating against children who are not from White, comfortably middle-class, two-parent families; the charge is that—far from measuring innate abilities— they are measuring experience of certain kinds, leaving children without those experiences at a distinct disadvantage. Some testers have attempted to get around the thorny cultural problem by trying to devise tests that are independent of (or at least even-handed regarding) cultural experience, tests called culture-fair or culture-free. Others have developed kinds of tests that do not depend on either verbal ability or cultural background and, as a result, also measure different aspects of “intelligence.” Examples include the Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test, Kohs Block Design Test, Merrill-Palmer Scales of Mental Development, and Standard Progressive Matrices. In addition, some intelligence tests have been developed for very young, even preverbal children, such as the Cattell Infant Intelligence Scale. Other intelligence tests in wide use for children today include the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (probably the most widely used) and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children.

Question-and-answer devices used to measure the general intelligence of individuals. The most commonly used measurement of intelligence is the intelligence quotient, or IQ, which compares a person’s intelligence with the average for his or her age. In most intelligence tests, an average score for a given age group is 100; an individual score between 90 and 109 is statistically average. Superior intelligence falls in the 120 to 140 range, with genius beginning at 140. Individuals with IQ scores from 80 to 89 are considered slow learners, and below 80 they are deficient in ways that usually cause school problems. Individuals with IQ scores below 70 are considered mentally retarded.

A standardized assessment procedure for the determination of intellectual ability. The score produced is usually expressed as an intelligence quotient. Most tests present a series of different kinds of problems to be solved. The best known are the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), and the Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale. Scores on intelligence tests are used for such purposes as the diagnosis of sub-normality and the assessment of intellectual deterioration.

A standardized procedure of mental assessment to determine an individual’s intellectual ability. The result is produced as a score termed the intelligence quotient (IQ). The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) are commonly used, as is the Stanford-Binet Scale. Assessments are made for educational purposes and to help in the diagnoses of people with possible mental retardation or intellectual deterioration.

A test to assess specific cognitive functions, including verbal abilities, visuospatial construction, mathematical skills, reasoning, and logic. Results obtained from intelligence testing are used to calculate the intelligence quotient (IQ). The most commonly used intelligence tests (e.g., Wechsler or Stanford-Binet) have been validated in broad population studies. Nonetheless, IQ tests have been criticized on a variety of grounds because they may in some cases assess achievement, experience, or sociocultural advantages rather than intelligence.