What does Intelligence mean? According to Webster's "˜'the ability to reason or

understand''(Jackson, 1997, p.1). Well, most of us have the ability to reason and

understand, so does that define us as intelligent? Many would argue that different

individuals are intelligent in different areas. In reality, there is not only one answer to

this question. Many different factors play into the question being asked. For example,

psychologists believe that behaviour determines one's intellect, whereas, others believe

it's hereditary or environmental. Determining who is right and who is wrong is not of

importance but rather how they came up with each theory, and what is the usefulness of

measuring intelligence.. For one, there is no genetically proven fact that these theories are

factual. Although, through research some points have been supported through statistical

figures. Also, what has been determined has been based on the correlations between a

specific situation and the outcome itself. Consistent studies and the dedication of some

individual were able to note some patterns and eventually develop a formula to help put

"˜'intelligence'' in a better perspective..

In our society, IQ. testing is a misunderstood term, most commonly associated with

how smart a person is, based on their mental capacity or brain size. This misconception

has put a huge emphasis on one's ability to score high on an intelligence test. When in fact

it does not measure intelligence at all, keeping in mind that our society defines intelligence

as being "˜'smart''. In fact, all it really shows is a persons aptitude or ability to solve

problems quickly. IQ. testing is nothing more than a tool to help teachers determine

where one is at academically in correlation to where one should be. Also, it shows the

faculty if the educational system is working for the students and if not in what areas they

need to improve on to give the students the best possible education to succeed. With the

average score being at 100 it is common for students or adults to be disappointed for not

scoring above that of which is average. It makes them think that they are mentally

inferior and incapable of success. This feeling also has to do with the parents putting

IQ Testing 2

pressure on their children to score high. Another important point is that colleges have

students take a test called SAT's to determine which students will be admitted. Test

taking in this situation can determine whether you will receive the best education or settle

for whatever college you get accepted to. Wheras, IQ tests will determine if you are social

accepted or not. Another words, a test can and is blown way out of proportion and

intelligence should not be based solely on a score. Everyone is not the same physically, or

mentally, and keep in mind that everyone learns at a different pace, perceives information

different ways, and this makes all the difference in a not so uniform world. Once again, a

test of any kind can not measure a persons smartness but it can measure aptitude among

children and or adults. When it is put in a more positive way it becomes easier to

understand that it doesn't measure how smart or dumb you are but how fast or slow of a

learner you are. "˜'IQ. tests are, and were originally designed to be nothing more than

devices for generating numbers that are useful in assessing academic aptitude with in a

given culture''(Jackson, 1997, p.1). In our society, we base everything on the dominant

society. We want what they have, intelligence, sophistication, the well groomed

appearance, the money and the privilege of being socially accepted. In summary, we want

the prestige that comes with being labelled intelligent and end up believing the

misconception that we are inferior to those that we perceive as intelligent. The problem

also lies with the title of the test, because it is misleading. To us it sounds like the

measurement of our intelligence, why else would they refer to it an intelligence test if it

had nothing to do with it?

Personally, I feel that a person's environment plays a role in the results of the

intelligence test. There is a correlation between people of the upper class scoring higher

than the lower class people. This has truth to it because upper class families were able to

give their children good school education which better prepared them for tests such as IQ.

testing or SAT's. On the other hand, people of the lower class were at a disadvantage IQ

IQ Testing 3

because they could not afford to send their children to private schools. Although public

schools are not all bad, they are over crowded and lack in the individual attention given

to students of better education. Persons with high IQ. scores we hear about, and

everyone else is grouped as average. Our society, divides everything into categories into

upper,(smart) middle,(above average) and lower(below average) classes. Or, it can be

better described as the haves and the have nots.

The answer to "˜'What is measured by Intelligence tests?'' is irrelevant what we

should be asking is who's intelligence are we being compared to? If we must answer this

question,'' there are those who claim that it reveals more about one's ability to do

crossword puzzles''(Liungman,1977, p. 6). Of course, this is not entirely true, but does

have some truth to it. It becomes difficult to explain the detailed formulas that explain

the scientific part of it, but what is of more value is one's creativity. "˜'Creativity means

the capacity to create in the most general sense, the ability to arrive at how solutions to

new problems or to old, unsolved problems, the ability to make things happen in the way

one wants them to''(Liungman,1977, p.6). Our society feels the compulsion to figure

things out, to discover, learn, create, analyze, and categorise. Now, there is no wrong in

that. Learning and discovering new things, is how we have progressed as a human race?

