PSYC 502 Intelligence Test Forum Student Responses
PSYC 502 Intelligence Test Forum Student Responses
Response 1 (Cameron): I found this week’s focus on intelligence testing quite interesting, as this was the first time I had ever taken an IQ test online. I took very different tests, and as such, there was quite a contrast in my experiences. For example, the first test I took had a number of questions and took me just over 30 minutes to complete. While the test was easy to use, I felt that there was not a lot of variety in the types of questions asked, as many of them were somewhat similar and numerically oriented, which required more math skills. I hate math and it is a major area of weakness for me, so I did not care for this test much. However, this test was not timed, which reduced my stress level a bit, and I felt more at ease in taking this test, even though some of the questions were difficult. The second test I took was timed, which definitely increased my stress level and made it very hard to concentrate. I felt nervous and rushed, which totally affected my performance.
Moreover, while I felt this test included a better variety of items and was more organized, in that it was broken down into sections that focused on different abilities, it was somewhat more challenging than the first one, in my opinion. Despite the fact that it was timed, I feel that the second test did a better job testing a broader range of cognitive skills, compared to the first one, and being that it was timed, it wasn’t excessively long. However, I don’t think that either test is representative of what an intelligence test should be, because they each tested only some specific skills. For example, I am a strong performer in the area of spelling, language, and grammar, but I felt that neither test addressed those areas at all. Therefore, I do not feel that these tests appropriately represent my full range of abilities.
When considering various theories of intelligence, I would say that Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence probably best represents these tests, because his theory emphasized multiple areas of individual intelligence (Pal, Pal, & Tourani, 2004). The test items measured various ability areas, ranged in difficulty, and required a number of tasks to be done at each level or in each section. Overall however, I feel that online tests are very limited and are designed more for fun than anything else, and in order to measure IQ more effectively, a test should be reliable, valid, and administered by a professional in an appropriate setting.
Cammy
http://www.funeducation.com/Tests/IQTest/TakeTest.aspx
http://www.myiqtested.com/
Pal, H.R., Pal, A. & Tourani, P. (2004). Theories of intelligence. Everyman’s Science, 39 (3), 181-186.
Response 2 (Kraig): Carter (2010) stated IQ stands for Intelligence Quotient. IQ tests are given all over the world for a variety of reasons. These IQ tests access peoples performance of their intelligence through the aspects of a person’s makeup, personality, attitude, and intelligence (Carter, 2010). The two intelligence tests that I took were the thirty-minute test at https://psychologytoday.com and the thirty-minute test at http://www.funeducation.com. I honestly randomly selected the two tests which I chose to take. Both tests took approximately twenty minutes with a thirty-minute time limit. The tests were quite different from each other in many ways.
The psychology today test was composed of fifty-seven questions and I was given thirty minutes to complete the test. The psychology today test was very easy to use because I basically clicked the answer and then the “next” button to go on to the next question. There was a great deal of brain teaser type questions that asked about patterns with shapes and numbers. The psychology today test states that is measures logical thinking, math skills, language abilities, spatial relations skills, knowledge retained, and the ability to solve novel problems (Psychology Today, 2018). I believe the intelligence theory this test would portray would be Information Processing Theory due to its goal of measuring various subsets of intelligence.
The Fun Education test was forty-three questions and I was given thirty minutes to complete the test. This test required less questions to be answered in the same amount of time as the psychology today test. The test stated it would measure cognitive performance, which would evaluate word analysis and spatial reasoning (Fun Education, 2018). I expected the Fun Education test would be easier than the psychology today test, however, I was surprised to find the test was harder. I felt the test would have been easier mainly because of the word “fun” in the title. The format of the test was similar to the Psychology today test, but after clicking an answer it went immediately to the next question without clicking the next button. This caused some problem because I clicked the wrong answer a few times and was not given time to contemplate the answer before I went to the next question. There were multiple questions that I was unsure of so I had to click any answer or I don’t know. I believe the Fun Education test was based on the Information was also based on the Information Processing Theory because of its similarity to the psychology today test.
There are many benefits and limitations to online testing. Even though on-line testing can be easier and more widely administered, I think it is much less accurate that testing where there is a proctor present in the classroom. When taking a test on-line, it is easy for the test taker to cheat by using online sources to answer the questions. Throughout the test, I got to the mental stage of not wanting to finish the test because the questions were difficult and formatted differently than any other test. When taking a traditional test, I know how many more questions I have until I would be done, but the Fun Education test I was not completely sure on how much longer I had. On the Fun Education test, I was unable to go back once I clicked the answer. When taking a traditional test, I would have the ability to correct an answer if I wrote it down wrong initially. Honestly, both IQ tests made my brain hurt and made me question every answer I completed. The tests are quite challenging, but they are supposed to be. I look forward to seeing what each student thought about this weeks IQ testing.
