Mental testing and immigration.

Responds to an article by R. J. Herrnstein (1981), which asserts that the statement "83% of the Jews, 80% of the Hungarians, 79% of the Italians, and 87% of the Russians were 'feeble-minded' " (L. J. Kamin, 1974) was made by the present author (LJK) and not H. H. Goddard (1913, 1917). LJK acknowledges that the statement was his and that the supporting data can be found in Goddard's 1917 paper on the testing on immigrants. Although Goddard stated that it was unwise to discard a scientific discovery because of apparent absurdity, it is pointed out that he did not use his scientific data to make an unqualified argument against immigration. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Affective reactions toward computer-based intelligence testing.

Studied affective reactions as a function of computer-based vs. traditional examiner testing procedures. Within the context of a Latin square design, 24 male and 24 female undergraduates were individually tested with the WAIS, the Slosson Intelligence Test, and the Slosson Intelligence Test via computer. Ss also completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and an attitude measure before and after all testing sessions. Results indicate that the computer testing procedures led to significantly higher levels of state anxiety and less favorable attitudes in comparison to the examiner testing procedures. These negative affective reactions are seen as a function of certain computer testing procedures. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Survey of expert opinion on intelligence and aptitude testing.

Psychologists and educational specialists with expertise in areas related to intelligence testing responded to a questionnaire dealing with a wide variety of issues constituting the IQ controversy. Overall, experts hold positive attitudes about the validity and usefulness of intelligence and aptitude tests. Tests are seen as adequately measuring most important elements of intelligence, although the tests are believed to be somewhat racially and socioeconomically biased. There is overwhelming support for a significant within-group heritability for IQ, and a majority of respondents feel that black-white and socioeconomic status IQ differences are also partially hereditary. Problems with intelligence tests are perceived in the influence of nonintellectual characteristics on test performance and in the frequent misinterpretation and overreliance on test scores in elementary and secondary schools. Despite these difficulties, experts favor the continued use of intelligence and aptitude tests at their present level. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Need for safeguarding the field of intelligence testing.

This reprinted article originally appeared in the Journal of Educational Psychology, 1944, Vol 35, 240–247. The following abstract of the original article appeared in PA, Vol 18:3903. Vast expansion in the publication and use of intelligence tests in recent years has brought it about that tests are often given by incompetent testers and interpreted without insight. Moreover, unwise use is often ignorantly made of test results. There is need for legislation which will provide 2 safeguards: (1) control of promiscuous distribution of tests by their publishers and (2) licensing requirements for persons who administer intelligence tests. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the growth of intelligence.

Data from the Berkeley Growth Study pertaining to the development of intelligence as measured by tests, and some related material, are reviewed. The concept of IQ constancy, prediction of later intelligence scores from infancy scores, and problems encountered in constructing curves of growth in intelligence, are some of the topics discussed. An age curve of intelligence from birth to 50 years, based on data of 3 studies, is proposed and graphically represented. "This curve is offered as an alternative to previously published age-curves of intelligence." It is hoped that further research will refine, modify, and extend it into a more complete and accurate representation of intellectual changes over the entire span of life. 31 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perspectives on intelligence testing, affirmative action, and educational policy.

The often-vitriolic debate on intelligence testing, affirmative action, and educational policy encompasses issues of deep social, political, economical, and emotional significance to all Americans. This special theme issue focuses on the current thinking of leading scholars in the areas of intelligence testing, affirmative action, and educational policy. This introduction to the theme issue begins with an overview of key data and observations that place the debate into sharper focus. Next, the major areas of scholarly work relevant to the debate are reviewed. Finally, the contributors and their major points of view are introduced to orient the reader for the journey through the 21 articles and commentary that comprise this volume. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Early language behavior in Negro children and the testing of intelligence.

"Forty Negro children examined by a white examiner were found to have lowered language scores on third examination at two years of age. This was apparently due to lack of verbal responsiveness, rather than poor comprehension of language. This apparent early awareness of racial differences and loss of rapport has serious implications in the field of ethnic group psychology, particularly in the use of verbal items on intelligence testing." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the relationship of CPI femininity and intelligence.

Notes that the California Psychological Inventory includes a masculinity-femininity (M-F) measure, Fe, similar to other M-F scales. Although the test author suggests that Fe is positively related to intelligence for females but negatively for males, a review of the literature failed to substantiate this claim. The correlation of Fe and intellectual measures was low in magnitude and was not different in direction for the sexes. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology and legislation.

Legislation concerning psychology must be viewed in a larger political and social context. There must be opposition to restrictive legislation which seems currently to arise out of the anti-intellectualism of the present. Legislation is only the third of the means of protecting the public from quackery—the first two are training of professionals and public education concerning the profession. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Representative democracy, "men of zeal," and testing legislation.

Reviews data from 10 opinion surveys dealing with attitudes of the public toward standardized testing. The discrepancy between the public's views and the claims and legislative demands of self-appointed spokespersons for the public on this issue is analyzed. The implications of this discrepancy and of similar ones for representative democracy in light of contemporary obstacles to the realization of the intent of the framers of the Constitution regarding the relationship between Congress and the American people are considered. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A reply to Bagnato and Neisworth: Intelligent versus intelligence testing of preschoolers.

