Culturally Biased Intelligence Assessment
Intelligence assessments have existed since the early twentieth century and have continued to be a topic of debate. We all know full well that intelligence assessment is critical to the type if academic success that we achieve in life. One of the primary tools used to assess intelligence is the IQ test. However, the intelligence quotient test has been under scrutiny for decades because it is believed to harbor culturally biased precepts.
The purpose of this discussion is to explore the cultural bias' that exist in intelligence quotient testing. We will begin with a literary review which will start by explaining the definition of cultural bias in testing and the historical implications. We will explain the origins of the IQ test and the reasons why the cultural bias exist. Our discussion will then focus on how cultural bias in intelligence assessment has produced historical implications.
We will then discuss the most widely used IQ test and significance of this test. Our review will then focus on the lasting impacts of cultural bias on our society. These impacts include a lack of attention given to minority students and a sluggish attitude towards challenging students to achieve academic success.
We will also discuss the implications psychometrics and what may happen in the future if a culturally unbiased test is not created. This area of the discussion will focus on the detrimental effects that will happen if intelligence assessment does not change.
Finally, we will end the paper by discussing our findings and stating our conclusions. Now let us begin our literary review on the subject of culturally biased intelligence assessment.
Literary Review
Definition of Cultural bias in Testing and Historical Implications
Myers (1995) contends that the IQ test, as we know it, was created by a German psychologist named William Stern. The test asserts that an individual's intelligence quotient is equal to mental age divided by chronological age multiplied by 100. Other scientists, including Lewis Terman and Alfred Binet helped to perfect the tests. Terman believed that intelligence could be measured and that IQ tests would demonstrate that certain ethnic groups had natural propensities towards crime and lacked intelligence. (Myers 1995) He reckoned that IQ testing could eventually reduce reproduction of these ethnic groups thus creating a reduction in crime. As you can see from the very start the IQ test had less than noble intentions and demonstrated a cultural bias.
Cultural bias in testing involves conducting a test in manner that allows one culture or group of people to benefit from the results. When a test is culturally biased, the wording or cultural norms that are presented in the test will only pertain to one group of people. For example, a test may ask a question that is only relevant to the culture that the test is designed to have a bias towards.
Usually the benefactors of culturally biased tests are the white middle class. While the individuals that suffer are minority groups such as Hispanics, blacks and recent immigrants.
These cultural biases are most evident in commonly used standardized test, such as the SAT and the Intelligence Quotient test. For the purposes of this discussion we will focus on the IQ test.
Patton (1992) explains, that cultural bias in intelligence assessment exists because the tests primarily focus on skills that are valued in Western European culture. The original scientists that formulated the test based the questions on their personal world views, which were Eurocentric. Thus making the test discriminatory against any culture that is not European or does not share the worldview of European culture. (Patton 1992) Patton also explains that California has made it illegal to place students in certain academic settings based on the results of an IQ test because the test are so myopic. (Patton 1992)
Suzuki and Vallencia (1997), also believe that understanding culture is the key to measuring intelligence. The article asserts that a racial-ethnic group difference simply means that there are certain commonalities between individuals that are linked through racial-ethnic groups or through self identification. The authors concede that if individuals were tested along racial-ethnic lines or socioeconomic status the evidence would indicate that no one group is more intelligent than another. (Suzuki and Vallencia 1997)
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