Has IQ test scores changed since 1973?

Answer 1

Intelligence quotient (IQ) tests have evolved over the course of a century to become a form of intelligence testing still used today. This evolution began with the first standardized IQ test, created by French psychologist Alfred Binet in the early 1900s to help determine which children would excel in school, and which children would need extra assistance. This test was then edited and adapted by a Stanford University psychologist, Lewis Terman, into the Stanford-Binet test that introduced the single number score most often associated with IQ testing today.

Since 1973 IQ scores in and of themselves have not changed, but their usage has. Prior to the 1970s IQ testing was seen as the best may to measure any individual’s intelligence, and was used frequently most frequently in schools. But as other measurements of intelligence were introduced, such as Howard Gardner’s seven intelligences and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the IQ test fell out of favor and the rise of comprehensive testing such as the SAT and ACT began.

As the usage of IQ tests changed, so too did the scale of measurement. Depending on the test taken, IQ scores range from 40 to 180. Prior to 1973, a score above 145 on the Stanford-Binet test indicated genius, 100 indicated average score, and 85 or lower indicated mental retardation. In 1973, the lower end of the scale was adjusted so that scores between 85 – 115 was considered average intelligence, and a score below 70 now indicates mental retardation.

Although IQ tests are no longer the standard for intelligence testing in schools, they continue to be used as in conjunction with other assessments to determine the overall mental picture of children and adults alike.

Answer 2

Yes, research suggests that average IQ scores have been increasing globally, a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect. However, there are debates over whether this reflects real increases in intelligence or changes in the tests themselves.