Page 368 - Understanding Psychology

Figure 13.8 Sample Items on the Wechsler Tests
These test items are similar to those included in the various Wechsler intelligence scales. (Not all test items and scales are included here.) How do the Wechsler tests compare to the Stanford-Binet Intelligence test?
VERBAL SCALE Information Arithmetic Vocabulary Similarities Digit Span
PERFORMANCE SCALE Picture Completion
Picture Arrangement
EXAMPLE
What day of the year is Independence Day?
If eggs cost $.60 a dozen, what does one egg cost? Tell me the meaning of scoff.
In what way are hats and shoes alike?
Listen carefully, and when I am through, say the numbers right after me. 751829
EXAMPLE
What part is missing from this picture?
Arrange the panels to make a meaningful story.
Block Design
Put the blocks together to make this picture.
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Psychological Testing
What do these scores mean? What do the tests measure? IQ scores seem to be most useful when related to school achievement; they are quite accurate in predicting which people will do well in schools, colleges, and universities. Critics of IQ testing do not question this predictive abil- ity. They do wonder, however, whether such tests actually measure intelligence. As stated earlier, most psychologists agree that intelligence is the ability to acquire new ideas and new behavior and to adapt to new situations. Is success in school or the ability to take a test a real indication of such ability? Generally, IQ tests measure the ability to solve certain types of problems. Yet they do not directly measure the ability to pose