Quantifying Intelligence: The History of the IQ Test and its Role Today

Is it possible to quantify intelligence?

Image of head with brain functions mapped on right side. Left half is empty. Is it necessary for each component to be entirely specified? Photo by Meo.

IQ tests, GPAs, and standardized test scores are all numerical measurements of “intelligence.” In reality, these values are just numbers derived from a certain set of adequately answered questions.

They do not account for current emotional state, fatigue, or environmental settings, yet they are often used as an assessment of an individual’s state. Is it really possible to accurately gauge the performance of a human being given a certain set of parameters? If so, what sort of context is required in order for correct interpretation?

Why do we want to measure intelligence?

In the context of individualized education, educators want to gauge a student’s capacity to understand and synthesize information in order to determine if individualized help is required. Certain tests, called intelligence tests, measure thinking, whereas achievement or aptitude tests measure knowing. This is the distinction between being able to use memory skills and spatial reasoning versus correctly writing with a given set of vocabulary words.

It is important to be able to quickly and accurately determine the intelligence of an individual in order to regulate additional support. This begs the question: is intelligence something that can really be determined by a homogenous assessment and is it a necessary component to understand each student individually?

Image of board game with colorful pieces. Not all demonstrations of intelligence are as easily quantified as a board game victory. Photo by Pixabay.

How do we define intelligence?

When using any sort of metric, it is imperative to first understand the quality that one is trying to quantify. Over time, various prominent psychologists have generated their own ideas for measurements of intelligence.

The Stanford-Binet Test (otherwise known as the quite popular IQ test) was created to assess a broad range of cerebral abilities. It is measured for different age groups, with 100 as the median score. It aimed on testing verbal logic, memory, and visual-spatial reasoning, theorizing that these capabilities could be used to measure general intelligence (often called a g-factor).

Alternate approaches to determining intelligence

Psychologists Bernstein, Sternberg, Conway, and Kerton articulated the Three Forms of Intelligence, which concluded that one’s intelligence was composed of the following three abilities: problem solving & practical skills, social competence, and verbal abilities. From these various “definitions” of intelligence, the only concrete conclusion that may be drawn is that there is not one way to indisputably define one’s intellect.

Photo of data displayed on colorful charts and graphs. Often, visual aids can be helpful in understanding data but sometimes graphics cannot summarize nuanced topics, such as someone’s capacity to think. Photo by Lukas.

Context with which intelligence test results must be understood

It is certainly possible to calculate the percentage of a given set of questions that one is able to answer correctly. Administering a similar assessment over various time periods could even allow for measurements that generate a number, prescribing a quantitative value to the idea of “progress.” It is critical to understand this number for exactly what it is: a percentage change over time. Just as important as the test itself, is the context that one interprets the results with. One must consider what a test-taker needs to know in order to answer a question properly, and also how they must think.

Even given this extra consideration, there may be external factors that affect one’s performance. Some individuals do not perform well on written tests, while others are able to precisely articulate their thoughts on paper but cannot communicate verbally. A test that is conducted with the same content, but in different mediums, may elicit varying results.

In conclusion

Even if it turns out that we are able to assign a number to a person’s “intelligence,” is this something that we would really like to do? Historically, the results of IQ tests have been used to justify inequitable laws. Reducing a person to a number can have huge implications, as it removes many other aspects of one’s identity.

What is important is to understand that we may use these numbers, in conjunction with other qualitative observations, as tools to develop a fuller understanding of an individual.

The Role of Frenalytics

Similarly, the Frenalytics software is not intended to comprehensively assess students, but rather provide a high level view of an individual’s progress so that a teacher can determine the best course of action. In conjunction with a teacher’s holistic understanding of a student, Frenalytics can provide data to provide a fuller picture of a student’s journey.

Our unique team of educators and engineers works collaboratively to build technology that both accurately and efficiently assesses a student’s level of learning over time. As the capability of technology expands, Frenalytics aims to help find a place for it as a supplement to traditional educational methods.

Engage Your Mind with Frenalytics™ – signup for a free trial, or call (516) 399-7170 to learn more.