LESSON 9: TESTS OF INTELLIGENCE

TESTS OF INTELLIGENCE

A. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale

 The first published intelligence test to provide detailed administration and scoring
instructions. Original version, however, lacked a standardization sample.

Evolution:

 Original Binet-Simon scale was published in France in 1905, 1908, and 1911
 First Stanford revision, prepared by Terman, was published in 1915
 Second Stanford revision by Terman and Merrill, appearing in 1937, consisted of two
equivalent forms L and M. Scale was expanded and re-standardized to a new sample of
the US population
 Third revision by Merrill, 1960, provided a single form (L-M) incorporating the best items
form the 1937 form.
 1972, Form L-M was re-standardized. Test content remained unchanged but norms are
derived from a more representative sample.
 Fourth edition (SB-IV) by Thorndike, Hagen, and Sattler, has most extensive revision.
Content revision has been extensively broadened beyond predominantly verbal focus of
the earlier forms, to give more representative coverage of quantitative, spatial, and
short-term memory task. Moreover, each item task is employed over as wide a range as
possible.
 Fifth edition by Roid in 2003, more gamelike than earlier versions with colorful artwork,
toys, and manipulatives. Matches norms to 2000 US census.
 First test to introduce an alternate item: item to be substituted for regular item under
specified conditions.
 Earlier versions of tests employed the ratio IQ (mental age/chronological age x 100);
later versions used the deviation IQ: the comparison of the performance of the individual
with the performance of others with the same age in the standardization sample. Later
versions convert raw scores to Standard Age Scores (SAS) which are normalized scores
with a mean of 100 and SD of 16.
 The 4th edition change from an age scale (items are grouped by age) to a point scale
(items are grouped into subtests by category). It creates a test composite: test score or
index derived from the combination of and/or a mathematical transformation of one or
more subtest scores.
 The 5th edition can be administered to examinees as young as 2 and as old as 85.
 There are 15 tests chosen to represent four major cognitive areas: verbal reasoning,
abstract/visual reasoning, quantitative reasoning and short term memory. Note: although
the entire scale contains 15 tests, no one individual takes all these tests because some
are suitable only within limited age ranges. In general, the complete battery is composed
of 8 to 13 tests depending on test-taker’s age and performance in the routing test.
 There’s a full IQ score derived from composite score after 10 subtests: fluid intelligence,
crystallized knowledge, visual processing, short term memory, fluid reasoning,

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 knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visual spatial processing, and working memory.
Subtests have a mean of 10 and an SD of 3.
 Newer versions of SB test make it possible to observe the respondent’s work methods,
problem-solving approaches, and other qualitative aspects of performance. Examiner
may also have an opportunity to judge certain emotional and motivational
characteristics, such as ability to concentrate, activity level, self-confidence and
persistence.
 Is based on the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of intellectual abilities
 May be used for adaptive testing

B. Adaptive Testing: testing that is individually tailored to the test taker.

 In intelligence test, this may entail beginning the exam with a subtest in the middle range
of difficulty
 Adaptive testing is often used with children
 After rapport, a routing test may be given. This refers to task used to direct or route the
examinee to test items that have a high probability of being the optimum difficulty.
 Routing tests contain teaching items: illustrate the task required and assures the
examinee that the test taker understands
 Custom in Stanford-Binet Test is to convert scores into nominal categories designed by
cut-off boundaries for easy reference. Names have varied across versions.
 (Roid) It’s important to describe the examinee’s skills and abilities in detail, going beyond
the label itself.

Measured IQ Category
Range

145-160 Very Gifted or Highly Advanced

130-144 Gifted or Very Advanced

120-129 Superior

110-119 High Average

90-109 Average

80-89 Low Average

70-79 Borderline Impaired or Delayed

55-69 Mildly Impaired or Delayed

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 40-54 Moderately Impaired or Delayed

C. Wechsler Tests

 Individually administered intelligence tests to assess the intellectual abilities of people

from preschool to adulthood
 All scales share many features including basic organization to Verbal and Performance
Scales, each of which consists of a minimum of 5 subtests (and a maximum of 7)
 The performance of subtest often require the manipulation of various objects, such as
puzzles and blocks, or the visual scanning of printed materials, such as pictures or
symbols.
 The Wechsler Tests are all point scales that yield deviation IQs with a mean of 100
(interpreted as average) and a standard deviation of 15.

