Topic 1: intelligence - applications

Question 1

what are the applications of this study?

Answer 1

• the RPM can be widely used within educational settings as it aims to measure educative reasoning such as the ability to infer or work out an answer purely based on the information given to them
• The test provides pictures that the students have to make meaningful. So for each test item the students have to select a missing aspect in a series of stimuli in order to complete a pattern.
• The items on the test get progressively more challenging as the test goes on. This also means that a point for an easy questions doesn’t have the same weight as a point awarded for a difficult question.

Question 2

what is colour progressive matrices?

Answer 2

for children between the ages 4 and 7, the elderly and those with mental or physical disabilities - typically 36 items, most involving colour whilst some items are black and white

Question 3

what is standard progressive matrices?

Answer 3

children and young people between the ages 7 and 18 - 60 items, all in black and white

Question 4

what is advanced progressive matrices?

Answer 4

for adults over the age of 18 - 48 items in total in which 12 may be used as practice to help familiarise participants

Question 5

what is the Flynn effect?

Answer 5

as time progresses, IQ scores increases/improves - highlighting that intelligence as a definition is interchangeable and thus decreases the validity of how intelligence is classified

Question 6

what are the strengths of IQ testing?

Answer 6

• highly reliable; the tests are standardised so each individual completes the same test whilst in the same conditions as one another
• can help highlight individuals who are at risk and so support systems can be set up to help individuals improve their intelligence

Question 7

what are the weaknesses of intelligence testing?

Answer 7

• does not produce an accurate picture of intelligence as only testing problem solving skills whilst ignoring other skills individuals may acquire
• similarly, ignores other skills that are important in the world such as the motivation to succeed and self discipline which is important for employment opportunities
• Another issue is that not all IQ tests are the same and difficulty may vary, meaning that a certain score on one test may not be equivalent to the same score on another