Tests And Intelligence Essays - Intelligence, Psychometrics

IQ Tests And Intelligence The task of trying to quantify a person's intelligence has been a goal of psychologists since before the beginning of this century. The Binet-Simon scales were first proposed in 1905 in Paris, France and various sorts of tests have been evolving ever since. One of the important questions that always comes up regarding these tools is what are the tests really measuring? Are they measuring a person's intelligence? Their ability to perform well on standardized tests? Or just some arbitrary quantity of the person's IQ? When examining the situations around which these tests are given and the content of the tests themselves, it becomes apparent that however useful the tests may be for standardizing a group's intellectual ability, they are not a good indicator of intelligence. To issue a truly standardized test, the testing environment should be the same for everyone involved. If anything has been learned from the psychology of perception, it is clear that a person's environment has a great deal to do with their cognitive abilities. Is the light flickering? Is the paint on the walls an unsettling shade? Is the temperature too hot or too cold? Is the chair uncomfortable? Or in the worst case, do they have an illness that day? To test a person's mind, it is necessary to utilize their body in the process. If everyone's body is placed in different conditions during the testing, how is it expected to get standardized results across all the subjects? Because of this assumption that everyone will perform equally independent of their environment, intelligence test scores are skewed and cannot be viewed as standardized, and definitely not as an example of a person's intelligence. It is obvious that a person's intelligence stems from a variety of traits. A few of these that are often tested are reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spatial relations. But this is not all that goes into it. What about physical intelligence, conversational intelligence, social intelligence, survival intelligence, and the slew of others that go into everyday life? Why are these important traits not figured into intelligence tests? Granted, normal standardized tests certainly get predictable results where academics are concerned, but they should not be considered good indicators of general intelligence because of the glaring omissions they make in the testing process. To really gauge a person's intelligence, it would be necessary to put them through a rigorous set of real-life trials and document their performance. Otherwise the standardized IQ tests of today are testing an extremely limited quality of a person's character that can hardly be referred to as intelligence. For the sake of brevity, I will quickly mention a few other common criticisms of modern IQ tests. They have no way to compensate for cultural differences. People use different methods to solve problems. People's reading strategies differ. Speed is not always the best way to tackle a problem. There is often too much emphasis placed on vocabulary. Each of these points warrants individual treatment, and for more information refer to The Triarchic Mind by RJ Sternberg (Penguin Books, 1988, p18-36). It is possible to classify all the reasons that IQ tests fail at their task into two main groups. The first grouping is where the tests assume too much. Examples of this flaw are the assumption that speed is always good, vocabulary is a good indicator of intelligence, and that different test taking environments won't affect the outcome. The second grouping comes because the tests gauge the wrong items. Examples of this are different culture groups being asked to take the same tests as everyone else, and the fact that the tests ignore so many types of intelligence (like physical, social, etc). These two groupings illustrate where the major failings of popular IQ tests occur and can be used as tools for judging others. IQ tests are not good indicators for a person's overall intelligence, but as their use has shown, they are extremely helpful in making predictions about how a person will perform in an academic setting. Perhaps the problem comes in the name intelligence tests when it is obvious this is not what they really are. The modern IQ test definitely has its applications in today's society but should be be used to quantify a person's overall intelligence by any means.

