INTELLIGENCE TESTING:
INTELLIGENCE
CLASSIFICATIONS OF INTELLIGENCE TESTS:
CULTURE FAIR OR CROSS-CULTURAL TEST OF INTELLIGENCE:
EXAMPLES OF CULTURE FAIR TESTS ARE:
a) The Goodenough Draw-a-Man Test
b) Raven’s Progressive Matrices Test
c) David- Eells Tests of General Intelligence
1. Best way:
2. Probabilities
3. Picture Analogy
4. Money
REFERENCES:
2. INTELLIGENCE TESTING
INTELLIGENCE- Intelligence has been defined as ability to learn, to solve problem, to
carry on abstract thinking, to adapt to new situations etc.
According to Wagnon “Intelligence is the capacity to learn and adjust to relatively new
changing conditions of life.”
The most comprehensive and acceptable definition of intelligence is given by Wechsler.
According to him “Intelligence is the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act
purposefully, to think rationally and to deal effectively with his environment.”
All the definitions stress on three aspects of intelligence:
i) Ability to learn: Intelligence is the ability to learn. The more intelligent a personis, the more
extensive is his ability to learn,
ii) Ability to adjust to new situation: Intelligence is the capacity to behave or act effectively
according to the situation. More intelligent a person is, more capable he is of giving varied
responses in changing situations. He can effectively deal with the new situation.
iii) Ability to carry on abstractthinking: Intelligence includes ability to abstract. This means the
effective use of concepts and symbols in dealing with situations.
And all these aspects are interrelated to each other.
INTELLIGENCE TESTING:
Intelligence cannot be measured directly or in its pure form. Therefore the best procedureto
measure intelligence of an individual is to observe his behavior and see what success he
achieves. We can observe the intelligence of an individual only to the extent that is manifested
by him in intelligence tests. Hence it is said that “Intelligence is what an intelligence test
measures.”
Many tests have been developed by psychologists for the measurement of intelligence.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF INTELLIGENCE TESTS:
A large number of intelligence tests have been developed after Binet’s intelligence test scale.
These tests are classified into various types:
a) Classification on the basis of form- Verbal tests and Non Verbal/Performance tests.
b) Classification on the basis of administration- Individual tests and group tests.
c) Classification on the basis of scoring- Age scale tests and Point scale tests.
3. CULTURE FAIR OR CROSS CULTURAL TEST OF INTELLIGENCE:
A culture-fair test is test designed to be free of cultural bias, as far as possible, so that no
one’s culture has an advantage over another. The test is designed to not be influenced by
verbal ability, cultural climate, or educational level.
Culture-fair tests, also called culture-free tests, are designed to assess intelligence (or
other attributes) without relying on knowledge specific to any individual cultural group.
The first culture-fair test, called Army Examination Beta, was developed by the United
States military during World War II to screen soldiers of average intelligence who were
illiterate or for whom English was a second language. Beginning in the postwar period,
culture-fair tests, which rely largely on nonverbal questions, have been used in public
schools with Hispanic students and other non-native-English speakers whose lack of
familiarity with both English language and American culture have made it impossible to
assess their intelligence level using standard IQ tests.
The main characteristic of culture-fair tests is that they include materials which are
suitable for different cultures. They make use of non verbal items.
EXAMPLES OF CULTURE FAIR TESTS ARE:
a) The GoodenoughDraw-a-ManTest:This test has been frequently used in cross cultural
studies. The test involves content and skills that seem to be universal- drawing a figure.
b) Raven’s Progressive MatricesTest:It was designed to measure Spearman’s G-Factor.J.C.
Raven prepared the scale in 1936.The test consists of geometric matrices of varying degrees of
difficulty from which one section has been removed. The test taker must choosefrom among
six to eight alternatives, the elements that complete the design.
c) David- Eells Tests ofGeneralIntelligence:It was an interesting innovation in the testing of
intelligence. The test is characterized as a test of problem-solving ability. The test was regarded
by Davis and Eells as culturally fair to all socioeconomic groups in urban areas. The scale
consists of the following four sub-tests.
1. Bestway: In each item, three pictures show the beginning of attempts to perform a given
problem. The testee indicates the picture he believes will lead to the best solution.
2. Probabilities:Each picture shows a situation in which certain elements are presented. The
Testee has to select, from three statements, one that presents the most appropriate explanation
of what is happening in the picture.
4. 3. Picture Analogy: In this test two related objects are shown. The child is required to select a
similar relationship in a given set of picture.
4. Money: In each item, two sets of coins are shown in three different combinations, each of
which is incomplete. The problem is to decide which of the three combinations will yield a
stated sum.
Other culture fair tests are Cattell’s Culture Fair Intelligence Test, IPAT Culture- Free
Intelligence Test etc.
But no single test can be universally applicable or equally culture fair. All tests are
culture specific to some degree. Even less culturally loaded items, such as nonverbal
items have often proven to be as culturally loaded as verbal items.
Now, psychologists are interested in developing culture- specific tests in place of culture-
free or culture- fair tests of intelligence.
These tests may contain items related to a specific culture or subculture and validated
within those specific cultures.
REFERENCES:
Dr.Goswami.M ;(2011) Measurementand evaluation in psychology and education, New Delhi,
Hyderabad, Neelkamal publications.Pvt.Ltd.
Intelligence Testing retrieved from
https://www.encyclopedia.com/medicine/divisions-diagnostics-and-procedures/medicine/culture-fair-test
Intelligence Testing retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/intelligence