Measurement of Intelligence
Overview
Measurement of intelligence is a foundational topic in Child Development and Pedagogy that directly impacts how teachers identify, support and evaluate learners with varying cognitive abilities. For TN TET, you must understand the concept of Intelligence Quotient (IQ), the major types of intelligence tests, their applications and limitations, and how these measures inform classroom practice.
This topic connects closely with theories of intelligence (Spearman, Gardner, etc.) and inclusive education. Questions typically test your knowledge of IQ formulas, names of standardised tests, their developers, and the educational implications of intelligence assessment. Expect 2-3 questions from this area, often requiring you to match tests with psychologists or identify appropriate uses of intelligence testing in schools.
Key Concepts
- **Intelligence Quotient (IQ)** is a numerical score derived from standardised tests designed to measure cognitive ability relative to age peers. It is not a fixed trait but can be influenced by environment, education and opportunity.
- **Mental Age (MA)** refers to the level of intellectual functioning compared to the average performance of children at various ages. A child with MA of 10 performs like an average 10-year-old regardless of actual age.
- **Chronological Age (CA)** is the actual age of a child in years and months, used as the baseline for calculating IQ in ratio-based formulas.
- **Normal Distribution** — IQ scores follow a bell curve with mean 100 and standard deviation 15-16. About 68% of people score between 85-115, and 95% score between 70-130.
- **Standardisation** means tests are administered under uniform conditions with established norms, ensuring scores can be compared meaningfully across individuals and groups.
- **Reliability** refers to the consistency of test results — a reliable test produces similar scores when repeated under similar conditions.
- **Validity** indicates whether a test actually measures what it claims to measure — true intelligence rather than just learned knowledge or cultural familiarity.
- **Culture-fair tests** attempt to minimise the influence of language, education and cultural background on intelligence measurement.
Formulas / Key Facts
**IQ Formula (Ratio IQ — Stern and Terman):** IQ = (Mental Age / Chronological Age) × 100
Example: A child aged 10 years with mental age of 12 years has IQ = (12/10) × 100 = 120
**Deviation IQ (Wechsler):** IQ = 100 + 15 × [(Individual Score − Mean Score) / Standard Deviation]