But when you start sorting people into categories it becomes complex, because we are

individuals with different backgrounds and upbringing's. Tests only prove one thing,

not how much you know , but how much you know that I know. It becomes difficult to

measure one's capacity when a test fails to take into account the different factors that have

played in peoples lives such as Race, Class, Gender, economic status, quality of education,

among many others.

Two men by the name of Binet and Simon were the first to develop a Intelligence

test. "˜'Binet and Simon were commissioned by a committee under the French Ministry of

Education to devise a method of sorting out the children whose mental defects would

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prevent them from making use of normal educational facilities''(Liungman, 1977, p. 17).

Intelligence tests were not meant to measure intelligence but rather the mental capacity of

children to give them the special schooling they would need to progress. Apparently,

some children were being singled out as slow achievers which lead to the development of

special school for them to attend. A test was needed to determine which children were in

need of special attention. This is where Binet and Simon came in, they developed a test

that is still used today, of coarse, revised to meet changing times. The reason for

developing this intelligence test was they did not want to wrongfully accuse any child of

being a slow learner, soli based on their teachers evaluation. For one, the teachers

themselves did not have the sufficient authority to make the decision even if they knew

the childes progress through their school work and participation. Also, to list a child as

special or a slow learner meant there was a chance of social stigma.

Although Binet and Simon were the first to design a intelligence test, a man by the

name of Galton was ''directly responsible for making intelligence a scientific and

measurable concept. Galton, believed that intelligence was inherited and could be

measured in terms of speed of mental process''(Eyesnck,1981, p.17). Galton was on the

right track and made many contributions to the mystery of intellectual research. Although

Binet, Simon and Galton paved the way for research on the measurement of intelligence

they had opposing opinions on the subject. For instance, Galton as I stated earlier firmly

believed "˜'Intelligence is inherited and did not believe the idea that environment had any

importance in the development of individual capacity''(Liungman, 1997, p.14). On the

other hand, Binet believed more toward the theory that the Environment played a role in

intelligence just as that of hereditary. These two different opinions lead to two different

theories, one supporting the hereditary side of it and the other environmental side of

things.

IQ Testing 5

Galton, argues that "˜'Nature prevails enormously over nurture when the

differences of nurture do not exceed what is commonly to be found among persons of the

same rank in the same country''(eyesnck, 1981, p. 29). Another words, Galton could not

deny what seemed to him as the most obvious correlation and that was how people of

relation are similar in characteristics to each other in one form or another. "˜'The pattern is

very clear: heritability is nil when the children are only two years old, but increases the

resemblance in IQ is strongly suggestive that the cause of this resemblance is

genetic''(Eyesnck, 1981, p.51) Therefore, it must be hereditary for eminent parents to

pass along their genes to their offspring. However, during the ninetieth century, there was

no genetically proven evidence to support his claim. Galton believed this would develop

a intellectually and psychologically superior "˜'breed'' of human beings''(Fracher, 34). To

sum it up Galton believed that intelligence was more a biological factor passed through

genes. Galton wanted to develop a society that paired up couples that were considered to

be eminent and have them conceive children in order to prove his theory that intelligence

is hereditary. Unfortunately, Galton or anyone else could not pull off a society based on

utopia. This experiment was far beyond his means at the time but not his imagination.

On the other hand, I tend to agree with Binet who believed that "˜'intelligence

develops with age, increasing up to late adolescence and possibly a little later''(Eyesnck,

1981, p.37) This theory, is based on experiments and careful studies that show

"˜'intelligence advances with age up to young adulthood''(Eyesnck, 1981, p. 37). Of

coarse, this make sense because as we get older and mature we learn from our experiences

in our life. Binet, unlike Galton firmly rebuked those who believed that "˜'the

intelligence of an individual is a fixed quantity, a quantity that one cannot augment...We

must protest and react against this brutal pessimism''(Eysenck, 1981, p. 91). Of coarse

there was no convincing Galton's followers on the issue. Cyril Burt, was quoted as saying

"˜'No amount of teaching will turn the child who is genuinely defective in general

intelligence into a

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normal pupil''(Eysenck, 1981, p. 94). Let us not forget Helen Keller, a very important

figure who is a role model for women as well as men who over came her disabilities of

deafness and blindness. Helen Keller, under Galton's theory would have been labelled

defective and incapable of expanding her mental capacity. Whereas, Binet might have

looked passed her disabilities as an obstacle that could be overcome. Binet, believes

persons are educable and worthy of the time and effort to find out rather than give in to

the pessimistic point of view of Galton and of society.

