The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale is a standardized test that assesses intelligence and cognitive abilities. Intelligence is "a concept intended to explain why some people perform better than others on cognitive tasks. Intelligence is defined as "the mental abilities needed to select, adapt to, and shape environments. It involves the abilities to profit from experience, solve problems, reason, and successfully meet challenges and achievement goals. Intelligence tests began as a psychologist's solution to a problem faced by Paris schools at the beginning of the century. Alfred Binet, a French psychologist, developed a test to measure potential ability at school tasks rather than performance in school, and to produce the same scores regardless of the personalities or prejudices of those who gave or took the test. The scoring method originally used by Binet and his collaborator, Theodore Simon, was based on the concept of mental age or MA (the chronological age typical of a given level of performance). For the average child, mental age and chronological age are equal or a match. For example, a child who is 10 years of age has a mental age of 10. But some children who have less intelligence than average will not be able to pass all the items suitable to their age level and thus will show an MA that are lower than their CA. To measure mental age, Binet and Simon developed varied reasoning and problem-solving questions that might predict school achievement. Louis Terman (professor at Stanford University) attempted to use Binet's test, but realized that items developed for Parisians did not provide a satisfactory standard for evaluating American children and he revised and standardized the new version of the test (he establi... ... middle of paper ... ...tributes.) Most scores fall near the average, and fewer and fewer scores lie near the extremes- Within each age group, the Stanford-Binet tests assign any person a score according to how much that person's performance deviates above or below the average. Reliability (extent to which a test yields consistent results, as assessed by the consistency of scores on two halves of the test, on alternate forms of the test or on retesting)- Comparing test scores to those of the standardizing group still won't tell us much about the individual unless the test has reliability. Validity is the most important requirement of all. A test must actually measure what it is intended to measure. (Content validity-the extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest and Predictive validity- the success with which a test predicts behavior it is designed to predict)
Validity refers to ability of an instrument to measure the test scores appropriately, meaningfully, and usefully (Polit& Beck, 2010). The instrument has been developed to serve three major functions: (1) to represent a specific universe of content, (2) to represent measurement of specific psychological attributes, (3) to represent the establishing of a relationship with a particular criterion. There are three types of validity; each type represents a response to one of three functions
Presumably, the most widely known of these measures has been the Scholastic Aptitude Test (now the SAT Reasoning Test, or SAT). Developed by the Educational Testing Service after World War II, the test in many ways was the big idea of James Bryant Conant. Adhering to democratic, classless society, Conant thought that such tests could identify the ability of individuals and ultimately help to equalize educational opportunities (Frontline, 1999). Unfortunately, many have argued that instead of fostering equality, the SATs have become an instrument to separate the social classes, and many in the testing movement were not as magnanimous as James Bryant Conant.
Age-equivalent scored also do not represent children who scored extremely high and extremely low on the given test. Age-equivalent scores are not estimated for the extreme scores at either end of the spectrum. Children that fall within these ranges are given a generalized age-equivalent score of below the lowest age derived or above the highest age. This results in inadequate information for all individuals that scores are reflected on these parts of the
In the society of today, there are various educators who believe in assessment as proper method to measure the performance of a child in school as well as the overall achievement of a specific school system. The assessment may be presented in the form of verbal, written, or multiple choice, and it usually pertains to certain academic subjects in the school curriculum. Recently, many educators began to issue standardized tests to measure the intelligence of a common student body. (Rudner, 1989) These standardized tests were initially created to reveal the success in institutional school programs, and exhibit the abilities of students today. The standardized tests can reveal the strengths and weaknesses of a student as well as the admission into certain programs. The test results also assist various schools in determining the proper curriculum, evaluate a specific school system, or a particular school related program.
Smith, M. (2010). Why NOT a National Test for Everyone. Kappan, 1. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from www.pdkintl.org
Evans, Donia. "The Case Against Standardized Tests." The Meridian Star. 24 Nov. 2013. The Meridian Star. 01 Dec. 2013 .
The Binet-Simon intelligence scale, which was finally created in 1905, contained problems in an order of increasing difficulty. These items included vocabulary, memory, common knowledge and other cognitive abilities. Binet tests were accepted widely around the world with the exception of France, which basically rejected the test. In In 1908 Binet and Simon revised the test and for each test item, Binet decided whether an average child would be able to get the question right. Thus he was able to differentiate between the chronological age and the mental age of a child. A child's mental age was determined by estimating a child's intelligence through comparison with the scores of average children of the same age.
Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines intelligence as the capacity to apprehend facts and propositions, to reason about them, and the ability to understand them and their relations to each other. A. M. Turing had this definition in mind when he made his predictions and designed his test, commonly known as the Turing test. His test is, in principle, simple. A group of judges converse with different entities, some computers and some human, without knowledge of which is which. The job of the judges is to discern which entity is a computer. Judges may ask them any question they like, "Are you a computer?" excepted, and the participants may answer with anything they like, and in turn, ask questions of the judges. The concept of the test is not difficult, but creating an entity capable of passing the test with current technology is virtually impossible.
How many of us really believe that a child's intelligence, achievement, and confidence can be represented adequately by standardized tests? How can any distribution curve classify all children? What about all we have learned about children?s growth and their response to education? Few teachers and parents would accept that a single test score could define any child (Russel, 2002). We must ask if these tests address the educational concerns of teachers and parents and do they provide useful information about individual children or the class. Almost all teachers feel pressure to teach to the tests and feel that tests clearly limit educational possibilities for students (Russel, 2002). We feel it is detrimental to a child's education to enjoy reading. An article reported by the BBC news (2003) entitle...
In this world, there are many different individuals who are not only different in demographics but also different neurologically. Due to an immense amount of people it is important to first understand each individual, in order, to better understand them and to help them when it comes to certain areas such as education, the work force, and etc…. For this reason psychologists have aimed to further understand individuals through the use of psychological assessments. This paper aims to examine a particular assessment tool, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (Fifth Edition), which measures both intelligence and cognitive abilities (Roid, 2003). This assessment is usually administered by psychologists and the scores are most often used to determine placement in academics and services allotted to children and adolescents (despite their compatibility for adults) (Wilson & Gilmore, 2012). Furthermore before the investigation dives into the particulars of the test, such as its strengths and weakness’, it is best to first learn more about the intelligence scales general characteristics.
Viewing from the similar perspective, Hughes (as cited in Brown, 2004) mentioned that Validity means discovering whether a test ‘measures accurately what it is intended to measure’. And there are five types of evidence of validity (Brown, 2004, p.22): 1. Content validity: any attempt to show that the content of the test is a representative sample from the domain that is to be tested (to achieve content validity in classroom assessment: test performance directly). 2. Criterion-related evidence: is the extent to which the ‘criterion’ of the test has actually been reached.
Cozby & Bates (2015) found that “Reliability is stability or consistency of a measure of behavior.” (p. 101). In measurement of behavior, there are three types of reliability; Test-Retest, Internal Consistency, and Interrater. Test-Retest reliability measures the same individual at two separate points in time. Internal Consistency reliability measures the same individual at only one point in time, and Interrater reliability measures an individual once.
Intelligence by definition is “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills” (Oxford Dictionary, 2014). However, many psychologists argue that there is no standard definition of ‘intelligence’, and there have been many different theories over time as psychologists try to find better ways to define this concept (Boundless 2013). While some believe in a single, general intelligence, others believe that intelligence involves multiple abilities and skills. Another largely debated concept is whether intelligence is genetically determined and fixed, or whether is it open to change, through learning and environmental influence. This is commonly known as the nature vs. nurture debate.
If a test is supposed to measure a person’s intelligence, for example, you wouldn’t subject the individual to personality testing unnecessarily. Instead, you’d want to make sure that the test being given to the test subject is accurately assessing the intelligence quotient (IQ). Construct-related evidence of validity often involves a process that identifies the real meaning or purpose of the test either through repetition or by compiling multiple sources of evidence. The collection of this evidence not only verifies that the tests actually measures what it is meant to measure but it also confirms if any part of the test is irrelevant or unnecessary as well. In order to determine whether or not a particular test is measuring the appropriate construct, however, the researcher or test administrator can compare their test items to historical data or psychological theory to justify the use of these items as a valid measurement. test. There are essentially two types of evidence that helps to identify construct-related validity: convergent validity and discriminant validity. Convergent validity evaluates whether or not the actual constructs of the test truly relate to one another or measure similar attributes as other types of measurements that claim to measure the exact same thing as well.
Reliability is defined as dependability. Validity is defined as being truthful, fair, or reasonable. Standard one of reliability asks if the material being tested on in familiar to the student being tested. It also asks if the student able to perform the same action, or come up with the same result, using the same material given, multiple times. Standard 2 of reliability asks if there is enough proof that the student can in fact do the skill being tested on. Homework, classwork, and scores made on previous quizzes could help provide proof that the student knows the material or can perform the skill. Standard three of reliability asks if the directions and what is expected from the students is clear to the students being tested. The students