Paraguay Geography

Paraguay Geography Population: 6,375,830 (July 2010 estimate)Capital: AsuncionBordering Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, and BrazilLand Area: 157,047 square miles (406,752 sq km)Highest Point: Cerro Pero at 2,762 feet (842 m)Lowest Point: Junction of the Rio Paraguay and the Rio Parana at 150 feet (46 m)Paraguay is a large landlocked country located on the Rio Paraguay in South America. It is bordered to the south and southwest by Argentina, to the east and northeast by Brazil and to the northwest by Bolivia. Paraguay is also located in the center of South America and as such, it is sometimes called the Corazon de America or Heart of America. History of Paraguay The earliest inhabitants of Paraguay were semi-nomadic tribes that spoke Guarani. In 1537, Asuncion, Paraguays capital today, was founded by Juan de Salazar, a Spanish explorer. Shortly thereafter, the area became a Spanish colonial province, of which Asuncion was the capital. In 1811 though, Paraguay overthrew the local Spanish government and declared its independence.After its independence, Paraguay went through a number of different leaders and from 1864 to 1870, it was engaged in the War of the Triple Alliance against Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. During that war, Paraguay lost half of its population. Brazil then occupied Paraguay until 1874. Beginning in 1880, the Colorado Party controlled Paraguay until 1904. In that year, the Liberal Party took control and ruled until 1940.During the 1930s and 1940s, Paraguay was unstable due to the Chaco War with Bolivia and a period of instable dictatorships. In 1954, General Alfredo Stroessner took power and ruled Paraguay for 35 years, d uring which time the countrys people had few freedoms. In 1989, Stroessner was overthrown and General Andres Rodriguez took power. During his time in power, Rodriguez focused on political and economic reforms and built relationships with foreign nations.In 1992, Paraguay adopted a constitution with goals of maintaining a democratic government and protecting peoples rights. In 1993, Juan Carlos Wasmosy became Paraguays first civilian president in many years.The late 1990s and early 2000s were again dominated by political instability after attempted government overthrows, the assassination of the vice president and impeachments. In 2003, Nicanor Duarte Frutos was elected as president with goals of improving Paraguays economy, which he did significantly during his time in office. In 2008, Fernando Lugo was elected and his main goals, are reducing government corruption and economic inequalities. Government of Paraguay Paraguay, officially called the Republic of Paraguay, is considered a constitutional republic with an executive branch made up of a chief of state and head of government - both of which are filled by the president. Paraguays legislative branch has a bicameral National Congress consisting of the Chamber of Senators and the Chamber of Deputies. Members of both chambers are elected by popular vote. The judicial branch is comprised of the Supreme Court of Justice with judges appointed by the Council of Magistrates. Paraguay is also divided into 17 departments for local administration. Economics and Land Use in Paraguay Paraguays economy is a market one focused on the re-export of imported consumer goods. Street vendors and agriculture also play a large role and in the countrys rural areas the population often practices subsistence agriculture. Paraguays main agricultural products are cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava, fruits, vegetables, beef, pork, eggs, milk, and timber. Its largest industries are sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, metallurgic and electricity. Geography and Climate of Paraguay Paraguays topography consists of grassy plains and low wooded hills east of its main river, the Rio Paraguay, while the Chaco region west of the river consists of low marshy plains. Farther from the river the landscape is dominated by dry forests, scrub, and jungles in some locations. Eastern Paraguay, between the Rio Paraguay and the Rio Parana, features higher elevations and it is where most of the countrys population is clustered.The climate of Paraguay is considered subtropical to temperate depending upon ones location within the country. In the eastern area,  there is significant rainfall, while in the far west it is semi-arid. More Facts about Paraguay The official languages of Paraguay are Spanish and Guarani Life expectancy in Paraguay is 73 years for males and 78 years for females Paraguays population is almost entirely located in the southern part of the country There is no official data on Paraguays ethnic breakdown because the Department of Statistics, Surveys and Censuses does not ask questions about race and ethnicity in its surveysReferences Central Intelligence Agency. (27 May 2010). CIA - The World Factbook - Paraguay. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pa.htmlInfoplease.com. (n.d.). Paraguay: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107879.htmlUnited States Department of State. (26 March 2010). Paraguay. Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1841.htmWikipedia.com. (29 June 2010). Paraguay - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraguay

