Test for giftedness
introduction
To a Giftedness, so to be able to determine a far above average intelligence special standardized tests designed. This distinguish ever by age of the person and Expression of giftedness.
There are special ones for children who cannot read and write yet playful tests. Older children and adults are usually tested in writing. First, a common IQ test, then possibly further tests that cover the various facets of intelligence.
Many gifted students are not tested, however, because high intelligence does not always have to go hand in hand with good grades in school or success at work. Many of those affected even show below-average performance and social or psychological problems, as their high level of talent can make everyday life difficult.It is not uncommon for such problems to lead to the examination of the person. Recognizing typical clues and testing for giftedness is therefore important in order to enable optimal promotion of talents and to avoid associated problems.
Development of a test for giftedness
The structure of an intelligence test depends on the age and abilities of the person and must be adapted individually. As a rule, a standardized IQ test is carried out at the beginning. This determines the so-called Intelligence quotientby comparing the performance achieved in the test with a sufficiently large group of the normal population of the same age. So one's own value is not intelligence, which cannot be measured as such, but rather the iIntellectual performance compared to rest of the population of the same age. The test requires, among other things logical thinking, linguistic and spatial imagination and tests Combination skills.
Then, depending on the age, further tests are carried out, which are aimed at the individual talents of the person and are usually structured in a similar way to an IQ test. For children in particular, there is a whole range of tests with different requirements in a school or play context. They include tasks on linguistic understanding, logical combinations and the state of development.
Tests that have been specially designed for gifted people are usually much more difficult than common intelligence tests in order to be able to determine differences in the high intelligence area.
Course of a test for giftedness
To Beginning every intelligence test stands for it Talk to a doctor, Psychologists or another qualified specialist who checks the suspicion of giftedness. If there are indications, such as the behavior and the development of an above-average intelligence, a standardized IQ test. Playful tests are carried out on very young children. If the talent is to be further differentiated, more specific tests are carried out. These measure performance in school tasks, the understanding of language, the ability to combine logical combinations or other facets of intelligence.
How exactly the testing takes place differs from test to test. The typical setting of a standardized IQ test is the written processing of the tasks in about 90 minutes, similar to a school exam. For younger children, the tests consist of games and puzzles where they are closely watched. Some tests require a group, others are done as an individual test. Understanding the process and the test situation is very important, otherwise the results may be worse.
Evaluation of a test for giftedness
Intelligence cannot be described with exact numerical values in defined units because it not directly measurable is. The evaluation an intelligence test is therefore always carried out in Compared to the rest of the population. The value that a test delivers does not directly show how intelligent a person is, but how well or poorly they performed compared to the comparison group. The IQ test still provides numerical values because it is easier to deal with them.
100 points are the average of the normal population, the range of 85-115 points forms the range of average intelligence. Values above speak for a special talent, from 130 points for one Giftedness.
Other tests are also evaluated by comparing them with a group of the same age, but the scales are different.
However, since intelligence as such is never measured, the evaluation is error-prone. A gifted person with an IQ below 130 points may well be present. Many people do very differently in different tests. It therefore makes sense to carry out various tests in order to get the broadest possible picture of the person's talent.
Tests for giftedness in children
For children of school age, so from age 6, most of the tests were designed. Tests like this are suitable for determining the individual focus of funding AID (Adaptive Intelligence Diagnostic), the MHBT (Munich giftedness test battery), the THINK (Test to measure intelligence in elementary school age) and many more. Each test has advantages and disadvantages, for example whole groups can be tested for a high level of talent with a few tests. Others differentiate the exact talent better and still others are particularly suitable for further advice on a school career.
The children are therefore usually confronted several times and with different tests. Most of these tests are similar to assignments in school. So if children are afraid in exam situations, the tests may show a worse result. For these children it is necessary to deviate from the usual tests. For example, the CPM(Colored Progressive Matrices) -Test does not understand language, but only uses figures in different colors. Which test is carried out on which child, therefore, depends on the individual situation.
Tests for giftedness in young children
To Intelligence testing from Toddlers are suitable no written tests. Children from approx. 3 years of age can be tested using pictures and figures. However, the tests are not as meaningful as those for school children. Understanding, concentration and motivation play a big role in young children and influence the result. However, since early support is possible and sensible, small children are still tested if they are suspected of being gifted.
This is where tests like that come in HAWIVA (Hanover Wechsler intelligence test for preschool age), K-ABC (Kaufman-Assessment Battery for children) and others who use the Stage of development and the mental capacity determine the child. There are also language-free tests for small children, such as the SON-R (Snijders-Oomen Non-Verbal Intelligence Test), the Avoid comprehension problems should. However, since development still has a high impact on talent and intellectual potential, especially in small children, results in these tests are always only Snapshots. Hence, they should in the course of their development tested more often in order to be able to optimally adapt the funding.
Tests for giftedness in adults
The testing of gifted adults is pending first place the IQ test. Most of the other intelligence tests are designed to determine the ideal support in school and are therefore no longer suitable for adults. However, since the IQ test alone is not always meaningful enough for adults and the giftedness may not be sufficiently differentiated, there are other tests that take into account the various facets of intelligence.
Some of these tests are also suitable for children and adults, such as the APM- (Advanced Progressive Matrices) test. Thus can Compare the person's performance as a child and as an adult and they provide conclusions about the development and promotion of the gifted. If the talent as a child was not recognized or the person was not adequately supported, there is a certain one risk ffor social and psychological problems. The testing of adults should not only determine the extent of talent, but also potential concomitant diseases. Therefore, in addition to the intelligence test, testing highly talented adults also includes a thorough examination by a doctor.
From what age can you test for giftedness?
In principle, a child can then be tested as soon as they can cope with the test situation. This is the case with most im Kindergarten age the case. In kindergarten and especially in school, special support for gifted children is possible, which is why testing in kindergarten or early school age makes the most sense. The intelligence test is then not carried out once, but several times at regular intervals during the entire school period.
Can you have a bad IQ test despite being gifted?
Giftedness is often shown, but not always, by a high IQ. The term IQ only describes the "intelligence quotient", not intelligence itself. This is namely not directly determinable. In addition, intelligence has many facets, not just those that are queried by the IQ test. Is a person highly gifted, e.g. in the creative field, that doesn't necessarily show up in the IQ test.