Sternberg, professor of Psychology and Education at Yale University,

believes that successful intelligence is distinct form academic intelligence, and that

academic intelligence does not matter as an indicator of success later in life. Successful

intelligence can be taught. It's not something with which you happen to be born, but

rather something you pick up along the way through life''(Jackson, 1997, p.3). This

statement is for parents and students who believe that IQ tests are detremental to their

success. In fact Sternberg suggests that in order to be successful, will be determined by

the choices we make based on the common sense we posses and the environmental factors

that shape us.

Intelligent tests consists of many different sections for instance, Galton's believed

there was three methods for measuring intelligence. "˜' The first was the medical method,

which looks at the anatomical, physiological, and pathological signs of inferior

intelligence. The second is the pedagogical method, which relies on school-acquired

knowledge to measure intelligence, which is regarded ad the sum of acquired knowledge.

The third s the psychological method, which attempts to rely on direct observation and

measurement intelligent behaviour''(Eyesnck 1998, p. 18) .

IQ Tests take many forms for instance in the 1940's the Swedish government gave

it's soldier a test in which it show them two targets which had two different groupings.

The first target had a grouping with a scattered pattern. The second target had a grouping

IQ Testing 7

with a straight or a triangular shaped pattern. The reason for this test question, was to see

if the soldiers could spot a good grouping on the target. A grouping is a pattern that the

bullets form when they hit the target.

Other types of tests give you different shaped blocks and may have you form a

square. Next, I will give two verbal examples of IQ problems.

Why are high blocks more often built in towns than in the country? 1) Low houses

are easier to build? 2) Building sites are more expensive in towns. 3) To get more sun in

the top flats. 4) Diseases do not spread as easily in houses where less people live. 5) There

is more space for building in the country than in the towns. 6) It is uncomfortable to live

so close together. Another, example In each of the following series, underline word

which does not belong with the other word in a series 1) Pliers, hammer, nail, saw. 2)

Sabre, revolver, cannon, maching-gun. 3) Train, wheel, bicycle, car. 4) Sail, bicycle, sit,

ride. 5) Table, chair, sofa, picture. 6)See, hear, walk, taste.

"˜'Intelligence test results must be reliable. This is essential. At the same time, this

assumes that tintelligenc is an attribute which does not fluctuate from day to day in the

same way as aggression, or determination, or the ability to solve chess

problems''(Liungman,1977, p. 34).

Intelligence test, have come a long way as have the true purpose of them. The

farther we go as far technology is concerned, will allow us to be convinced either way and

we won't have to take sides over the IQ controversy and it will be chosen for us through

technological advances. The important thing is to lay down the misconceptions and

recognize IQ tests as tool used to help not restrict students. We need to rethink our attitude

and give students a chance to redeem themselves. "˜'It is generally true that the lower the

intelligence, the more stable it is this is probably largely the result of the community's

attitude to someone who has once been measured and found to have

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below-average intelligence. He is rarely, given a chance to change his status. Another

example, ;;Infants who can be presumed to e capable developing into bright children

should be placed with the most intelligent adoptive parent. The duller children should be

placed with adoptive parents who are not particularly intelligent and who will

consequently not be too disappointed''(Lingam, 1977, p. 55). Also, it can help us better

understand the cognitive thinking process through the biological and environmental

arguments that have been contributed from the early studies of Galton, Binet, and Simons.

The hope is, if we better understand ourselves the less likely we will hold on to the

ignorance that we substitute for knowledge.

REFRENCES

Carl G. Liungman, (1977). What is IQ? England: Gordon Cremonesi.

Eysenck. H.J., & Leon, K. (1981). The Intelligence Controversy. New York:JOHN

WILEY AND SONS.

Eysenck. H. J., (1998). A New Look Intelligence. New Jersey: New Brunswick and

London.

Herrnstein, R. J. (1971). IQ In The Meritocracy. Boston-Toronto: Little, Brown and

Company.

Jackson, Dr. C. C., (1997) Testing Intelligence

http://www.csranet.com/~lancer/edu203.htm