Many people today are wondering about the validity of IQ test and if they are really able to accurately measure human intelligence.
IQ tests were originally designed in the early 1900s by the French psychologist Alfred Binet. The purpose of the test is to measure a person cognitive ability against the population at large. Many psychologists of this decade have agreed that IQ tests are not an accurate measurement of human intelligence because of the many limitations of the test. While IQ tests may be able to give an indication of general intelligence they can not completely measure the complexity of human thought. In a study done by Angela Lee Duckworth, a scientist from the University of Pennsylvania, determined that performance on IQ tests may be attributed to factors other than intelligence. The two main factors are motivation and self-discipline. Another factor that may cause IQ tests to be inaccurate are the different types of intelligences. The three main components that affect test performances are short term memory, reasoning, and verbal recall. These factors are not all accurately measured on a traditional IQ test. If an IQ test was to be more accurate it would have to cover every facet of the brain more extensively. Lastly, in a study done at the University of Michigan, it was found that differences in IQ scores largely disappear when a control is set for the social and economic factors. These two factors could largely contribute to the score rather than raw intelligence.
Many argue that IQ tests are valid measurements for intelligence. On average, kids who score higher on IQ tests are more likely to go on to do better in some conventional measures of success in life. These measures include accomplishments such as academic achievement, economic success, and greater heath and longevity. All these factors, in many cases could possibly be attributed to high IQ scores and high intelligence. The test’s ability to quickly and simply identify and sort individuals based on the results is still valued by some institutions including the military and police. IQ tests do well in helping students be identified when they may otherwise go unnoticed. Whether it be for identifying gifted students or students for special education it can help benefit them by directing them towards the education that best suits them.
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