AbstractsSocial Work

Many years of experimental research were required before the French Psychologist, Alfred Binet was able to produce an intelligence scale, whereby the relative intellectual capacities of children could be measured. The formulation of these tests in 1905 revolutionized the psychological field and paved the way to a fuller understanding of the mental powers of people. His concept of intelligence emphasizes three characteristics of the thought process; “Its tendency to take and maintain a definite direction; the capacity to make adaptations for the purpose of attaining a desired end; and the power of auto-criticism.”’ In the early part of this century Lewis Terman, an American Psychologist revised the Binet scale, reducing it to a workable unit which he termed the Intelligence Quotient, setting the basal figure at 100. On this revised Stanford Binet Scale 68 per cent of the population have I.Q.’s ranging from 90-110, which is regarded as normal intelligence. People with an I.Q,. scoring above 110 are exceptional by reason of their superior ability, and have been divided into three groups according to the I.Q. range: superior being between 110 and 120; very superior between (3) 120 and 130; and genius over 130 [...]