PsychoStud.com

The intelligent testing philosophy outlined by Alan Kaufman and Elizabeth Lichtenberger focuses on several assumptions and can be applied to all age groups. The first assumption, IQ tests measure what the individual has learned, acknowledges that any test scores obtained are really a measurement of what information an individual has learned and receive from past experiences and the culture from which they hail. In this way, IQ scores reflect more what a person has accomplished in the past rather than what they are likely to accomplish in the future, although it seems reasonable that past performance can predict future performance to some amount. The second assumption, IQ tasks are samples of behavior and are not exhaustive, concedes that what is really being tested is types of responses (i.e. behaviors) whether they be verbal or nonverbal. In addition, these tasks are only a few of the many different strategies for obtaining the sought after data and do not stand alone as some ultimate measure of intelligence. IQ tests like the WAIS-III, KAIT, and WJ III assess mental functioning under fixed experimental conditions. This is the third assumption of the Kaufman-Lichtenberger intelligence testing philosophy. What naturally follows from this assumption is the understanding that standardized IQ tests sacrifice some real-world practicality for the predictability and reliability of the laboratory. Standardized IQ tests require strict adherence to procedures in order to insure that the results are valid and reliable, but it is these same strict procedures that prevent the demonstration of “real intelligence” as it relates to the real world and everyday life. The fourth assumption, IQ tests are optimally useful when they are interpreted from an information-processing model, indicates that to obtain the most benefit from testing, results should be looked at as an indication of how information is better obtained and processed by the tested individual. In this way, the tester can develop a deeper sense and understanding of the “learning-style” of the tested and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the client with regard to learning, processing, and tasking. The fifth assumption builds off of the previous four: hypotheses generated from IQ test profiles should be supported with data from multiple sources. Since the tasks utilized in IQ tests are simply measures of behavior, non-exhaustive and rigidly standardized, any hypotheses derived must also take many other factors into consideration if they are to hold any practical significance. Such factors may include but are not limited to background information, observed behaviors, and approach to each problem-solving task. Also, the tester should be aware of any circumstances that may result in falsely skewed scores, such as medical/physical conditions.