hollombe@ttidca.TTI.COM (The Polymath) (04/06/88)
There's been some controversy here as to what the *AT tests mean and
whether they measure intelligence. I'll try to answer both as I
understand the situation.
The *ATs are intended to predict probable future academic performance.
This they do with about 70% accuracy, which is better than almost any
other psychological instrument.
What they measure is acquired knowledge and the ability to use it. The
specific knowledge they look at is that required to do well in the
academic world. The SAT looks at math and English verbal skills and
predicts general academic success. More specific tests look at specific
subject areas.
What the test scores mean is that this person, at the time they took the
test, had this likelihood of successfully completing their academic
program.
If the score is high, it's reasonable to assume some measure of
intelligence. The ability to acquire and use knowledge is, at least, an
important aspect of intelligence. However, a low score can't be
interpreted as an indicator of low intelligence. It may merely indicate
ignorance, which is a curable condition.
For these reasons, the publishers of the *AT tests specifically state they
are not tests of intelligence and should not be used as such. They
diliberately set up the scoring system with mean 500 and standard
deviation 100 to avoid confusion with so-called IQ scores which typically
have mean 100 and standard deviation 15 or 16.
Questions are invariably raised about the cultural biases in these tests.
The answer is yes, they are biased. That's because our schools are
biased. The point is, it's the same bias. The knowledge and skills
required to do well on these exams are the same as those required to do
well in school. The tests only measure them. They say nothing about why
a given person does or doesn't have them.
--
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, hollombe@TTI.COM) Illegitimati Nil
Citicorp(+)TTI Carborundum
3100 Ocean Park Blvd. (213) 452-9191, x2483
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