The advantage of intelligence quotient (IQ) tests is that they define mental abilities of a person in numerical equivalent and make comparing the results with other people possible. Because of being that concrete and strict, IQ tests are often mistakenly perceived by parents as a verdict to their children’s smartness. This is not accurate, since the idea of intelligence testing is controversial and the test itself is not always accurate and reliable.
On the one hand, the understanding of intelligence is problematic. Specifically, the conceptualization of this term raises debates in terms of its appearance, origin, and the ability to measure it. In this situation, the consensus was reached after defining intelligence as a human potential to solve the problems, which includes “adapting to the environment and having vocabulary skills, higher-order thinking, memory, and mental speed” (Braaten and Norman, 2006, p. 403). Therefore, the parents of schoolchildren should understand the test results as an attempt to assess some intelligence characteristics, not rely on them as an exhaust indicator of human brain limitations.
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On another hand, the historical development and cultural specifics of IQ tests have always had issues. In fact, from the very appearance of IQ test measurements, there appeared inequality concerning race, age, ability of certain social groups to get prepared for the examination, and the specific cultural origins (Lewontin, 1970). This causes the current debate on either genetic or adaptive nature of intelligence, and the overall situation calls the parents to consider the test results of their children in a broader context of social and cultural conflicts.
In sum, it is evident that IQ testing is effective and reliable but has issues with measurement tactics and historical and cultural specifics. And so, children should surely take this test but their parents are recommended to interpret the results cautiously.
References
Braaten, E. and Norman, D. (2006). Intelligence (IQ) testing. Pediatrics in Review , 27(11), pp. 403-408.
Lewontin, R. (1970). Race and intelligence. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists , 26(3), pp. 2-8.
