Intelligence & Psychological Testing

Practice Exam

Short Answer – 5 Questions

1. Outline the landmark developments in intelligence testing.

2. Draw a graph showing the distribution of IQ scores in a typical population. Indicate several
meaningful “cut-points” which to show how IQ is distributed. For example, what % of people
have an IQ below 70?

3. Identify and briefly describe three key components you would use to assess the quality of a
psychological test.

4. To what extent is IQ heritable? Include relevant research findings.

5. What are the main difference between Spearman’s and Gardener’s theories of intelligence?

[check the readings for answers to these short-answer questions]

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 Multiple Choice – 30 Questions

1. One of the turning points in psychology was the development of the first intelligence test in 1905
by:
a. Francis Galton
b. Cyril Burt
c. Lewis Terman
d. Alfred Binet
e. David Weschler
f. Jean Piaget

2. There is a positive correlation between almost every reliable measure that involves mental
processing, retrieval, or manipulation of information and almost any other measure that involves
cognitive activity:
a. True
b. False

3. Without ___________________, the ability of a theory to make predictions is more difficult.

a. precision
b. parsimony
c. substantial research
d. all of the above

4. Theories are evaluated favourably to the extent that they are:

a. supported by research findings
b. accepted by a large number of psychologists
c. obviously correct
d. all of the above

5. Theory and research operate best when:

a. research always precedes theory
b. theory always precedes research
c. they are totally independent of each other
d. there is continuous cycling between them

6. Which of the following questions is useful in determining the explanatory and predictive value of a
theory?
a. Is the theory stimulating in terms of further consideration and research?
b. Is the theory based on too narrow a set of information?
c. Does the theory feel reasonable or sensible?
d. All of the above

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7. Raven’s Progessive Matrices is an Intelligence Test which shows:
a. high loadings on Spearman’s g
b. contains perceptual analogies in the form of a matrix
c. has 3 forms for different levels of difficulty
d. has minimal cultural item loading
e. all of the above

8. Francis Galton measured intelligence by:

a. developing a test with more factors than anyone else had
b. scoring the detail of testee’s drawings
c. developing a battery of verbal and visual tasks
d. developing sensori-motor tasks

9. The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was proposed in 1912 by:

a. Francis Galton
b. Alfred Binet
c. Lewis Terman
d. David Weschler
e. None of the above

10. During World I, ___________, developed a group-based method of intelligence testing in order
to help optimally place people in the US army:
a. Terman
b. Yerkes
c. Binet
d. Jensen
e. Piaget

11. Charles Spearman proposed a _____ factor theory of intelligence:

a. one
b. two
c. three
d. four
e. five

12. What prevents the results of a single case study from being applied to many people?
a. lack of retest reliability
b. lack of generality
c. general scoring error
d. singular inconsistency

13. Two variables, X and Y, are said to be correlated if:

a. the values of X and Y tend to go together in a systematic way
b. a change in X tends to cause a change in Y
c. variable X and variable Y both influence variable Z
d. none of the above

14. As a correlation moves from r = 0 to r = 1, it gets progressively:

a. more positive and stronger
b. more positive and weaker
c. more negative and stronger
d. more negative and weaker

15. Correlational research cannot provide information concerning the ____________ of the
relationship between two variables.
a. strength

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 b. causality
c. position
d. direction

16. What method of personality research allows inferences to be drawn concerning the cause of a
phenomenon under investigation?
a. case study
b. experimental
c. correlational
d. all of the above

17. If a study categorizes subjects on the basis of some naturally occurring difference, it is most
likely:
a. a correlational study
b. an experimental study
c. a cross-lagged study
d. a case study

18. Which type of study is best, correlational or experimental?

a. Correlational.
b. Experimental.
c. Impossible to tell.
d. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with each.

19. _________________ allow researchers to observe how different types of people respond to
variations in situations.
a. Single-factor designs
b. Crossed designs
c. Main effects
d. None of the above

20. A scale is "objective" if:

a. a person's responses are recorded directly, with no interpretations until a later time
b. an interpretation is made before information about behaviour is recorded
c. another researcher has used it
d. It is included in the "Manual of Personality Inventories"

21. Which of the following is a potential source of error in a measure?

a. the way an item is phrased
b. variations in an observer's attention
c. variation in what an observer is thinking about while administering a measure
d. all of the above

22. Reliability within a set of observations measuring the same aspect of personality is referred to as:
a. lack of random error
b. unified reliability
c. internal consistency
d. internal clarity

23. A measure is high in validity when:

a. the results obtained with the measure match the researcher's predictions
b. the operational definition closely matches the conceptual definition
c. all the researchers agree to its use
d. the experimenter has been found to be absolutely trustworthy

24. Which of the following is NOT a dimension of construct validity?

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 a. criterion
b. discriminant
c. split-half
d. convergent

25. Discriminant validity deals with the following general question:

a. Does the test measure the intended conceptual characteristics?
b. Does the test predict what it is supposed to predict?
c. Does the test correlate with measures of other characteristics thought to be similar?
d. Does the test fail to correlate with measures of other characteristics thought to be
different?

