Psychology: Intelligence Tests, Validity, and Standardization

Intelligence Test

A method for assessing an individual's mental abilities and comparing them with others using numerical scores.

Achievement Test

A test designed to measure what a person has already learned.

Aptitude Test

A test designed to predict a person's future performance or ability to learn new skills.

Mental Age

A measure of intellectual development expressed as the age at which an average individual reaches the same level of performance.

Stanford-Binet

An intelligence test that assesses general cognitive ability and introduced the concept of IQ.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

A score derived from standardized tests, originally calculated as (Mental Age ÷ Chronological Age) × 100, that represents a person's general intelligence relative to others.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

The most widely used intelligence test for adults, measuring verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.

Standardization

The process of administering a test to a large, representative sample under uniform conditions to establish norms.

Normal Curve

A symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological traits, with most scores near the average.

Flynn Effect

The observed rise over time in average IQ scores around the world.

Reliability

The extent to which a test produces consistent results over time or across different raters.

Validity

The extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure.

Content Validity

The degree to which a test samples the behavior or knowledge it is supposed to measure.

Construct Validity

The extent to which a test truly measures a theoretical construct or trait, such as intelligence or anxiety.

Predictive Validity

The extent to which a test accurately forecasts future performance or behavior.