The Bell Curve, IQ, and Assessment Testing

Joel C. Snell

 

No significant differences were noted when comparing IQ. Methodological controls were used not to contaminate the results. There were sample limitations, but the findings suggest that IQ is a variable to consider for successful outcomes in academia and the wider community, however, IQ alone does not explain talent and ability.

 

Questions have been raised about IQ and academic performance (1.) Much that has been written deals with native genetic endowment related to race and the ability of individuals to survive in academia and in the wider market place.

The issue of IQ is extremely important to community colleges as these institutions are likely to have very pluralistic classes of students both in terms of demographics and academic talent. Part of the ability for one to do well in the classroom is one's ability to cognitively excel in classroom pursuits.

The community college tries to help each student in terms of small classes, tutors, mentors, and individual learning strategies to help them succeed academically.

The outcome is measured in a grade that they obtain at the end of the semester How-ever, academic success in terms of a final grade can be obtained not only by native cognitive ability, but also by effort, and rewards given by instructors for attendance and related activities.

With this problem in mind, the author utilized a 50 item face validated series of multiple choice questions that dealt directly with the subject matter taught in the course.

For community colleges, academic assessment has become paramount because, schools at the two year level are faced by the of wider community that want to know what the student acquired and how can they demonstrate those skills in the world of work. Thus academic grades are suspect ,   because of grade inflation and related problems. The assessment testing is thought to be a more accurate measure of knowledge of the subject matter.

Methodology

 Four classes of social science students were given a 50 item test to assess their knowledge of the subject matter the second day of class. Questions covered nearly the entire course. Toward the very end of the semester, the students took the same test again. The test itself had been pretested in previous semesters for clarity. No problems were noted with the tool.

Further an IQ (Schlossen) test was given later in the semester after the first pretest of the 50 item instrument dealing with subject matter had been given. The students were under the impression that the IQ test was in no way related to the assessment test. Parenthetically, in previous semesters, this same procedure had been used, and IQ measures and assessment testing outcomes were not recorded. Thus, tradition had been established that the entire process was not measured and that any outcome did not affect one's grade. Therefore, any individual outside knowledge about previous classes could not contaminate the findings in terms of test anxiety and like behaviors.

It would appear to this author, that those with elevated IQ's over the standard norm of 100 should absorb the material and success- fully accelerate their scores on the second test because of their native ability as opposed to those below 100

Further, such extraneous but important activities such as attendance and other classroom efforts would not contaminate or antagonize the findings because the assessment test was independent of those considerations. Additionally, it would appear to this author that the important dependent variable was the increase of the amount of information obtained in the course over the semester as measured by the pre/post assessment test.    

Hypothesis

No significant differences will be between those above the average of 100 and below the average of 100 as measured by Schlossen IQ in terms of the mean increase in test scores relative to pre and post test findings. 

Findings

Those who were tested at the beginning of the semester with under 100 on the Schlossen IQ numbered 17 students. The range of improvement on the face validated 50 item assessment test was 1 through 38 point increase.  The standard deviation was 4.95 and the mean. Others have raised the question was 12.8 in terms of increase, about the viability of IQ tests predicting real world.

For those over 100, there were71 students with a range of improvement of 1 through 30   The standard deviation was5.78 and the mean was 4.07 in terms of increase. The F test was 1.53 which was well below the level of significance at the .05 levels. Thus there were no significant differences between the two groups and IQ did not appear to be a factor in the level of increase in the measure of the knowledge of a course in the social sciences.               

Parenthetically, one student with an extremely high IQ had a learning disorder and barely passed the course. Nearly all the students in the class were non-Hispanic Caucasian. Thus, this is an intraracial cornparison.  However, one will find in the "end notes" that when social class and related demo- graphics are controlled, race and IQ do not significantly vary. See Rowan in endnote #1. .                                

Conclusion

Given sample limitations, it still appears that IQ alone did not differentiate successful outcomes on a face validated 50 item assessment test dealing with the social sciences. Further, the literature suggests that IQ alone does provide an accurate, but imperfect predictor of future accomplishment in the market place. Other variables such as social skills, ability to perceive future paradigms and emotional intelligence is extremely important in upward mobility. Given the limitations of the IQ, these other considerations should become noted salient and applicable to one's future.

End Notes

1. Please see Tucker, William H. THE SCIENCE AND POLITICS OF RACIAL RESEARCH (Chicago, Illinois: Univ. of Illinois) 1995,____, "IQ, Is It Destiny" NEWSWEEK, October 24,1994p. 3-6. Questions have been raised about the political intent of race research and intelligence, see "Behind the Bell Curve, The Pioneer Fund backs even more racist-rousing research" BUSINESS WEEK, November 7,1994, p. 38, and Leo, John "Return to the IQ Wars" US NEWS &WORLD REPORT, October 24,1994, p. 24,. Others have raised the question about the viability of IQ tests predicting real world outcomes, see:____, "Why IQ isn't destiny" US NEWS & WORLD REPORT, October 24, 1994. p. 73-80. Goleman, Daniel EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE as reviewed in Phillips, Lynn "Do You Feel Stupid?" THE NATION, November 19. 1995. p. 585-586, Winn, Marie "New Views of Human Intelligence: a far broader range of important skills and abilities emerges" GOOD HEALTH, April 29, 1990, 28-29-Rowan, Carl "Closing the Black-White IQ Gap" LIBERAL OPINION, May 13,1996, p. 18. Last, questions are raised about the IQ tests and their ability to measure intelligence; Begley, Sharon "The IQ Puzzle" NEWSWEEK, May 8,1996, p. 70-74.

 

Joel C. Snell, Professor, Social Sciences, Kirkwood College.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to:

Joel C. Snell, Professor

Social Sciences, Kirkwood College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52406-2068.