Intelligence quotient or IQ testing has been used by psychologists and educators for nearly 100 years. In the early 1900s, Alfred Binet employed standardized testing to identify learning disabilities in French children. A reformulated and updated version of the test is still used, now called the Stanford-Binet test. These and other aptitude tests shape the educational future of many American students, according to the American Psychological Association, or APA. The IQ test is one of psychology’s most widely used tools. However, IQ testing has been criticized for a number of factors--including possible bias regarding race and economic level. Critics say IQ tests may not measure imagination or moral character either, according to the APA.
Possible Bias
IQ tests have been criticized by researchers and educators for not taking into consideration race, gender, class and culture, the APA says. The tests appear geared toward white, upper-class males--who tend to score better on certain tests. Other criticisms include a minimization within the tests of practical everyday know-how, the importance of creativity and having a well-rounded character, according to the APA.
Not a Predictor of Success
One of the most vocal critics of IQ testing is Dr. Daniel Goleman, author of the book "Emotional Intelligence.” In the book, Goleman refutes the long-held idea that IQ tests are somehow a predictor of how successful one will be in life. He says research has not shown a correlation between high IQ scores and a successful life, and he questions their usefulness.
They Don't Measure Emotional Intelligence
What Goleman terms emotional intelligence can be more important to all-around happiness than IQ and a more accurate predictor of success in life, he says. Emotions play a greater role in decision making and success than we previously thought. He says the types of traits that make up emotional intelligence, not measured by IQ tests, include: "control of one’s impulses, self-motivation, empathy and social competence in interpersonal relationships."
They Ignore Seven Kinds of Intelligence
Another critic of IQ testing is Harvard University psychologist Howard Gardner, Ph.D., who, starting in the 1980s, attacked the concept of “a single immutable intelligence.” Instead, he offered that at least seven kinds of intelligence should be considered--linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal and intra-personal. He said this list could be extended as other types of intelligence are categorized.
They Don't Measure Adaptability or Resilience
According to the article “IQ myths” on the website IQ Test Experts, many think that IQ tests actually measure intelligence. In reality, a person with high intelligence can easily adapt to demands of new situations or problems, and tests often can't measure adaptability or resilience factors. The article says IQ is a measure of “relative intelligence,” determined by standardized testing. IQ can change as people learn and grow. Intelligence is not fixed, and a test can only measure certain fixed factors at a given time.
