QUESTION
Why intelligence tests are used? Also, write the advantages and disadvantages of intelligence tests.
Course: Educational Assessment and Evaluation
Course code 8602
Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment
ANSWER
Intelligence Tests
Intelligence involves the ability to think,
solve problems, analyze situations, and understand social values, customs, and
norms. Two main forms of intelligence are involved in most intelligence
assessments:
• Verbal Intelligence is the ability to
comprehend and solve language-based problems; and
• Nonverbal Intelligence is the
ability to understand and solve visual and spatial problems.
Intelligence is sometimes
referred to as intelligence quotient (IQ), cognitive functioning, intellectual
ability, aptitude, thinking skills, and general ability.
Intelligence tests are
psychological tests that are designed to measure a variety of mental functions,
such as reasoning, comprehension, and judgment.
Intelligence test is often defined as a
measure of general mental ability. Of the standardized intelligence tests,
those developed by David Wechsler are among the most widely used. Wechsler
defined intelligence as “the global capacity to act purposefully, to think
rationally, and to deal effectively with the environment.” While psychologists
generally agree with this definition, they don't agree on the operational
definition of intelligence (that is, a statement of the procedures to be used
to precisely define the variable to be measured) or how to accomplish its
measurement.
The goal of intelligence tests is to obtain an
idea of the person's intellectual potential. The tests center around a set of
stimuli designed to yield a score based on the test maker's model of what makes
up intelligence. Intelligence tests are often given as a part of a battery of
tests.
Advantages
In general, intelligence tests
measure a wide variety of human behaviors better than any other measure that
has been developed. They allow professionals to have a uniform way of comparing
a person's performance with that of other people who are similar in age. These
tests also provide information on cultural and biological differences among
people. Intelligence tests are excellent predictors of academic achievement
and provide an outline of a person's mental strengths and weaknesses. Many
times the scores have revealed talents in many people, which have led to an
improvement in their educational opportunities. Teachers, parents, and
psychologists can devise individual curricula that match a person's
level of development and expectations.
Disadvantages
Some researchers argue that
intelligence tests have serious shortcomings. For example, many intelligence
tests produce a single intelligence score. This single score is often
inadequate in explaining the multidimensional.
Another problem with a single
score is the fact that individuals with similar intelligence test scores can
vary greatly in their expression of these talents. It is important to know the
53 person's performance on the various subtests that make up the overall
intelligence test score. Knowing the performance on these various scales can
influence the understanding of a person's abilities and how these abilities are
expressed. For example, two people have identical scores on intelligence tests.
Although both people have the same test score, one person may have obtained the
score because of strong verbal skills while the other may have obtained the
score because of strong skills in perceiving and organizing various tasks. Furthermore,
intelligence tests only measure a sample of behaviors or situations in which
intelligent behavior is revealed.
For instance, some intelligence
tests do not measure a person's everyday functioning, social knowledge,
mechanical skills, and/or creativity. Along with this, the formats of many
intelligence tests do not capture the complexity and immediacy of real-life
situations. Therefore, intelligence tests have been criticized for their
limited ability to predict non-test or nonacademic intellectual abilities.
Since intelligence test scores can be influenced by a variety of different
experiences and behaviors, they should not be considered a perfect indicator of
a person's intellectual potential.
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