u06d1 Intellectual Assessment

Based on your reading of Chapters 9, 10, and 11 in the Kaplan and Saccuzzo text, and the article you read for this
unit, analyze the pros, cons, strengths, and limitations of intellectual assessment, and then:

Consider your current or future occupation, and discuss situations or particular populations where you
are likely to employ intellectual assessment.
Describe the types of decisions or outcomes that may be the outcome of such assessments.
Formulate a plan for maximizing the strengths and minimizing the limitations of intellectual
assessment when working with a current or future population of clients.
Discuss how the use of intelligence tests may vary across occupations.

Response Guidelines
Provide constructive feedback to a learner post. Discuss the strengths of the post as they relate to the development
intellectual assessment. What additional information could the learner have provided regarding intellectual
assessment?
Keep in mind that the objective of response posts is to stimulate discussion, promote an exchange of ideas among
learners, and most importantly to generate a sense of community among learners in the courseroom. With this in
mind, make an effort to choose a post that does not have existing responses. In doing so your response will increase
a sense of community among all learners

For many years the subject of intelligence testing has stirred heated debate and personal bias. To
formally conclude that one person is more intelligent than another has led many experts to
grapple with how to define intelligence. Proponents of intelligence testing have long held that a
properly administered intelligence test provides an objective standard of competence and
potential (Greisinger, 2003, as cited in Kaplan, R. M., & Saccuzzo, D. P., 2009). Others believe
that intelligence testing is often racially and ethnically biased and are used by those in authority
to keep the powerful in control.
One of the basic strengths of intelligence testing is when a set of diverse ability tests are
administered to large unbiased samples of population the correlation results are positive. This
indicates valid consistency in conceptualizing and quantifying mental ability. The concept that
intelligence involves the abilities necessary to succeed in life was one of Wechsler's major
contributions to psychology (Alic, Margaret). He promoted the idea that intelligence includes
personality traits and emotional states, as well as mental abilities, and that all of these should be
measured to assess intelligent behavior in one's environment. For example, the Wechsler
Intelligence Scales provide clinical psychologists an opportunity to observe behavior in a
standard setting by comparing both verbal and performance scales (Kaplan, R. M., & Saccuzzo,
D. P., 2009). Although his tests often are interpreted as a clear measure of intelligence, Wechsler
himself believed that there were limitations and that his tests were useful only in conjunction
with other clinical measurements. To Wechsler, assessments were far superior to mere testing. It
is argued that intelligence testing is limited by the perceptive constructs of the test developer.
As a clinical psychologist I would expect to receive a partial conceptualization of ones mental
ability from administering an intelligence test. However, it must be noted that individuals vary
in their rates of growth, moods and in their functional level at any given test-setting. Test

performance measures the level of functioning, which indeed has as one of its elements
intellectual capacity or potential. However, test results when combined with other relevant
facts, such as a full developmental history, health record, medical and neurological examination
can provide a more accurate pathological assessment. Because of refined mental abilities and
skills relative to ones occupation, a battery of tests is necessary to provide accurate
understanding of a clients psychopathological condition.
This author chose the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts-3 Preschool (Boehm-3 Preschool) for
review. The Boehm-3 Preschool is a norm-referenced test used to assess 'young children's
understanding of the basic relational concepts important for language and cognitive
development, as well as for later success in school. It is intended for children ages 3 years 0
months to 5 years 11 months which assesses relational knowledge in children in kindergarten
through second grade. The test covers 26 relational concepts in total assessed in two contexts.
Some of the basic relational concepts assessed are size (tallest), direction (in front), position in
space (nearest), time (before), quantity (some, but not many), classification (all), and general
(another). These relational concepts are said to be important for children's understanding of the
relationship between objects, for development of emergent literacy, and for following directions.
The standardization of the Boehm-3 Preschool English and Spanish Editions was based on a
national sample of over 1,600 children who were representative of U.S. demographic features of
gender, race/ethnicity, geographic region of residence, and parent education levels. Children with
disabilities were included in the sample, as well as in subsequent reliability and validity studies.
Reliability information available for the Boehm-3 Preschool was presented as results of internal
consistency, standard error of measurement, and test-retest studies. The results were promising.
Coefficient alphas for the Boehm-3 Preschool for internal consistency ranged from .85 to .92.
The standard error of measurement was low across all age levels for the standardization sample
(ranging from 1.98 to 2.88). When the Boehm-3 Preschool was re-administered to a group of 98
children ages 4 to 5 years, 11 months from the standardization sample, test-retest reliability
coefficients ranged from .90 to .94.
The test item selection process lent support for the content validity of the Boehm-3 Preschool.
Concurrent validity studies of the Boehm-3 Preschool that compared its scores with those of
previous editions of the test yielded a Pearson correlation coefficient of .84. When the Boehm-3
Preschool scores were compared to scores children also obtained on the Bracken Basic Concept
Scale-Revised, resulting coefficients ranged from .73 to .80. It was indicated that predictive
validity of the Boehm-3 Preschool was supported when it was determined that children who did
not score well on the Boehm-3 Preschool had already been identified as having developmental
delays through other assessment procedures.

From the standpoint of a clinical psychologist working with children with developmental
disorders, this test proves to be very useful. There are many positive features of the Boehm-3
Preschool. One is the existence of a Spanish edition of the test. There are a growing number of
children in the United States whose primary language is Spanish. These students can present
many assessment challenges when educators are trying to discern if a child's learning weaknesses
are a result of limited English proficiency or a true learning difficulty. With a Spanish version of
the Boehm-3 Preschool, children whose primary language has been Spanish can be given both
forms of the test to help define developmental strengths and needs.
Another positive feature of the Boehm-3 Preschool is the available Parent Report. By completing
this report, a psychologist can provide parents specific feedback regarding the concepts their
child did or did not know. This report also provides ideas for parents to follow to help foster the
development of these concepts in their children.
The easy test administration process is an additional positive feature of the Boehm-3 Preschool.
Psychologists do not need any extra materials besides the record booklet and the stimulus book.
The colorful and large picture cues, and the flow of item presentation, help to keep young
children focused on the testing task.
The Boehm-3 Preschool is a well-designed test of basic concepts in young children. This test
could be used as a part of a battery of tests selected to identify children at-risk for developmental
delays and/or future academic difficulties. The Boehm-3 Preschool is easy to administer, score,
and translate into educational activities. As with most preschool tests, further statistical analysis
would help to increase the application base of the test. Clinical psychologists who are searching
for tests of basic concepts for preschool populations might want to also examine the Bracken
Basic Concept Scale-Revised (Bracken, 1998).
References
Kaplan, R. M., & Saccuzzo, D. P. (2009). Psychological testing: Principles, applications, and
issues (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage.
Alic, Margaret, David Wechsler-Recognizes the limitations of intelligence testing, Develops new
ways to measure intelligence. Retrieved May 13 from
http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/650/David-Wechsler.html
Boehm, A. (1986, 1986-2001). Boehm Test of Basic Concepts-3 Preschool. Retrieved May 13,
2009, from Mental Measurements Yearbook database.
Bracken, B. A. (1998). Bracken Test of Basic Concepts-Revised. San Antonio, TX: The
Psychological Corporation.