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Intelligence and achievement are intertwined in terms of definition and testing. Achievement refers to the ability to accomplish tasks as per the knowledge and skills one has on the subject. Intelligence, on the other hand, intelligence has various definitions, the most common description being the ability to learn new things and develop new skills. Intelligence and achievement complement each other. In this paper, we are going to explore the two subjects, intelligence, and achievement in terms of definitions and testing.
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Different psychologists and scholars have attempted to define intelligence over the years according to their understanding of the human mind—definitions of intelligence, therefore different from one scholar to the other. According to Alfred Binnet (Malone & Bernstein, 2015), intelligence refers to one’s ability to adapt to one’s circumstances. In this definition, intelligence is otherwise known as initiative, good sense, or practical sense. Binnets definition of intelligence claims that an intelligent person can make conscious decisions about their circumstances. For example, intelligence is what leads a person to act on their feelings in specific ways. When a person feels hungry, they are expected to find food to quell hunger. A person with low intelligence may not think of finding food, like children, they may opt to throw tantrums and cry instead of finding a solution to the problem.
The second definition of intelligence is by David Wechsler, who defined intelligence as the individual’s capacity to reason, act purposefully, and deal with their environment effectively (Malone & Bernstein, 2015). This definition of intelligence is almost similar to Binnets; however, in this case, an intelligent person is purposeful and rational. An intelligent person is one who can think over a situation and go through the possible solutions before deciding on taking action. Unintelligent people, in this case, are irrational in their decision making, which can be evident in how they conduct their day to day activities.
The third definition of intelligence refers to intelligence as the ability to acquire, store, retrieve, combine, compare, and apply new information and skills. This definition of intelligence follows a person’s daily activities and how they are expected, as well as the final results (Malone & Bernstein, 2015). This definition of intelligence, however, insinuates that forgetfulness is a sign of low intelligence. Intelligent people are also capable of forgetting things due to how the human brain is built. Over time, the mind tends to erase or alter some memories. Highly intelligent people are also susceptible to forgetfulness.
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Various theories explain intelligence. These theories are Psychometric, cognitive, biological, and cognitive-contextual theories. Psychometric theory on information measures intelligence as the person’s abilities according to mental tests. In this model, intelligence can be measure by a series of tests to weigh the person’s memory abilities and reasoning and well as the ability to understand and calculate numbers (Sternberg, 2018). The test indicates that a person may have a strong reasoning ability but may lack numbers ability. This means that a person’s intelligence in one area can compensate for their lack in another area of intelligence.
Cognitive theory of intelligence deals with how the person’s cognitive processes perform in different situations in their environment. This theory works with the assumption that intelligence is based on mental representations of information as well as the processes involved in breaking down the information (Sternberg, 2018). Intelligent people are thought to be able to interpret and present information better than their less intelligent counterparts.
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In cognitive contextual theories, human intelligence is dependent on how cognitive processes perform in different contexts. Howard Gardner and Sternberg’s theories are examples of cognitive contextual theories (Sternberg, 2018). To test intelligence as per this theory, people can be placed in new environments, and their ability to cope in the new environment is the measure. People with higher intelligence may cope faster. This is, however, biased because of the many factors that may come into play in such an environment. As mentioned earlier, some people may do better in other areas and fail in some areas. A person may be able to adapt quickly to the environment but fail to learn new languages or cultural practices due to their naturalization in a different cultural environment.
Biological theories, on the other hand, claim that human intelligence encompasses every aspect of their consciousness and unconsciousness. In this theory, intelligence is determined by biological factors such as genetics (Sternberg, 2018). Biological intelligence comprises emotional feelings, physical feelings, thoughts, body processes, and functions such as the immune system, among other biological aspects.
