I Q is a concept that originally was intended to define a strictly technical, psychological quantity, but has entered into the public consciousness in a striking way. Among people in general it has nearly gone as far as to believe that IQ is assumed to consistute an objectively inviolable standard of value of the assumed abilities which are considered in a broader context, as well. Now, this is certainly not the case. But on the other hand can IQ be an, in certain aspects, acceptable tool to calculate the benefits that the ability to qantify and range gives in a statistical and diagnostical respect. The questions is usually constructed so that each respondent gives an answer that is possible to judge as incorrect, or be approved of. Intelligence tests is merely a way of indicating the procedure when a human being is tested in a few rather arbitrary preferred areas, by means of a succession of supposed intelligence questions, with an increasing level of difficulty. One alternative is to treat every field of intelligence separately for a start, to be weighted with a arbitrary factor and added to the other field terms, which are derived in a similar way, after that.

I ntelligence measurements is crude in its basic form as it in the end merely considers a singular quantity in which a intelligence factor, devoid of experience and prophile of talent, is thought to lie hidden. Thus, it was believed for the longest time that the development of intelligence in a human being was largely considered to be finished at aproximately 17 years of age. Of late has it turned out that frontal region of the brain goes through far-reaching restructuring and further development well into the 29th year of life. The developement during the years in between is evidently difficult to pinpoint by tests only.

O ne of the more suitable applications of intelligence tests is the determining of oligophrenia, or feeble-mindedness.No matter how much one would like to aim criticism towards the intelligence methods as such and when it comes to the determining of genius, it is much more difficult to reject such statistical connections which allows an outlook of the logic in the decline of intelligence at the side of the generally observable character of the oligophrene. Feeble-mindedness shows signs of correlations of high grade with a number of incontrovertible medical conditions. The diagnosis of oligophrenia is not limited to innate conditions of illness. The importance of the hereditary factors for the development of the intelligence can hardly be overestimated in any case, regardless of definition, even if the environment can further or delay the course. It is not possible in this respect to become more intelligent than what the intelligible hereditary factors gives, but certainly less intelligent.

H armful influences such as syfilis and German measles during the development of the foetus, complications during childbirth and childhood is together with general infections and disturbances in the endocrine glands good examples of environmental influences which often results in injurious consequenses for the intelligence. The feeble-minded shows signs of intelligible disturbances in several respects, resulting in delayed perception, blurred judgement and very often inhibited primary functions with reference to memory(although exceptions do exist), reaction speed and associativity. She is easily influenced, her attention is easily diverted and stamina is poor, as well. Her apprehension is characterized by stereotyped fixations and unmotivated beliefs, even when logically based connections is concerned.She is inclined to act out of instant profit, without a thought on the far-reaching consequences. Rather than putting her trust in logical analysis and critical judgement is she led by whims and mood swings.The inculcating of new knowledge is obstructed and the conceptions of what has been learned is insufficient. All this puts its marks in her social situation with exploitation, failure and addiction as a consequence.Thus is many oligophrenes at times criminally charged, and at other times fallen into prostitution and promiscuity.

I ntelligence measurement was originally introduced by the french psychologist Alfred Binet. Thus is Binet the originator of the oldest examination series which came in 1908 and 1911. The tests is intended to focus on a number of abilities such as attention and concentration, abstract, chritical abilities, power of deduction and perception of definition. As of the latter is it of great importance that the systemacy with the examination questions and the scale arrangements as far as possible supports a retreat from the knowledge of the test person, which in practice may be easier said than done. Results that is obtained at separate occasions under the supervision of different instructors should display concordance. It is of importance, as well, that the separate test falls within the conventional distribution curves of the occurrence of intelligence, and that its denunciations does not violate what other intelligence tests convey in a circumstantial respect too strongly.

T he statistical distribution curves is especially important with reference to the testing of fully developed individuals, as the share of IQ regarding the mental age is not yet given. In this respect one has to rely on the gaussic distribution curve. The intelligence quota is calculated in a proper sense with the mental age in the numenator and the chronological age in the denominator. Through the examination results a calculated mental age has to be choosen, which is supposed to refer to the age when the average person performs correspondingly to the individual result of the subject of the experiment.This quota is multiplied by 100, in order to work with whole numbers, whereupon the customary number for IQ is obtained. IQ forms the basics for a classification of the individual material in under average (IQ under 85), average (IQ 85 to 115) and above average (IQ over 115). The idiots display the lowest interval of value, up to an IQ of 35, which corresponds to a mental age of 5 to 6 years. Imbecility lies across an interval of 35-70, while an IQ between 75-85 is classified as debility.

   Kåre Andersson