Question

When responding to the essay questions, be sure to cite any material you obtained from a book, journal, lecture, internet, or elsewhere. Make sure to provide detailed responses, using examples when necessary. Not citing material that is not your own is considered as plagiarism. Must be 3 pages or more in length. Your paper should be in essay format not a Q & A. This will help you when you start to write your final paper as you will be merging information when developing it.

Address 8 of the 10 questions below:

1. Describe Sternberg’s and Gardner’s theories of intelligence. Explain how Sternberg’s theory differs from previous models of intelligence.  
2. Compare and contrast reliability and validity. Discuss 2 different types of each. Discuss test standardization.
3. Define performance tests and culture-fair test. Discuss why such tests are needed, where they are useful, and what advantages and disadvantages they provide.
4. Discuss the history of intelligence testing (be sure to include the contribution of Alfred Binet, Theodore Simon, Lewis Terman and David Weschler). How did World War I help us develop intelligence testing?
5. Discuss the Bell Curve and using IQ test to reduce immigration on Ellis Island in 1910. In your opinion, what is so significant about these events in relation to racism and/or discrimination.
6. Define intelligence and explain why psychologists have difficulty defining intelligence.
7. Discuss how IQ changes as we get older. Include what aspects of IQ change with aging.
8. Discuss standardized IQ test used today (e.g., WAIS, WISC, and Standford Binet)
9. Discuss emotional intelligence? Do you feel it is relevant or useful in psychology, why or why not?
10. Discuss standardization of a test.   How do you believe intelligence should be measured?

Please include references or sources

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Answer 1

1. We all know that a standardized test has a good reliability and is a valid test, but let' have a deep discussion on what really Reliability and Validity is? Reliability is one of the important characteristics of a test. In general terms, reliability is the precision, or accuracy, of the measurement of score. A test is said to be reliable if it's measurement of scores are consistent over time when all the factors held constant or controlled and the test produces identical or at least similar results for the same participant in one occasion to another. A test is said be reliable when all the participants get same scores over two different testings with the same test. On the other hand a test is said to be reliable when a participant scores same on the same items over two separate testings of the same test. According to Anastasi & Urbina (1997:85), reliability refers to "the consistency of scores obtained by the same individuals when re-examined with the test on different occasions." If we talk about the types of reliability then there are four common methods of estimating the reliability coefficient of test scores: 1. Test-retest reliability, 2. Internal consistency reliability, 3. parallel-forms reliability, 4. Scorer reliability.

• Test-retest reliability: in test retest reliability the single form of the test is administered twice on the same sample with a reasonable time gap. A high test-retest reliability coefficient indicates that the participant who obtains a low score on the 1st administration tends to score low on the second administration and it vis-versa, when the participant scores high on the 1st administration tends to score high on the second administration.
• Internal consistency reliability: Internal consistency reliability states the homogeneity of the test, if all the items in a particular test measure the same function or trait then the test is called to be homogeneous test and this indicates a high internal consistency of the test.

The other important characteristic of a scientific test is the Validity. Validity is the degree to which the test measures for what it is meant to measure. Anastasi (1968:99) has defined validity "The validity of a test concerns what the test measures and how well it does so." As we have discussed above the types of reliability, we also have different types of Validity, there are: Criterion related validity, Predictive validity, Concurrent validity and construct validity.

• Criterion-related validity: it is a common type of validity, as the name suggests, criterion related validity is one which is obtained by comparing the test scores with the scores obtained on a criterion available at present or to be available in the future. The criterion is defined as an external and independent measures of essentially the same variable that the test intend to measure.
• Predictive Validity: is also know as empirical validity or statistical validity, in this the test scores are obtained and then a time gap is given of months or years after which the criterion scores are obtained. Subsequently, the test scores and the criterion scores are correlated and the obtained correlation becomes the index of validity. Mardhal & Hales (1972:110) said, "The predictive validity coefficient is a Pearson product-moment correlation between the scores on the test and an appropriate criterion, where the criterion measure is obtained after the desired lapse of time."

2. Performance tests are those intelligence tests in which the responses should be little in terms of verbal but the participant has to manipulate the objects directly and the language is not necessary in these type of tests. The types of Performance tests are: Bhatia battery test which includes, Koh's block design, Alexander's pass along test, pattern drawing test, and picture construction test. This test is useful for testing some particular ability of an individual, for the illiterate person, for pre-school children, for people who have issues in listening and speaking, for testing special children. These tests are not suitable for higher levels, not based on reality, battery of test is needed and that is expensive.

On the other hand culture fair tests are those tests are also non verbal intelligence tests but the purpose of these tests is to minimize the cultural biases or educational biases. These tests can be conducted on any individual despite their differences in language or culture. The 1st culture free test was Army Examination Beta. Some of the culture fair tests are, Learning Potential Assessment Device, and Cattle Culture Fair Series. The purpose of these tests assess the true intelligence of the individual. Cattle's Culture Fair test includes 3 stages, in stage 1 there are mazes, one has to copy symbols, identify symbols, and contains non verbal tasks, in stage 2 and three the test contains, sequencing if drawings, classification sub tests, matrix subtests, and conditional subtests.

3. As we are talking about the intelligence test, it is must to understand what intelligence is? Intelligence is hard to define and there is no proper definition provided by psychologists but in general terms intelligence is the ability of an individual to learn and apply knowledge. According to Sternberg's Triarchic theory of intelligence, there is Analytic intelligence which determine the academic and computing ability of the individual, there is Practical intelligence which determine the common sense of the individual, and there is creative intelligence which determine the ability of an individual to innovative solutions to a particular situation or problem. Psychologists find it difficult to define intelligence because it is very complex phenomenon, one cannot put intelligence under one definition as the individuals have different cognitive abilities. From years and years psychologists are debating on how to define intelligence but no one can decide what the right definition of intelligence is because there are many cognitive abilities that determine intelligence such as, ability to understand, ability to adapt in particular situation, ability to analyze and interpret, deciding what is right and wrong, ability to apply knowledge etc. etc. The list is endless hence it is hard for psychologist to develop a single definition of intelligence.

4. Triarchic theory of intelligence was given by Robert Strenberg in 1988, according to Strenberg there are three parts of intelligence: Analytic intelligence, Practical intelligence, and Creative intelligence. According to him Analytical intelligence is the ability of an individual to analyze, contrast, calculate, evaluate and judge the academic problems. He said that in order to become academically good a person's analytical ability should be high so that he can solve the academic problems given in the school. On the other hand he also gave the concept of practical intelligence: according to Sternberg it is the ability of the individual to carry his/her day to day activities effectively and use his/her common sense by applying knowledge which has been acquired by experience. In creative intelligence he added that, it is the ability of an individual to solve unexpected problems and thinking out of the box. He also includes, writing poems, and art work in this.

On the other hand Gardener also gave somewhat the same concept like Sternberg. He gave the concept of multiple intelligence and disregarded the tradition intelligence theories as they were limiting the intelligence of the individual by measuring it on one platform, so he gave 8 types of intelligence which includes personality traits, talent, and abilities. The eight types of intelligence provided by Gardner are:

• Visual-special intelligence
• Linguistic -verbal intelligence
• Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
• Bodily-kinetic intelligence
• Musical intelligence
• Interpersonal intelligence
• Intrapersonal Intelligence
• Naturalistic intelligence

The above theories differ from traditional theories of intelligence because they provide a holistic view of the abilities of the individual. Sternberg and Gardner believed that if the intelligence of people as to be measured then intellectual intelligence is just a part of it, one has to holistically measure the intelligence which includes common sense, talent, real life abilities, skills etc.