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According to the instruments used to test for intelligence, the theory of intelligence that best fits the instruments would be the biological theory. The biological theory uses a person’s biological processes to determine intelligence. A person’s reaction, thoughts, feelings, and understanding of different subjects is dependent on biological factors (Sternberg, 2018). A person’s emotional intelligence may be affected by their situation at the moment; for instance, if the person is going through a traumatic experience, they may seem to possess less emotional intelligence. Hormones also determine a person’s intelligence in some circumstances. Some mental illnesses, for instance, maybe triggered by excessive or minimal production of hormones in the body. A person’s genetics also affects their level of intelligence. Some people may inherit genes that make them quick thinkers, while some people may be naturally slow. These trends can, at times, be seen in families where, in some cases, most of the family members score highly in intelligence tests while members of another family may have a lower score.
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8Intelligence is often measured using two methods, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the Stanford Binet intelligence test. In WAIS, intelligence is believed to depend on several mental abilities rather than a single skill. This means that intelligence can be measured using different tests rather than one test. According to David Wechsler’s definition (Malone & Bernstein, 2015), intelligence can be a measure of a person s ability to process information as well as to apply that information. In this case, a person may be intelligent, but certain aspects may hinder their ability to understand and use some information, for example, the language barrier. It would, therefore, be wrong to judge a person’s intelligence if the person does not understand the language of communication.
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WAIS, as a measure of intelligence, can be relied on for near accurate results. WAIS is considered reliable since it considers the different aspects of human life and the factors that may affect a person’s intelligence scores. By looking at intelligence as a broad subject rather than a single entity, the method gives room for different kinds of intelligence (Bücker, Furrer & Lin, 2015). For example, in this test, a person may perform well in numbers and fail in other areas and vice versa. This implies that the person may be better at numbers and numerical problems, and the person may be less emotionally intelligent.
The WAIS method, however, requires constant testing and measurement, administered in the right manner to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results. This is because the subjects of the tests will need to take different experiments on various subjects before their results can be compiled and interpreted.
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Stanford-Binet test, on the other hand, is unreliable for the most part. The test bases its answers on a singular task given to the candidates, who are mostly children. This singular test cannot provide the correct representation of the child’s intelligence since it leaves out the various factors that may cause the candidate to fail the test. The procedure for testing intelligence, in this case, is simple and straightforward. The candidates are given tasks to accomplish; this can be in the form of a numerical test or an aptitude test (Gibbons & Warne, 2019).
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Both methods of testing intelligence are culturally biased. The tests can be affected by people’s cultural environment. There have been complaints that intelligence tests have been used to marginalize some communities, such as the black communities. These tests, fail to factor in the environmental factors that affect a person’s intelligence
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Achievement tests are standardized tests used to measure a person’s knowledge or acquired skills. Achievement skills measure a person’s progress. Intelligence tests, on the other hand, measures a person’s potential. Both intelligence and achievement have standardized tests. Examples of standardized achievement tests include Georgia’s Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, Louisiana Educational Assessment Program and Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. An achievement test is often used in different states to determine students’ academic performance. Intelligence tests, on the other hand, include The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test and The Weschler Intelligence Tests. Children and adults with speech problems can take Test of Nonverbal Intelligence and Trade.
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The main goals of the WAIS test are to measure academic performances. This test is relevant in academics since it allows the subjects to take different tests for a cumulative result. The Stanford tests, on the other hand, are intended to measure the IQ of the children for clinical research. These tests may not be a reflection of the person’s performance in the natural environment (Gibbons & Warne, 2019).
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Intelligence tests can be used in ways. Intelligence tests can be taken during a selection process, for example, when selecting a candidate for a job. Intelligence tests can be used in the classification of individuals in scientific research activities. In the case of job promotions, an intelligence test can be used to determine the right candidate for development. The tests can be used for guidance as well as to improve the learning process. Lastly, intelligence tests can be used to diagnose illnesses such as mental illnesses caused by biological and environmental factors such as stress (Kaufman, 2018). People suffering from mental diseases, therefore, require clinical tests to determine the cause of the problem.