Are You IQ Savvy?

Understanding Intelligence Testing: Types of Tests, Controversies, and Applications

• Intelligence testing is one of the oldest and most studied topics in psychology.
• IQ tests are commonly used to assess human intelligence and are administered by trained professionals.
• Critics of IQ tests argue that they do not measure all important aspects of mental ability.
• Individual differences in general intelligence are strong predictors of occupational attainment, social mobility, and overall physical health.
• There are many types of IQ tests, with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) being the most popular in the United States.
• The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test was the first IQ test, created by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon.
• The IQ score is derived by dividing a child's mental age by their chronological age.
• The Stanford-Binet was standardized by Lewis Terman, who used a normal distribution to categorize and compare intelligence scores.
• The WAIS assesses a wide range of intellectual abilities, including verbal and nonverbal skills.
• The WAIS-IV, released in 2008, includes index scores and the General Ability Index (GAI), which measures cognitive abilities less vulnerable to impairments.
• The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) is an individually administered test for children aged 6-16, providing primary and ancillary index scores.
• The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC) is a clinical instrument for assessing cognitive development, with a revised version in 2004 that gives special attention to cultural and linguistic minorities.