Alfred Binet worked with his collaborator Theordore Simon to invent the first intelligence test to measure one’s cognitive ability. The test was designed to differentiate one’s innate intelligence land mental age compared to his or her actual age. Originally, Binet was commissioned by the French government to develop a test to identify children who should be placed in special education programs although the test and its many editions have been used on individuals of all ages (Martschenko, 2017).

One of the limitations of the test is that young children may be uncooperative and receive a lower score. For example, a preschooler may be irritable and unwilling to participate fully in testing and receive a score that is lower than they would have if they were in a more cooperative mood. Binet intended for the test to be used to measure one’s current performance, not as a measure for one’s potential yet IQ tests are often used within education to do just that. Receiving a low score could impact the child’s educational pathway and the label placed on the child could carry a stigma lasting a lifetime and have negative consequences for their confidence, future aspirations, the way teachers and classmates interact with them. A negative label may also affect can influence a student’s future behavior and decisions as a sort of self fulfilling prophecy. A single IQ test is far too limited in scope to carry much weight in making long-term, high stakes decisions for students because it doesn’t account for factors such as testing anxiety, food insecurity, behavioral issues, English proficiency, environmental stress or other external factors unique to each student.

Sources:

Martschenko, D.(2017). The IQ test wars: why screening for intelligence is still so controversial. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/are-genes-really-the-reason-more-poor-kids-do-badly-at-school-16166