Intelligence: Knowns and unknowns (original) (raw)

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Investigating the validity of intelligence testing.docx

Due to the prevalence of IQ tests in Western cultures as a method of categorization (McClelland, 1973), intelligence testing has thus accumulated a large volume of literature. An objective definition of intelligence seems to have escaped the grasp of academics, with many conceptualisations of intelligence owing their origins to socio-cultural influences (Sternberg, 2000). The aim of this experiment was to examine intelligence testing measures and understand how to transform z scores into standardised IQ scores. Digit Span, a subset of the Working Memory Index of the WAIS-III was administered to 12 undergraduate university students. Participants were asked to perform two tasks independently of each other, Digit Span Forward (DSF), and Digit Span Backward (DSB). To ensure validity and objectivity in the administration of the test, the examiner was required to adhere to certain rules concerning voice inflection on the final number of a sequence, and speaking the numbers at a rate of one number per second. A more detailed procedure concerning examiner guidelines can be found in the method section of this report. Z scores were calculated from the participant’s raw data scores, which were then transformed into standardised IQ scores. The standardisation of z scores allows for a broader interpretation of an individual’s raw data scores in comparison to others of a similar age and demographic. Furthermore, in this experiment the validity of intelligence testing measures as accurate measures of intelligence was investigated.

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Intelligence: Knowns and unknowns (original) (raw)

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