The history of the study of human mental ability is an example of the dialectic in social science between those who interpret data within the framework of existing social inequities and those who look for perspectives that might eventually dissolve inequities. The dedication of Henry Herbert Goddard to a belief in the scientific proof of…

Changing ideas on intelligence testing and the heritability of intelligence are followed through a fifty-year period. Common criticisms of intelligence tests are examined, but it is concluded that intellectual tests will continue to be of value in diagnosing strengths and weaknesses, particularly of exceptional children. (Editor)

Discusses the false assumptions that indicate students are less intelligent than in the past. Topics include a historical perspective of college student problems; standards that kept all but the elite out of education; S.A.T. (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores; social influences; the complexity of today's economy; and the importance of reading.…

Several common assumptions about human intelligence are challenged in this paper. The "bucket" theory of intelligence describes intelligence as a stable psychological characteristic which affects learning, and which, when accurately measured, predicts an individual's learning capacity. The authors reject the idea that people who have…

This paper explores the reasons for the rapid adoption of intelligence tests by the public schools, and the historical relationship between testing and ability grouping or tracking. Case studies are presented of three California communities--Oakland, San Jose, and Palo Alto--between 1910 and 1925. These communities have been selected because they…