Critically consider research into the role of cultural factors in the development of intelligence test performance
Clive Newstead
Critically consider research into the role of cultural factors in the development of intelligence test performance
Intelligence can be defined in several ways, ranging from broader definitions such as the ability to cope with life, to more specific definitions such as skill in problem-solving and reasoning. Intelligence tests are implemented by psychologists in order to assess such skills, and a quantitative measure of this intelligence is usually presented in the form of an IQ (intelligence quotient). IQ scores are the basis of much research into the development of intelligence test performance.
One cultural factor which may have an affect on a child's measured intelligence is mother love; attachments may play a part in children's cognitive development. This hypothesis can be tested by studying children who have been separated from an attachment object (i.e. a parent), and Skeels & Dye found evidence to suggest that the formation of an attachment improves intelligence test performance. In their study, 13 of the most mentally retarded infants in an orphanage were moved to an institution for mentally retarded women, where they would form an attachment with a mildly retarded woman. Over the next four years, those who had moved had an average IQ gain of 32 points, compared with an average reduction of 21 IQ points for those who remained in the orphanage; this difference was still evident 27 years later. This study can be commended for its implications: at the time the accepted view was that IQ was constant throughout life, but the study showed that, with the right treatment, IQ can be significantly improved.
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Summary The writer has included quite a few studies in this essay, although some of them have not been referenced properly. However, some more important studies have been left out, eg. twin studies. In order to improve the score the essay should have been written from a well organised plan. For example, cultural factors needed to be explained first, before going on to cite various studies. It is not clear from the writing which cultural factors the writer is discussing. Then the writer needs to choose which studies are more relevant in order to meet the essay requirements. Rating 2 *