Posted by special_k on March 28, 2006, at 23:37:05
In reply to Re: critique of the bell curve » special_k, posted by Dinah on March 28, 2006, at 23:05:58
> I'd really have to see the evidence. It would seem likely that there must be a widely accepted clinical definition of intelligence, and that any studies would use that definition.
intelligence is typically equated with... a score on an IQ test.
but the way we typically talk of intelligence and people being intelligent and people having done intelligent things...There is a major discrepancy between the way we normally use the term and the construct that the IQ tests measure. There are two different senses, or meanings of 'intelligence' if you like but the trouble is they tend to be run together... Some clinician's do realise that the concepts are discrepant. That is why coming up with new and improved IQ tests is still on the agenda. People still mess around with the technical intelligence concept.
Kind of like how there is a discrepancy between clinical 'depression' and 'depression' as most people in society use the term.
kind of like how we can talk about improvement in therapy which is very different (though somewhat related?) to the tests for improvement that the psychologists administer...
> But if you don't mind my asking, do you feel that you've been wronged by an IQ test?I've never ever had an IQ test.
The closest I've come is looking at studying for the GRE and getting some of the study guides (which teach you tricks) and looking at and trying to do some of the practice questions (mostly).
I've studied intelligence tests (and other kinds of tests) a little. We got to play (ahem take a look at) a couple varieties of intelligence tests. Mostly what was emphasised... Is how the reason psychologists are so guarded with their tests (and with people needing appropriate quals to administer them etc) is because... the general public tends to put too much faith in them. And clinicians... Are supposed to be taught all about the problems and potential problems etc etc. So unwarranted conclusions are less likely to be drawn. But what I found was that... Even they seemed to have more faith in them than seemed warranted. There really are significant problems... But... It is a whole field. And people get paid good money to develop tests and administer tests and to interpret the results of tests. Especially... When it comes to personel selection etc etc.
> Because really there's no arguing with a person's personal experience. If an IQ test was harmful to you, then it was, and all the statistics in the world won't change that.Not harmful to me (I've never been tested).
Though... I couldn't apply to schools that I would have liked to apply to because I would have needed a very high GRE score to be considered and basically... It would have taken a long time to study for the exam and learn the tricks etc (Would have to have memorised my times tables and learned about angles etc etc high school math but high school math I never went to or did at high school). Also... The US math curriculum is different from our math curriculum... So most people from NZ have to put a bit of work into the math section. For the analytic section passages were taken from Scientific American magazine. I think more American students read (and thus get used to the style and general tone etc) of that particular magazine. It is reccomended that as part of your study you read... Maybe the last four years of that magazine... (yes I'm talking about what is required to get a top score). But some peoples lives... They don't need to study for the math because they DID learn that in High School. They don't need to read back issues of Scientific American because they read that as it came out.Cultural Bias...
People from the US will tend to do better on the test.
So I guess it harmed me in the sense that I couldn't apply to schools I wanted to go to. I guess it harmed me because the honest truth is that... I couldn't afford to get all the proper study guides. And I couldn't afford to get myself to a certain city in the country where the test is administered. And because I couldn't afford to take the damned test anyway (especially once you factor in currency conversion).
poster:special_k
thread:622738
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20060322/msgs/625851.html