3 Wechsler Intelligence Tests and current versions:

 Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) for ages 16 to 90 years 11
months
 Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) for ages 6 through
16 years 11 months
 Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence – Third Edition (WPPSI-III) for
ages 3 years to 7 years 3 months
 Subtests are designated as either core or supplemental. Core subtest is administered to
obtain a composite score. Supplemental subtest (also called optional subtest) is used to
provide additional clinical information or extending the number of abilities or processes
sampled.
 The information subtest is the first verbal subtest to be administered in all three scales
and serves as a good rapport builder

SAMPLE SUBSCALES IN
WECHSLER SCALES

Information In what continent is Brazil?

Taps general knowledge, learning, and memory

Comprehension “Why should children be cautious when speaking to

strangers?”

Taps common sense

Similarities “How are a pen and a pencil alike?”

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 Taps the ability to analyze relationships and engage in
logical abstract thinking

Arithmetic Taps arithmetic, alertness and concentration, and short-

term auditory memory

Vocabulary Define words

Receptive Vocabulary Select from 4 pictures what the examiner says aloud

Taps auditory discrimination and processing, auditory

memory, and integration of visual and auditory input

Picture Completion Identify what is important that’s missing from a picture.

Taps visual perception, alertness, attention to detail etc.

Block Design Examinee reproduces using actual blocks a pictured

block design

Taps perceptual motor skills, psychomotor speed and the

ability to analyze and synthesize

Word Reasoning Identify common concepts described in a series of clues

Taps verbal abstraction ability as well as ability to

generate alternative concepts

OTHER POPULAR IQ TESTS

1. The Kaufman Scales

 Individual administered tests created to move beyond the atheoretical stance of older
intelligence scales and create instruments that would be anchored on evolving theories
of intelligence, which includes developmentally appropriate tasks.

 Includes the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) for those below 11
years old, and the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test (KAIT) for those
11 to 85 years old.

 A Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) was designed as a quick screening instrument
to estimate level of intellectual functioning. It is not a shortened version of the K-ABC or
the KAIT but a different test yielding three scores: verbal, non-verbal and composite.

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  Focus is on information processing. It differentiates between simultaneous processing,
represented by seven subtests, and sequential processing, represented by 3 subtests.

 The Simultaneous processing subtests require the synthesis and organization of spatial
and visuo-perceptual content, as well as short term memory.

 The Successive processing subtests require serial or temporal arrangement; they utilize
verbal, numerical and visuo-perceptual content, as well as short term memory.

 Battery includes an Achievement Scale comprising of six subtests. These scale

assesses ability in reading, arithmetic, word knowledge and general information not as
factual knowledge taught in school but similar to traditional aptitude or intelligence test.

2. Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT)

 OLSAT specifically assesses those abilities that are related to success in school.

 Tasks such as detecting similarities and differences, recalling words and numbers,
defining words, following directions, classifying, establishing sequence, solving
mathematical problems, and completing analogies are included.

 The name Otis-Lennon reflects the surnames of two people: (i) the “pre-OLSAT”
developer of the original test, Arthur Sinton Otis, Ph.D. (who died before OLSAT was
published) and (ii) the test editor and publishing executive, Roger Thomas Lennon,
Ph.D, who adopted and marketed Otis’ concepts as a school ability test.

3. Raven’s Progressive Matrices

 Raven’s Progressive Matrices (often referred to simply as Raven’s Matrices) or RPM, is

a nonverbal group test typically used in educational settings. It is the most common and
popular test administered to groups ranging from 5-year-olds to the elderly.

 Made of 60 multiple choice questions, listed in order of difficulty.

 The tests were originally developed by John C. Raven in 1936. in each test item, the
subject is asked to identify the missing element that completes a pattern. Many patterns
are presented in the form of a 4x4, 3x3, or 2x2 matrix, giving the test its name.

 This format is designed to measure the test-taker’s reasoning ability, the eductive
(“meaning-making”) component of Spearman’s g. (g) is often referred to as general
intelligence).

SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS/REFERENCES:

Cohen, R. & Swerdlik, M. (2009). Psychological Testing and Assessment: An

Introduction to Tests and Measurement 7th Ed. McGraw Hill Primis

Hilsenroth, M., Segal, D., & Hersen, M. (2004). Comprehensive Handbook of

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 Psychological Assessment. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Urbina, S. (2004). Essentials of Psychological Testing. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENTS: (Group Work)

Just Think:

Not that very long ago, moron, a word with pejorative connotations, was one of the categories in
use. What, if anything, can test developers do to guard against the use of classification
categories with pejorative connotations?

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