Chapter 6 - Group tests and
Controversies in Ability Testing
1. Group tests differ from individual tests in five
ways: I. multiple choice versus open-ended format,
II. objective machine scoring versus examiner
scoring, III. Group versus individualized
administration, IV. Applications in screening versus
remedial planning, V. Huge versus merely large
standardization samples
2. In the group testing, the
examiner plays a minimal role
that is restricted largely to
reading instructions and
enforcing time limits
For the few, the shy,
the confused - the
absence of examiner
rapport can have
disastrous results
Group intelligence tests are more
commonly used for mass screening in the
furtherance of institutional decision making -
such as when children are in need of
academic remediation
Group tests are generally
standardized on ultra-large
samples
3. THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL
APTITUDE BATTERY-II is a recent
group intelligence test designed to be a
paper-and-pencil equivalent of the
WAIS-B: appropriate for examinees from ages 16-74
4. The venerable SILS is a reasonably
good measure of general intelligence
that has found wide-spread use in
research - it continues to be quite
popular as a screening test for general
intelligence and possible intellectual
inefficiency
5. In a multilevel battery, each group
test is designed for a specific age or
grade level, but adjacent tests possess
some common content
6. The CogAT was co-normed with two achievement
tests: the IOWA TESTS OF BASIC SKILLS, and the
IOWA TESTS OF EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT; the
reliability of the CogAT is exceptionally good; the
manual provides a wealth of info on content, criteron
related and construct validity
7. The Culture Fair Intelligence Test
is a nonverbal measure of fluid
intelligence first conceived in the
1920s by Cattell; the goal is to
measure fluid intelligence in a manner
that is as free from cultural bias as
possible
8. The CFIT has undergone several
revisions - scale 1 is for mentally
defective adults, and children from 4-8;
scale 2 is for adults in the average age
range, and children from 8 to 13; scale
3 is for high ability adults and college
students
Raw scores are
converted to normalized
standard score IQs with
mean of 100 and SD of
16
9. Available evidence says the CFIT
is no more successful than other
methods as fair as being a culturally
fair measure of intelligence goes
CFIT is in desperate need for re-norming
10. The RPM is particularly valuable in
the testing of children and adults with
hearing, language, or physical
impairments
11. Coaching for the GRE can
significantly increase scores (116-145
pts) (coaching lasting 100-140 hours)
12. Disagreements about test
biases are perpetuated
because they fail to define what
terms such as TEST BIAS and
TEST FAIRNESS really mean
TEST BIAS refers to objective
statistical indices that examine the
patterning of test scores for relevant
subpops = IT IS BIASED IF IT IS
DIFFERENTIALLY VALID FOR
DIFFERENT SUBGROUPS
TEST FAIRNESS is a broad concept
that recognizes the importance of
social values in test usage = EVEN A
TEST THAT ISN'T BIASED CAN STILL
BE UNFAIR BECAUSE OF THE
SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF USING
IT FOR SELECTION DECISIONS
13. A test is unbiased if
the results for all the
relevant subpopulations
cluster equally well around
a single regression line
14. UNQUALIFIED INDIVIDUALISM
dictates, without exception, the best
qualified candidates should be
selected for employment, admission,
or other privilege
15. QUOTAS acknowledge that
many bureaucracies and
educational institutions owe their
existence to the city or state in
which they function
16. QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALISM is a
radical variant of individualism that relies
solely on tested abilities, without
reference to age, sex, race, or other
demographic characteristics for selection
purposes
17. A substantial genetic component to intelligence has
been proved by decades of adoption studies, familial
research, and twin projects, even though individual
studies may be faulted
18. Orphan study showed that love and nurturing can make a
difference on mental state and mental abilities = 13 were transferred
to a home where they were shown love and were doted upon by
"older sisters" who also had mental retardation = THOSE WHO WERE
CARED FOR WERE NORMAL ADULTS 26 YEARS LATER where the
others were still mentally retarded
Studies show that intervention
and enrichment can boost IQ in
children at risk for school failure
and mental retardation
Initial positive benefits can diminish over
time if the child's environment does not
encourage positive attitudes and
continues learning
Critics also wonder if the programs
merely teach children how to take
tests without affecting their
underlying intelligence much
19. Prenatal exposure to alcohol is one of the
leading known causes of mental retardation in
the Western world
FAS is defined by: 1. Prenatal and/or postnatal
growth retardation (weight below the tenth percentile
after correcting for gestational age), 2. Central
nervous system dysfunction - skull or brain
malformations, mild to moderate mental retardation,
neurological abnormalities, and behavior problems,
3. Facial dysmorphology - widely spaced eyes, short
eyelid openings, small up-turned nose, thin upper lip,
and ear deformities
20. The most efficient research
method for studying age changes in
ability is a cross-sequential design