Intelligence Testing

Intelligence Testing Understanding the impact of culture and race

How Intelligence Testing Works • Standardization samples • Example: Stanford Binet, Fifth Edition • Matched to the U.S. Census Bureau (2001) on variables of age, race/ethnicity, geographic region, & SES. • Included 4,800 subjects ages 2 to 85+

How Intelligence Testing Works (cont’) Demographic Characteristics of the Standardization Sample (p. 90 SB-5 Technical Manual):

How Intelligence Testing Works (cont’) • Members of the Standardization Sample are administered the measure of interest (the SB-5 in this case). Their performance is used to calculate Standard Scores. • Most intelligence Tests use standard scores with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15.

How Intelligence Testing Works (cont’)

IQ Scores Theory & Controversy • Fagan (2000) reports that racial differences in measured IQ have been well documented. He states that IQ scores typically vary by approx. 1 SD between Caucasians and African Americans. • Many, often controversial ,explanations have been proposed to explain this difference. • The most common explanations involve cultural or genetic factors, or a combination of the two.

Theory & Controversy (cont’) • Rusthon (2005) reports that these differences in measured IQ (which he reports range between 1 and 2 SD’s) reflect, at least in part, genetic differences. • MacEachern (2006) contends that this is not supported outside of psychometrics. Using archeological evidence, he contends that there is no evidence for the type of delays that would be present with this level of cognitive ability.

Theory & Controversy (cont’) • However, many other factors have been shown to affect IQ scores. • Amount of schooling has been shown to have a positive relationship with IQ scores, even amongst children of the same age (Fagan, 2000). • Cultural exposure can impact performance, particularly on measures of concrete knowledge.

Additional Considerations • Results impacted by: • Similarity to the Standardization Sample • Rapport • Attention • Emotional State • Physical limitations

Is Intelligence Testing Useful? • Perhaps the labels we use need to change. Jenks & Phillips (1998) suggest that the problem with IQ testing is it’s focus on discerning true intellectual ability. • Despite its limitations, IQ is a good predictor of academic success.

Are There Unbiased Measures of Intelligence? • Not really. Although we may reduce the impact of culture by looking at constructs such as fluid versus concrete intelligence, we cannot remove the impact of culture entirely. • However some tests may be less culturally biased. • UNIT • RAVEN Culture Fair IQ Test Example

What Can We Do? • Educators need a familiarity with how to interpret the results of psychoeducational testing. • We should be careful of the language we use when referring to result. • We must always consider data from multiple sources and domains. Important decisions should never be based on a single score.

References: Fagan, J. (2000). A theory of intelligence as processing: Implications for society. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 6(1), 168-179. Retrieved November 30, 2008, doi: 10.1037//1076- 8971.6.1.168 Jenks, C., & Phillips, M. (1998). The black white test score gap. Washington, D.C.: Brooking Institutions Press. MacEachern, S. (2006, March). Africanist archaeology and ancient IQ: racial science and cultural evolution in the twenty-first century. World Archaeology, 38(1), 72-92. Retrieved November 23, 2008, doi:10.1080/00438240500509918 Roid, G. H., (2003). Stanford binet intelligence scales: Technical manual. Itasca: Riverside. Rushton, J., & Jensen, A. (2005, June). Thirty years of research on race differences in cognitive ability. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 11(2), 235-294. Retrieved November 23, 2008, doi:10.1037/1076-8971.11.2.235

Intelligence Testing