IQ Test Reliability

The IQ test was designed to measure the intellectual performance of individuals in relation to their peer group. An average IQ score is set at 100 points, and about half the population falls between 90 to 110 points. IQ tests have been used and revised for the past 100 years.

History

• Psychologist Alfred Binet was commissioned by the French government to create a test for screening children for special education classes in the early 1900s. In 1916, Stanford University developed a test called the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. According to the Encyclopedia for Children's Health, the Stanford-Binet was revised for the fourth time in 1968 in response to criticisms that the original test contained inherent racial and gender biases.

Reliability

• According to Social Research Methods, reliability and validity of tests are not the same thing. Reliability refers to whether a given process will yield the same result time after time. By this definition, IQ tests are reliable; that is, if the same person takes an IQ test repeatedly, the results will be very similar each time. Validity of the IQ test refers to whether the IQ test is a true measure of intelligence or a predictor of future success. According to the University of Indiana and others, the validity of IQ tests is open to criticism.

Validity

• According to Dr. Jonathan Plucker of the University of Indiana, "Intelligence tests have encountered criticism from some. For example, minority and economically disadvantaged students tend to score lower than other students and, consequently, are often underrepresented in gifted and talented programs."