Paper 2 - Gould on Nation of Morons

Question 1

What is the background of this study review?

Answer 1

Before WW1 psychology was seen as being a ‘soft’ science, psychologists like Gould wanted it to be considered as a rigorous science and to be taken seriously. One way would be to develop objective methods to measure intelligence.
At this time mental testing had a poor reputation-unreliable tests were being created. In 1915 at the annual American psychology association meeting, it was reported that a mayor had scored ‘moron’ on an intelligence test.
Yerkes wondered if he could test all the US army recruits to identify the most reliable recruits. Yerkes then obtained funding from the army and oversaw the testing of 1.75 million US army recruits (all men).

Question 2

What type of study is this?

Answer 2

A study review by Gould of Yerkes’ work.

Question 3

What were the aims of this study review?

Answer 3

To document Yerkes’ work and argue that his mental tests were fundamentally flawed because of theoretical bias, and that it had far-reaching, political, social and ethical consequences.

Question 4

What was the sample if this study?

Answer 4

Opportunity sampling. 1.75 million US army recruits all male. The sample was racially and culturally mixed, white and black Americans as well as European immigrants.

Question 5

What tests were used in Yerkes’ intelligence test?

Answer 5

The army alpha test: written exam for English literate recruits – meany questions were culturally specific, e.g. US presidents, US products and celebrities.
The army Beta test: A pictorial test for English illiterate participants and for men who failed the alpha test.
Individual examination: A spoken test or those who failed the beta test.

Question 6

Describe the problems of Yerkes’ procedure.

Answer 6

The alpha and beta tests took less than an hour. The plan was that men who are illiterate in English would be directed to the beta test, and those who failed the alpha test were directed to the beta test. However, there was issues with many non-English speaking men were being sent to the alpha test.
This is because he didn’t anticipate that so many recruits would be non-English speaking, so there were long queues for the beta test. As a result, the standard of the camps decreased, and the grading criteria varied across all camps. Also, it wasn’t possible to re-test those men who failed the alpha test- though it was the plan. This was especially true for black Americans who received worse treatment.

Question 7

What was the result for the men who got the chance to go onto the beta test after failing the alpha test?

Answer 7

86% of men at a camp scored D minus on the alpha test and obtained a better score on the beta test.

Question 8

What was the grading system?

Answer 8

50-70=moron
25-50=imbecile
Below 25=idiot

Question 9

Explain the systematic bias.

Answer 9

The fact that many non-English speaking recruits were only given the alpha test and most of these were black Americans or immigrants meant that there was a systematic bias which caused lower scored for those groups.
For example, the average mental age for the alpha test was 10.775 and beta test was 12.158. The men who shouldn’t have been given the alpha test did and inevitably scored badly, bringing the average down.

Question 10

What were some consequences of the testing?

Answer 10

Despite the problems, the tests were still used, particularly to recruit army officers - in the beginning of the war there was 9000 army officers but by the end there was 200,000.
Despite imperfections of the test there was large demand for it by schools and companies, this proved that large scale mental tests are possible.

Question 11

What was the main data collected?

Answer 11

1.The average mental age of Americans was 13, just above moron, it used to be 16. This lead to doom from eugenicists who argued that breeding of white and black Americans and immigrants caused this decline.
2. European immigrants were graded based on their origin country. Average mental age for Russians was 11.34, Italians 11.01 and poles 10.74.
3. Black Americans scored the lowest mental age of 10.41, further analysis showed that those with lighter skin scored higher.

Question 12

How did the mental test results support the hereditarians?

Answer 12

It was argued that Yerkes’ tests evaluated innate intelligence and therefore jews were innately inferior. They argued that despite there being some geniuses, the rest weren’t.

Question 13

How did the test results contribute to the immigration debate?

Answer 13

The results painted immigrants in a negative light as they were seen as unintelligent, and eugenicists said they doomed the future of Americans due to their low mental age. So, Yerkes’ ‘scientific’ evidence assisted the 1824 immigrant restriction act.

Question 14

What are 2 possible conclusions?

Answer 14

The tests cannot be regarded as valid or reliable as intelligence is a complex construct which could be assessed holistically.
Gould’s analysis would imply that intelligence is not innate – it is learned.

Question 15

How many parts did the alpha test have ?

Answer 15

8

Question 16

Evaluate the ethics of this study.

Answer 16

The army recruits didn’t give consent for their data being used in the way it has been.
Using flawed data to inform social policy and restrictions is a large concern as psychologists have a responsibility to be objective.
Psychological harm may be caused due to labels such as ‘moron’ and ‘idiot’ being used.
This is a socially sensitive topic as it has a large effect on society, for example immigrants were seen as having low intelligence due to invalid scores causing immigration restrictions.
Recruits had no right to withdraw.

Question 17

Evaluate the research methods used in this study.

Answer 17

Strengths: Such tests can be given to large numbers of people, allowing lots of data to be collected, this enables comparison between different groups. Opportunity sampling was quick and easy option.
Weaknesses: Such tests may be bias so that they favour one culture, or they may lack validity because they don’t truly measure wat they mean to. Opportunity sampling can be unrepresentative.

Question 18

Evaluate the type of data collected in this study.

Answer 18

Quantitative data was collected, e.g. IQ scores and grades. This type of data is objective, easy to analyse and make comparisons. However, the data is simplistic and cannot explain why these scores were obtained. They suggest simple answers for complex subject such as intelligence.

Question 19

Evaluate the sampling bias of this study.

Answer 19

Strengths: The large sample is more representative of the target population, this case US army recruits in the 20th century.
Weaknesses: many of he participants were illiterate and yet they completed tests for literature people, so the groups of the sample were not given valid and reliable scores due to harsh discrimination of groups like black Americans or European immigrants.

Question 20

Evaluate the ethnocentrism of this study.

Answer 20

Most test required cultural knowledge of the US - many recruits weren’t American or weren’t culturally educated. The tests also demanded that the person was literate in English which majority were not. Even the method of using a pen/pencil was unfamiliar to some people.

Question 21

Evaluate the reliability of this study.

Answer 21

The results demonstrated how unreliable the tests were because at one camp 86% got a higher score in a re test. Also, the conditions for testing and the criteria lacked consistency, in some camps schooling to grade 3 was the criteria for the alpha test, but at other camps, anyone who could read took the alpha test.

Question 22

Evaluate the validity of this study.

Answer 22

The ethnocentric nature of the study meant that construct validity was low. Many tests also lack face validity as they do not look like they would test intelligence. Also we an evaluate the validity of the assumption that IQ is innate, when it is proved to be learnt. A recent study showed that children adopted into wealthy famines were smarter than those brought up in poor homes. Also the male results were generalised to females and children which is inaccurate due to different factors like maturity, gender and age.

Question 23

Where does this study stand in relation to the nature-nurture debate ?

Answer 23

Gould showed that Yerkes belies IQ was innate therefore, he believed that intelligence was nature.
However, it has been proved that intelligence and IQ is learnt from your environment (A recent study showed that children adopted into wealthy famines were smarter than those brought up in poor homes), therefore in reality intelligence is nurture.

Question 24

Where does this study stand in relation to the psychology as a science debate ?

Answer 24

Yerkes’ mental testing was not scientific as it was subjective, invalid, unreliable and ethnocentric.

Question 25

Where does this study stand in relation to new understandings ?

Answer 25

Since this study we have learn that this mental testing was not scientific, therefore we can use it to develop accurate mental testing.