Gould Flashcards
key theme
measuring differences
influential psychologist
Robert Yerkes
how many recruits were used in the mass intelligence testing using psychometric tests
1.75 million US army recruits
how many tests were there
3 tests in total, ps only took one of the three tests
what did Yerkes find the differences in mental ages?
significant differences in mental ages-
White Americans having highest score, Black Americans having the lowest mental age score.
What did Gould conclude after reviewing Yerkes’ work?
Found systematic errors in content and design of his work, concluded intelligence testing of this kind is highly susceptible to bias and leads to racial discrimination.
Hereditarian position
Intelligence is passed on through genetics and has led to the idea that intelligence testing could be used to identify and breed a superior group of people.
Eugenics
Involves methods to encourage the reproduction of superior groups and restricting the growth of less superior groups.
Psychometric testing
Researchers seek to achieve valid assessments that provide numerical measures of human personality traits, attitudes and abilities. This can be in the form of a test, questionnaire and interview.
(an IQ test is a psychometric test)
IQ
stands for ‘intelligence quotient’. A quotient being the result of a division of mental age (ones score on the test) divided by ones chronological age.
formula for IQ
IQ= ( MA / CA ) x100
What did Binet believe about intelligence ?
He designed the very first intelligence test, they were commissioned as a means of testing French school children to see who might require special education. Importantly Binet believed that intelligence was not a fixed characteristic and could be improved with appropriate support.
What do hereditarians believe about intelligence?
They believe that hereditary factors (genetics) are more important than factors such as environment in determining intelligence and behaviour. This idea became very popular and many people sought to demonstrate that feeble-mindedness was inherited.
Aim of Gould’s study
To reveal basic problems in attempts to measure intelligence, specifically in the research done by Robert Yerkes in 1921.
Aim of Yerkes’ study
To devise a scientific way to test the natural trait of intelligence on a mass scale.
Research method
Review article: Gould reviews and critiques Yerkes’ methodology: psychometric testing of intelligence.
Review article meaning
Summarises previous studies published.
Summarises current state of understanding on a topic.
Participants
1.75 million US army recruits (WW1)
situated in training camps
adult men of all ages, background, regions across USA.
sample method
Opportunity sample
Yerkes’ intentions
He wished to establish psychology as a serious science and believed undertaking a systematic , large scale mental testing programme could achieve this.
He was granted permission by government officials to administer the mental tests to US army recruits during WW1.
Yerkes collabed w other hereditarian colleagues to create the army mental tests.
In 1917 the hereditarians (including Yerkes) devised 3 tests:
Army alpha
Army beta
Individual examinations
Army Alpha
A written test for literate recruits, consisted of 8 sections with tasks like filling missing numbers in a sequence, recording words in a sentence and completing analogies.
(Analogies; such as Washington is to Adams as first is to…)(answer: second; as Washington was the first US president and Adams was the second)
Army Beta
A pictorial test for illiterate men or those who failed army alpha test. Consisted of 7 parts including completing a maze, number tasks and the complete-a-picture task.
problem with army beta test
it required the use of a pencil, knowledge of numbers and the ability to write them. (recruits were illiterate)
Individual examinations
An individual spoken test for ps who failed Army beta(rarely happened)
Each test took less than an hour to complete.
Each man was graded A to E by a psychologist.
Recruits graded C= low average intelligence.
Recruits graded D= rarely suited for tasks- requiring special skill and could not be expected to read and understand written instructions.
3 main issues with the test
-Test conditions
-Reliance on cultural knowledge
-Inconsistencies within procedure
issues with test conditions
paper based tests took less than an hour, were individually undertaken in supervised groups-often rushed and intimidating conditions. Difficult to finish most parts of the test in the time allowed(ps were not warned of this) Often were not informed of the length of exam. Cramped and stressful conditions. (no protection of ps)
Issues with reliance on cultural knowledge
Gould argued tests were culturally biased, they measure how widely read a candidate is instead of intellectual ability. Recruits varied greatly in access to education. Many immigrants were unfamiliar what ‘crisco’ was. Pictorial beta test involved recognition of objects unfamiliar to those new to USA. Tests more likely assessing environmental influence than natural ability.
Issues with inconsistencies within the procedure
Yerkes underestimated the number of recruits that had to take beta test. Long queues formed for beta in some camps. standards were lowered for some camps (e.g schooling to grade 3 was criteria for alpha test in some) Many illiterate were given alpha-failed naturally. Some camps it became established practice to not retest those that failed (especially black) Many black&foreign were anxious and befuddled at new experience of taking an exam-some didn’t know how to hold pencil. Many not know what use the results of exam were put to.
who did these inconsistencies affect disproportionately
Disproportionately affected black or recently migrated men, systematic bias reflecting their lower levels of literacy and lack of access to education.
mean mental age for white American recruits
13.04
mean mental age for black American recruits
10.41
mean mental age for Russian (immigrant) recruits
11.34
mean mental age for Italian (immigrant) recruits
11.01
mean mental age for polish (immigrant) recruits
10.74
Average mental age of white Americans from prev research
16
white Americans had a declining mental age
Average age of Americans was found to be only 13-just above being a ‘moron’.
Prev research set average mental age of white Americans to be 16. Led to predictions of doom from eugenicists that argued unconstrained interbreeding of white Americans with Negros and immigrants as causing this decline.
positive correlation of?
how long recruits lived in USA and test scores (higher results for longer in USA)
European immigrants could be graded by their country of origin
They were all ‘morons’but some were worse than others-darker people of southern Europe and the Slavs of eastern Europe were less intelligent than the fair people of northern and western Europe.
The negros had the lowest mental age
notably, differences were matched with fairness of skin.
what fraction of men who’d been promoted by the end of war had achieved good test results?
2/3 of men
results proved…
intelligence levels were inherited (nature)
Yerkes admitted later that the tests…
were difficult for those unfamiliar to english.
conclusions
-IQ tests are both culturally and historically biased
-IQ tests do not measure innate intelligence
IQ tests are both culturally and historically biased
Tests scores rose in relation to the number of years an immigrant lived in USA (positive correlation) which suggested that learning, not innate intelligence, was involved.
IQ tests do not measure innate intelligence
They are often unreliable and do not produce valid results. (What is frightening is not that intelligent men devised such stupid tests but that others believed the results without questioning the methods by which they were obtained)
Inappropriate and poorly administered IQ tests have led to tragic consequences- eugenics movement.
-Nations can be ranked by their intelligence and America is a nation of morons.
