Gould Flashcards
(48 cards)
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)
