Gould

• Background: state the first generation of intelligence tests - Stanford-Binet and Weschler and how they are distributed

  The first generation of intelligence tests such as the Stanford-Binet and Welschler tests were individual tests
• Background: explain the need for group testing due to WW1, allowing the selection of recruits, introducing the Army Alpha and Beta tests. Explain York's belief in intelligence and how it could be measured

  so there was a need for the development of group tests for intelligence that could be given to several people at once. Yerkes developed these - they were known as the Army Alpha and Beta tests given to army recruits as a quick way to select over 1 million men for WW1. Yerkes believed intelligence could be measured objectively using psychometric testing.
• Background: Gould's review of Yerkes and the problematic nature of psychometric testing

  Gould conducted a review of Yerkes to show the problematic nature of psychometric testing, specifically intelligence testing.
• Background: Link to prejudice and objectivity of intelligence testing + Gould's desire to explore this

  Gould also wanted to demonstrate how psychological theories on the inherited nature of intelligence and the prejudice held by society could distort the objectivity of intelligence testing
• Aims

  Gould's review aimed to examine the early history of intelligence testing as conducted by York's on army recruits in the USA during WW1

  • Gould aimed to identify the following issues in psychology:

  -the problematic nature of psychometric testing in general and the measurement of intelligence in particular

  -the problem of theoretical bias influencing research in psychology. in particular how psychological theories on the inherited nature of intelligence and the prejudice of a society can lead to distortion of intelligence testing

  -the problem of the political and ethical implications of research. in this case the use of biased data to select people as suitable for occupations and even admission to a country
• Research method

  Gould's study is not a piece of research. it's a review article looking at the history of Yerkes testing of recruits for the US army during WW1 + his attempt to establish psychology as a scientific discipline. it's therefore considered to make use of secondary data.
• What is a review

  when a researcher summarises + critiques prior research - use a secondary source

  + useful - enhanced knowledge of IQ testing that can lead to practical applications - improved tests

  -researcher bias - Gould may select from Yerkes to show his opinion that IQ tests are invalid
• The Ps used by Yerkes

  
• Yerkes' tests

  Based on their test results every individual was given a grade from A to E, with plus or minus signs. For example, C- indicated a low average intelligence, suitable for the position of ordinary private in the army -> their rank in the army was dependent on their test score

  
• Problems with the administration of Yerkes' tests

  
• Exam Q - One weakness of the sample used by Yerkes

  androcentric meaning the sample only considered men

  Yerkes used 1.75 million men including White Americans, Black Americans + European immigrants who were army recruits in the USA during WW1 therefore the sample only consisted of men and no women.

  findings into intelligence testing cannot be generalised to women
• Exam Q - one way Yerkes' tests could be considered ethnocentric

  despite the variety of ethnic groups e.g. Italian, Polish etc in the US army, the tests suited people who lived in the US the longest and were most familiar with products such as Crisco as the Alpha tests asked about items related to American culture and the Beta test used culturally specific pictures. therefore the test only considers the intelligence of men from one culture and doesn't truly measure intelligence but rather cultural knowledge.
• Yerkes' findings

  the data was analysed by E.G. Boring (Yerkes' lieutenant) who manipulated the results - selected data was converted to a common standard to look for racial + national averages

  RESULTS OF THE MENTAL TESTS SHOWED THAT...

  • the average mental age of white Americans men to be around 13 years (Terman had previously set the standard at 16 years) indicating the country was a 'nation of morons'. the eugenics movement took this as showing that the poor, Black + feeble-minded had been interbreeding + lowering the overall intelligence of the population
  • Black Americans scored on average 10.4 years however the lighter the skin colour, the higher the score
  • Yerkes graded European immigrants according to their country of origin with darker skinned people of Southern Europe + Slavs of Eastern Europe scoring less than the fair people of Western + Northern Europe. Average mental age: Russia=11.34, Italian=11.01, Polish=10.74
• Implications of the tests

  • tests had impact on officer screening (directly used to allocate roles) as by end of war 2 thirds of the men who were promoted had taken the tests + achieved a good result
  • most important implication: differences in scores between racial + national groups. at the time they were accepted measures of innate intelligence + evidenced that there was differences in intelligence between racial + national groups. the evidence was used by Brigham (Assistant professor at Princeton) who devoted most of his book 'A Study of American Intelligence' to dismiss possible concerns about the accuracy of Yerkes' findings e.g. the way the army tests had assessed Jews as low intelligence despite there being many Jewish scholars, statesmen + performing artists - book could be used as propaganda by any racists
• Immigration Restriction Act

  passed in 1924 by US Congress based on Yerkes' findings. people from Southern + Eastern Europe who scored very poorly on army tests were no longer welcome in USA. had horrendous consequences as it meant that many Jews trying to escape from their homeland were denied entry to America between 1924 and the start of WW2 in 1939 (social sensitivity = political consequences)
• Yerkes + his colleagues concluded that:

  • intelligence is an innate quality with a hereditary bias. it is possible to grade individuals by the colour of their skin (the lighter the skin colour, the higher the score)
  • the average man of most nations could be considered a 'moron'
  • mental testing of this kind is a valid, scientific technique with wider implications for society
• Gould argues that the internal contradictions + systematic prejudice of the materials + methodology invalidates the conclusions drawn by Yerkes and his article suggests the following:

  • IQ tests are culturally biased
  • IQ tests don't measure innate intelligence
  • IQ tests may not produce valid results
  • inappropriate, poorly administrated IQ tests can lead to tragic consequences
• If asked for conclusion from Gould:

  give finding from Yerkes + conclusion from Gould
• Link to key theme

  
• Link to approach