Psychometric Tests: Measuring Intelligence in Adults and Children

This report delves into the realm of psychometric tests, crucial tools used to measure intelligence and assess behavioral styles in both adults and children. It begins with an overview of key psychometric tests, including aptitude, skill, and personality tests, highlighting their significance in recruitment, education, and various institutional settings. The report then explains how these tests are applied to gauge intelligence levels in adults, often through aptitude tests in recruitment processes, and in children, frequently during school admissions and academic evaluations. Furthermore, it provides an evaluation of these tests, acknowledging their effectiveness while also pointing out potential drawbacks, such as the impact of test anxiety and the limitations in assessing very young children. Ultimately, the report emphasizes the role of psychometric tests in providing valuable insights into individuals' cognitive abilities and personality traits, which can be instrumental in guiding career paths, enhancing self-awareness, and making informed decisions in various professional and educational contexts.

Personality and
Intelligence

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
An overview of key psychometric tests used for measuring intelligence..............................1
An explanation of how these have been used to measure the intelligence of adults and children
................................................................................................................................................1
An evaluation of the key psychometric tests used to measure intelligence in adults and
children...................................................................................................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Psychometric tests are determined as the effective methods that often used by individuals for
checking their mental capabilities as well as behavioural styles. It also designed to measures
overall capability of the proposed candidate towards particular job role or positioning (van der
Linden and et. al., 2017). The present report will provide detailed information on several key
psychometric tests are often used by individuals for measuring intelligence of the candidate. It
will further provide explanation as well as evaluation of how these tests are used for measuring
intelligence of adults as well as children.
An overview of key psychometric tests used for measuring intelligence
Psychometric tests are mainly adopted as the part of overall recruitment process in which
employers tries to assess or evaluates of intelligence, personality as well as skill of the candidate.
The respective tests are not only adopted by employers or any business activity but it is also
frequently adopted by schools, colleges and other institutions with the motive of assessing the
candidates in lucrative form. There are many types of psychometric tests that are adopted by
individuals for different purposes (Sanchez-Garcia, Extremera and Fernandez-Berrocal, 2016).
The main types of these tests are Aptitude test, skill tests, personality tests etc. Some of the
aspects included in the aptitude type of key psychometric tests for measuring intelligence are
Numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, inductive reasoning, diagrammatic reasoning, logical
reasoning, error checking and many others. While on the other hand skill test is mainly
performed with the motive of analyzing skills of candidates that how rapidly they are learning
the new skills and applying them in their work effectively. Whereas personality test are mainly
carried out with the motive of evaluating overall suitability of individuals behavior towards the
work that is incorporated by them while conducting each and every work assigned to them at
workplace.
An explanation of how these have been used to measure the intelligence of adults and children
Psychometric tests are often used by individuals for the main purpose of measuring
intelligence among both the children as well as adults. Usage of these test are different for the
adults as well as children according to their core requirements in adequate manner. Usage of
psychometric test for each one is explained below:
Usage of psychometric test to measure intelligence of adults
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Here, in businesses especially in the recruitment psychometric tests are mainly adopted
by the HR manager in the form of aptitude test. In this particular form or online examination has
been carried out for each and every individual where there knowledge as well as IQ level has
been checked (Boyle and et. al., 2016). This simply includes Numerical reasoning, verbal
reasoning, inductive reasoning, diagrammatic reasoning, logical reasoning, error checking and
many others which is deeply analysis overall learning capability of the adults and their
intelligence level.
Usage of psychometric test to measure intelligence of children
If it is talked about the children, it can be said that psychometric test among children have
been adopted by the school faculty at the time of taking admission of the children. It has also
been seen that at school level this does not only takes place at the initial level that is admission
time but these kind of tests are also conducted at the mid sessions too so that intelligence level of
the children can be checked and better guidance towards their career could be provided to the
same child for the future success (Rohrer, Egloff and Schmukle, 2015). For children too
numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, diagrammatic reasoning, logical reasoning and many
others are taken into consideration with the motive of analyzing intelligence level of the children.
An evaluation of the key psychometric tests used to measure intelligence in adults and children
Psychometric tests have been effectively used for both the children as well as adults so that
their intelligence level could be checked out in appropriate manner. If it is talked about children
it can be said that usage of psychometric tests simply helps mentors in developing their
understanding over the level of intelligence of the child so that they can provide them better
guidance about their current phase of life (Siegling, Furnham and Petrides, 2015). Whereas, at
the same time it has been analysed that many a times it has been noticed that the results drawn
from psychometric test are not true in all circumstance. This is so because, measures taken while
performing does fits to every situation and are implemented in the same manner. In addition to
this, it can be later said that usage of psychometric test generally fails when it is applied to check
the intelligence of the children below 5 as they are not in the age of understanding requirements
of the these test. This simply makes it difficult for them to attempt the test with full potential. As
a result, it fails in checking the intelligence level of small children. Along with this, it can be said
that psychometric test also helps children in developing their own level of knowledge about
themselves which ultimately boost up their confidence level and also support them in
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maximizing their efforts develop their weak areas in appropriate manner. On the other hand, it is
emphasized on usage of psychometric test towards the adults it has been analyzed that going
through these tests it is easier for the adults to know about the level of intelligence they own in
several areas. Here, it has been seen HR managers’ especially dealing in the recruitment process
can easily find out best suitable candidate for the particular vacant job at workplace (Petrides,
2016). This simply helps them out in hiring best candidate who has higher skill over the
particular topic that also leads to the attainment of the success at workplace with the attainment
of all predetermined goals and objectives. Even though, the method is acknowledged as the most
effective one but at same time it has few drawback or critic points too. It has been acknowledged
that psychometric test many a times makes candidate nervous due to which they does not able to
reflect their level of intelligence or knowledge. Moreover, the respective method does not fit for
every situation and provides sense to the same which becomes its critic.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of overall information presented in the above section it has been analysed that
psychometric tests are mainly used by businesses for evaluating or analysing skills, personality
and work capability of the prospected person in appropriate manner. Usages of these tests are
different for the children as well as adults. Among adults psychometric tests are used to check
intelligence level of candidate according to the job whereas the same kind of test has been
carried out among children for checking their level intelligence so that they can be groomed
accordingly at the same time which will help them in pursuing better career in the future.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
van der Linden, D., Pekaar, K.A., Bakker, A.B., Schermer, J.A., Vernon, P.A., Dunkel, C.S. and
Petrides, K.V., 2017. Overlap between the general factor of personality and emotional
intelligence: A meta-analysis. Psychological bulletin, 143(1), p.36.
Sanchez-Garcia, M., Extremera, N. and Fernandez-Berrocal, P., 2016. The factor structure and
psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional
Intelligence Test. Psychological assessment, 28(11), p.1404.
Boyle, G.J., Stankov, L., Martin, N.G., Petrides, K.V., Eysenck, M.W. and Ortet, G., 2016. Hans
J. Eysenck and Raymond B. Cattell on intelligence and personality. Personality and
Individual Differences, 103, pp.40-47.
Rohrer, J.M., Egloff, B. and Schmukle, S.C., 2015. Examining the effects of birth order on
personality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(46), pp.14224-14229.
Siegling, A.B., Furnham, A. and Petrides, K.V., 2015. Trait emotional intelligence and
personality: Gender-invariant linkages across different measures of the Big Five. Journal
of psychoeducational assessment, 33(1), pp.57-67.
Petrides, K.V., 2016. Emotional intelligence as a personality trait. New directions in
organizational psychology and behavioral medicine, pp.139-146.
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