ERUDITION

 Intelligence testing is a hotly-debated topic that often divides opinion. The term "intelligence testing" refers to the concept and practice of assessing individuals' performance on various diagnostic instruments (intelligence tests) in order to predict future behavior and life chances or to identify targets for intervention (eg, educational programs). Additionally, the interchangeability of the terms 'intelligence' and 'IQ' in common parlance creates ambiguity. IQ refers to both a test score and the underlying characteristic (intelligence) intended to explain the score. To begin with, intelligence tests have been around for a long time, with pioneers like Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and Thomas Young. It's worth reviewing the sordid, controversial history of IQ testing. Over the past 120 years, intelligence tests, or IQ tests, have greatly influenced society. For example, in the early 1900s, eugenicists used experiments to determine who should be s...