26. Acquiescence is a problem in research because:

a. everyone's degree of acquiescence is about the same
b. people vary a lot in how much they tend to acquiesce
c. the scores of people who are highly acquiescent are often deflated
d. It is difficult to counteract

27. The theoretical approach to assessment often results in measures that have a high degreee of
_______________ validity.
a. construct
b. face
c. discriminant
d. internal

28. Thurstone proposed ______ ‘primary mental abilities’:

a. three
b. five
c. seven
d. ten
e. twelve

29. In the 1960’s, Raymond Cattell proposed measurement of:

a. culture-free intelligence
b. non-verbal intelligence
c. fluid and crystallised intelligence
d. achievement rather than intelligence
e. practical intelligence

30. Probably the most widely accepted factorial description of intelligence is a hierarchical one, with
g at the top and specific mental abilities at the bottom:
a. True
b. False

THE END
Intelligence & Psychological Testing
Multiple Choice ANSWERS
1. One of the turning points in psychology was the development of the first intelligence test in 1905
by:
d. Alfred Binet

2. There is a positive correlation between almost every reliable measure that involves mental
processing, retrieval, or manipulation of information and almost any other measure that involves
cognitive activity:
a. True
5
3. Without ___________________, the ability of a theory to make predictions is more difficult.
a. precision

4. Theories are evaluated favourably to the extent that they are:

d. all of the above

5. Theory and research operate best when:

d. there is continuous cycling between them

6. Which of the following questions is useful in determining the explanatory and predictive value of a
theory?
d. All of the above

7. Raven’s Progessive Matrices is an Intelligence Test which shows:

a. all of the above

8. Francis Galton measured intelligence by:

d. developing sensori-motor tasks

9. The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was proposed in 1912 by:

c. Lewis Terman

10. During World I, ___________, developed a group-based method of intelligence testing in order
to help optimally place people in the US army:
b. Yerkes

11. Charles Spearman proposed a _____ factor theory of intelligence:

b. two

12. What prevents the results of a single case study from being applied to many people?
b. lack of generality

13. Two variables, X and Y, are said to be correlated if:

a. the values of X and Y tend to go together in a systematic way

14. As a correlation moves from r = 0 to r = 1, it gets progressively:

a. more positive and stronger

15. Correlational research cannot provide information concerning the ____________ of the
relationship between two variables.
b. causality

16. What method of personality research allows inferences to be drawn concerning the cause of a
phenomenon under investigation?
b. experimental

17. If a study categorizes subjects on the basis of some naturally occurring difference, it is most
likely:
a. a correlational study

18. Which type of study is best, correlational or experimental?

d. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with each.

19. _________________ allow researchers to observe how different types of people respond to
variations in situations.

6
 b. Crossed designs

20. A scale is "objective" if:

a. a person's responses are recorded directly, with no interpretations until a later time

21. Which of the following is a potential source of error in a measure?

d. all of the above

22. Reliability within a set of observations measuring the same aspect of personality is referred to as:
c. internal consistency

23. A measure is high in validity when:

b. the operational definition closely matches the conceptual definition

24. Which of the following is NOT a dimension of construct validity?

c. split-half

25. Discriminant validity deals with the following general question:

d. Does the test fail to correlate with measures of other characteristics thought to be
different?

26. Acquiescence is a problem in research because:

b. people vary a lot in how much they tend to acquiesce

27. The theoretical approach to assessment often results in measures that have a high degreee of
_______________ validity.
d. internal

28. Thurstone proposed ______ ‘primary mental abilities’:

a. seven

29. In the 1960’s, Raymond Cattell proposed measurement of:

c. fluid and crystallised intelligence

30. Probably the most widely accepted factorial description of intelligence is a hierarchical one, with
g at the top and specific mental abilities at the bottom:
c. True