Evaluate the Usefulness of the Psychometric Approach for Understanding Intelligence (24 Marks)

1078 Words5 Pages
Evaluate the usefulness of the psychometric approach for understanding intelligence (24 Marks) The psychometric approach is one of the most common approaches for understanding personality and human intelligence (Sternberg, 2000; Engler, 2009). Psychometric tests of intelligence can be seen as derived from theories, such as, Spearman’s theory of the general factor or Thurston’s theory of bonds, for example (Eysenck, 1994). The psychometric approach is useful for understanding personality and human intelligence, as it has enabled researchers objectively measure intelligence and personality in order to develop a reliable understanding of these phenomena (Hayes, 2000; Hothersall, 2004; Engler, 2009). However, the extent to which the psychometric approach for understanding personality and human intelligence is useful comes into question due to methodological problems of psychometric tests and the past misuses of psychometric testing (Gould, 1996; Hayes, 2000; Sternberg, 2000; Joseph, 2003; Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham, 2005; Engler, 2009). This paper will evaluate the usefulness of the psychometric approach for understanding personality and human intelligence. Psychometric tests were first created in order to objectively measure intelligence and personality (Eysenck, 1994; Hayes, 2000; Hothersall, 2004; Engler, 2009). As such, it can be said that the psychometric approach for understanding personality and human intelligence is useful as it enables psychological researchers to quantitatively measure intelligence and personality in a scientific manner. Furthermore, such an approach allows for individuals be to placed in categories based on definable characteristics, which better allows psychological research on different subjects, as participants of psychological research can be more easily assigned to different groups or conditions. Thus, the psychometric approach for

More about Evaluate the Usefulness of the Psychometric Approach for Understanding Intelligence (24 Marks)

Open Document