Replies to the article by S. J. Bagnato and J. T. Neisworth (see record 1995-04117-001) discussing the use of intelligence tests (ITs) with infants and preschool children. Bagnato and Neisworth are seen as assuming that all ITs are the same and as ignoring the differences between testing infants and young children. They also overemphasize the importance of IT scores and overlook the observations of a competent tester. An ideal assessment would use both a curriculum-based approach and ITs, since they provide answers to different questions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individual intelligence testing without the examiner: Reliability of an automated method.

Designed and constructed a system capable of totally automating the administration of several psychological tests and treatment procedures, programmed to administer the WAIS. A total of 30 volunteers and clients in counseling programs were given 2 sessions of the automated WAIS with a mean of 9.4 days between tests. The product-moment reliability coefficients for Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ were .97, .95, and .98. The subtest reliabilities were higher than the split-half subtest reliabilities reported in the WAIS manual. High test-retest reliabilities were found for several non-IQ response dimensions, including total time for responding, total words used, and the ratio of the number of different words divided by the total number of words. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attention and intelligence.

Reviews empirical evidence to show that 2 concepts—attention and intelligence—are related at the empirical level. Data are presented to demonstrate that intelligence correlates with different types of attention, including sustained attention, search, attention switching, and vigilance. The most significant findings are derived from work on divided attention (dual or competing tasks) in which 2 markers for primary factors were given simultaneously on different channels. Under these conditions, the correlation between the components increases, relative to the single-task condition, implying an increase in the general factor loading. The theoretical implications of this finding are discussed in terms of attentional resources and working memory. These results are considered in relation to theories of the structure of abilities and particularly in relation to the theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence. (67 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Emotional intelligence as a standard intelligence.

The authors have claimed that emotional intelligence (EI) meets traditional standards for an intelligence (J. D. Mayer, D. R. Caruso, & P. Salovey, 1999). R. D. Roberts, M. Zeidner, and G. Matthews (see record 2001-10055-001) questioned whether that claim was warranted. The central issue raised by Roberts et al. concerning Mayer et al. (1999) is whether there are correct answers to questions on tests purporting to measure EI as a set of abilities. To address this issue (and others), the present authors briefly restate their view of intelligence, emotion, and EI. They then present arguments for the reasonableness of measuring EI as an ability, indicate that correct answers exist, and summarize recent data suggesting that such measures are, indeed, reliable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On Carson's comment re diagnostic testing.

Comments on Robert Carson's article titled The status of diagnostic testing (see record 2005-07925-004). The article focuses on the importance of psychodiagnostic testing states very clearly and consistently a position shared by many in our profession, but one which is predicated on a number of assumptions which--as value judgments--lack empirical validity and, in fact, serve to engender and perpetuate interprofessional rivalry, professional mediocrity, and scientific stagnation. This writer does not deny the right to hold to and express value judgments per se; rather, he wishes to suggest alternatives to those underlying Carson's argument. Three assumptions are implied in the latter: (a) the "tripartite organization" of professions, i.e., psychiatry, clinical psychology, and psychiatric social work, constitutes a satisfactory state of affairs and should endure; (b) unique contributions to the service endeavor must arise from each profession and will obtain in the case of psychology via the psychodiagnostic enterprise; and (c) the service function (treatment?) is implemented, facilitated, or benefited as a result of the psychodiagnostic activity (testing) of psychologists. The commenter responds to the assumptions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the logic and purpose of significance testing.

There has been much recent attention given to the problems involved with the traditional approach to null hypothesis significance testing (NHST). Many have suggested that, perhaps, NHST should be abandoned altogether in favor of other bases for conclusions such as confidence intervals and effect size estimates (e.g., F. L. Schmidt; see record 83-24994) . The purposes of this article are to (a) review the function that data analysis is supposed to serve in the social sciences, (b) examine the ways in which these functions are performed by NHST, (c) examine the case against NHST, and (d) evaluate interval-based estimation as an alternative to NHST. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the teaching of psychological tests and testing.

The nature of undergraduate courses involving psychological testing "deserve close study and scrutiny, with a view to self-imposed discipline and improved standards, with respect both to the teaching of psychology as part of a liberal education and to the development of psychology to a high professional level." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teaching intelligence.

Efforts to improve human intelligence and thinking have a long history and a lively presence in a number of programs and approaches. Many studies have demonstrated that targeted interventions can teach people to think better within particular subject matters and in some general ways as well, with transfer beyond the kinds of tasks used in instruction and moderate persistence. Effective interventions reorganize learners' thinking with strategies, metacognition, and other means, not just practice-up skills. However, do such improvements genuinely constitute gains in intelligence? They only sometimes and modestly advance intelligence in the sense of IQ, but the authors argue that this essentialist sense of intelligence is flawed. Taking a more eclectic view of intelligence, the interventions reviewed here and others like them teach intelligence because they provide people with the psychological resources to think better across a range of contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and Negro-white intelligence.

"The hypotheses tested were confirmed: the Negro group scored lower on the ACB [Army Classification Battery] than did the whites; the Negro group manifested a greater lack of self-confidence than did the whites… . Although statements of causality cannot be made from the data… the evidence can be seen as warranting further research on the proposition that Negroes as a group, lacking support from pride in significant historical achievement, and developing in an environment of negative experiences, incorporate intellectually defeating personality traits that play a significant role in their ability to score on measures of intelligence." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)