Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

 
Module 26 
What Is Intelligence? 
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school, not only are test questions viewed and answered on a computer, but the test 
itself is individualized. With adaptive testing, every test-taker does not receive identi-
cal sets of test questions. Instead, the computer fi rst presents a randomly selected 
question of moderate diffi culty. If the test-taker answers it correctly, the computer 
then presents a randomly chosen item of slightly greater diffi culty. If the test-taker 
answers it incorrectly, the computer presents a slightly easier item. Each question 
becomes slightly harder or easier than the question preceding it, depending on 
whether the previous response is correct. Ultimately, the greater the number of dif-
fi cult questions answered correctly, the higher the score (Chang & Ansley, 2003; 
Marszalek, 2007; Belov & Armstrong, 2009; see Figure 7). 
Because computerized adaptive testing pinpoints a test-taker’s level of profi -
ciency fairly quickly, the total time spent taking the exam is shorter than it is with a 
traditional exam. Test-takers are not forced to spend a great deal of time answering 
questions that are either much easier or much harder than they can handle. 
Critics of adaptive testing suggest that it may discriminate against test-takers who 
have less access to computers and thus may have less practice with them or may be 
more intimidated by the testing medium. In other cases, high-ability test-takers who 
make an early mistake and fi nd the items getting easier may begin to feel such anxi-
ety that their performance suffers, leading to a downward spiral in their performance. 
Still, most research suggests that adaptive testing provides scores equivalent to those 
of traditional paper-and-pencil measures for most types of testing (Tonidandel, Qui-
nones, & Adams, 2002; Passos, Berger, & Tan, 2007; Rulison & Loken, 2009).
Even though psychologists disagree about the nature of 
intelligence, intelligence tests—as well as many other kinds of 
tests—are widely used in a variety of situations. For example, if 
you are thinking about becoming a physician, a lawyer, or 
almost any other kind of professional in a fi eld that requires 
advanced training, you will have to take a formal exam in order 
to be accepted for post-graduate training. 
If you do have to take such an exam, you can do several 
things to maximize your score, including the following (Lurie, Robinson, & Pecsenye, 
2005; Feldman, 2010):
• Learn as much as you can about the test before you take it. Know what sections will be 
on the test and how much each section is worth.
• Practice. Try as many practice tests as you can fi nd. The more practice you have, 
the easier it will be when you actually take the test.
• If the test is administered on a computer, as it probably will be, take practice tests on a 
computer. The more familiar you are with computers, the more at ease you will 
feel when you sit down to take the test.
• Time yourself carefully. Don’t spend too much time on early items at the expense 
of later ones. Your goal should be not perfection but maximization of the number 
of correct responses you get.
• Be aware of the scoring policy. If you are not penalized for wrong answers, guess. If 
there are penalties, be more conservative about guessing.
• If it is a paper-and-pencil test, complete answer sheets accurately. Check and check 
again. If the test is on a computer, check your answer thoroughly before going on 
to the next question, because you won’t be able to go back and change your 
answer once you’ve submitted it.