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CSflim · 11-09-2003, 03:45 PM

Hmmm....intelligence is a hard thing to pin down alright. I should be fairly obvious that it would be impossible to describe an "intelligence number" no matter what kind of test you attempt to devise.

A slightly better approach is to try and come up with a list of different "intelligences". An example of this is the DAT, Differential Aptitude Test, which divides into six different sections:
Verbal Reasoning,
Numeric Reasoning,
Abstract Reasoning,
Mechanical Reasoning,
Space Relations, and
Language Usage.
and you get a different score for each.

A slight improvement over a simple IQ test, but ultimately it only captures a very narrow selection of "intelligences". (Also I think it is a classic case of "blind reductionism", as it seems to make the claim that each "intelligence" is completely seperate, whereas, it would be more likely that a large part of intelligence proper is how these individual "intellgences" interact with each other)

DATs are useful in their field, and seem to measure quite well what they are supposed to measure, but it is quite short sighted to claim that this represents true and complete intelligence.

Most notably it leaves out any way of indicating a person's creativity, originality, and ability to form judgements.

Could any test ever set out to actually measure intelligence? Seems unlikely, and even if it were, the test and results would be so completely unweildy, as to be of no use to anyone.

No, it seems that any attempt to pin down intelligence is doomed to failure.
I don't think that this should be held against the tests themsevles. It is just that the results of these test should not be used in circumstances where they do not apply.

To claim that DATs are in of themselves meaningless is equally as short-sighted as proclaiming them to be true measures of intelligence.

As an aside, it occurs to me that even if a test for true intelligence were devised, it would never be universally accepted.
It is very popular among pseudo-intellectuals to make the claim that these tests are meaningless. The fact that they did terrible in school, flunked out of college and score low on IQ tests/DATs/whatever does not of course reflect in anyway poorly on their intelligence, as we can see they are really highly intellectual, end of story.
A true test for intelligence, which showed them up as pretentious morons, would "obviously" be meaningless.

11-09-2003, 03:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
CSflim Sky Piercer Location: Ireland	Hmmm....intelligence is a hard thing to pin down alright. I should be fairly obvious that it would be impossible to describe an "intelligence number" no matter what kind of test you attempt to devise. A slightly better approach is to try and come up with a list of different "intelligences". An example of this is the DAT, Differential Aptitude Test, which divides into six different sections: Verbal Reasoning, Numeric Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Mechanical Reasoning, Space Relations, and Language Usage. and you get a different score for each. A slight improvement over a simple IQ test, but ultimately it only captures a very narrow selection of "intelligences". (Also I think it is a classic case of "blind reductionism", as it seems to make the claim that each "intelligence" is completely seperate, whereas, it would be more likely that a large part of intelligence proper is how these individual "intellgences" interact with each other) DATs are useful in their field, and seem to measure quite well what they are supposed to measure, but it is quite short sighted to claim that this represents true and complete intelligence. Most notably it leaves out any way of indicating a person's creativity, originality, and ability to form judgements. Could any test ever set out to actually measure intelligence? Seems unlikely, and even if it were, the test and results would be so completely unweildy, as to be of no use to anyone. No, it seems that any attempt to pin down intelligence is doomed to failure. I don't think that this should be held against the tests themsevles. It is just that the results of these test should not be used in circumstances where they do not apply. To claim that DATs are in of themselves meaningless is equally as short-sighted as proclaiming them to be true measures of intelligence. As an aside, it occurs to me that even if a test for true intelligence were devised, it would never be universally accepted. It is very popular among pseudo-intellectuals to make the claim that these tests are meaningless. The fact that they did terrible in school, flunked out of college and score low on IQ tests/DATs/whatever does not of course reflect in anyway poorly on their intelligence, as we can see they are really highly intellectual, end of story. A true test for intelligence, which showed them up as pretentious morons, would "obviously" be meaningless. __________________ Last edited by CSflim; 11-09-2003 at 03:48 PM..