Answers to Questions About Tense

Answers to Questions About Tense Answers to Questions About Tense Answers to Questions About Tense By Mark Nichol A reader submitted three queries about which verb forms to use to indicate various tenses. Here are the questions and my responses. 1. When do you use have with another verb, and when do you omit it? (For example, â€Å"I have said yesterday . . .† vs. â€Å"I said yesterday . . . .†) When do you use had? (â€Å"I had said yesterday . . . .†) â€Å"I have said yesterday . . .† is erroneous. Use have in this type of construction only when you want to emphasize that the action occurred at an unspecified time: â€Å"I have said that I would support the policy.† (This form is called the present perfect tense.) Use had for the past perfect tense, when you want to indicate that something happened before a previous occurrence or a previous time: â€Å"I had said that I would support the policy, but that was before I realized it is unfair.† 2. When should I use would as in â€Å"I would want to eat there,† as opposed to â€Å"I want to eat there†? What is the difference? â€Å"I would want to eat there† implies or precedes a condition: â€Å"I would want to eat there if it weren’t so expensive.† â€Å"I want to eat there,† by contrast, expresses a simple desire. 3. What’s the difference between â€Å"If I can, then I will† and â€Å"If I could, then I would†? â€Å"If I can, then I will† expresses a simple desire to accommodate. â€Å"If I could, then I would† implies that, because of a condition that is unnamed or not yet named, one is unable to accommodate. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Farther vs. FurtherTelling a Good Poem from a Bad OneEach vs. Both

The War on Terror U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan Essay

The War on Terror U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan - Essay Example Thesis statement: The U.S. initiated War on Terror and invasion of Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) is helpful to obstruct the rapid spread of terrorism, restoration of democracy in Afghanistan, and peace in the Middle East. The War on Terror The War on Terror, a military campaign initiated by the U.S. and its allied nations, primarily aims to resist rapid spread of terrorism, especially the terrorist plots like 9/11. Duffy (2005), an eminent human rights activist, writer, and the director of the International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights points out that, â€Å"In the immediate wake of the attacks of 11 September 2001, the United States committed itself to a sustained ‘war on terror’, a significant component of which has involved the use of military force by the United States and its allies in several countries, notably Afghanistan and Iraq† (p.186). One can see that the origin of terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda and Taliban is inte rconnected with the growth of militant nationalism in the Middle East. On the other side, the War on Terror never hindered counter-terrorism measures adopted by the world nations. To be specific, the War on Terror aims to reduce the influence of terrorism among the world nations. ... The origin of the War on Terror is interconnected with the growth of al-Qaeda and Taliban in the Middle East. The end result of the creation of al-Qaeda by Osama bin Laden in 1980s was the rapid spread of terrorism and the origin of Taliban in Afghanistan. Gradually, Bin Laden began to control Afghani Taliban. This eventually led to the origin of terrorist networks in the Middle East and in the African continent. On the other side, the U.S. interest and influence among the oil rich Middle Eastern nations was an imminent threat to the terrorist networks. So, Bin Laden decided to intimidate the U.S. and other Western nations by attacking the officials and civilians. Soros (2007), who is the chief of the Soros Fund Management, supporter of open societies and an important critic on the War on Terror, opines that, â€Å"Bin Laden correctly identified the one aspect in which military Islam is superior to Western civilization: the fear of death† (p.108). The millennium attack in the year 2000 proves that Bin Laden was ready to challenge the U.S. and its allied nations. The immediate cause behind the War on Terrorism and the attack on al-Qaeda and Taliban is the 9/11 attack, formulated by Bin Laden. This attack infuriated the U.S. and it eventually led to the extension of the War on Terrorism to new levels. The War on Terrorism aimed to destroy the mastermind behind the rapid spread of terrorism. Soros (2007), opines that, â€Å"My emphasis on the role of the United States as the source of stability in the world and the protector of our civilization is somewhat exaggerated on account of personal considerations† (p.xviii). But, Bin Laden and other leaders of Al-Qaeda and Taliban like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi were in Afghanistan. So, the warfront gradually shifted to

In response to Nietzsche Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

In response to Nietzsche - Essay Example Nietzsche further asserts that truth is a social construct that completely depends on human language for its existence. Since language comprises of the signifiers to objects and experiences in human beings’ life, truth cannot exist as a separate entity outside human experience. Necessarily a truth is colored by a man’s experiences and perceptions of the truth itself. When truth dwells in a metaphysical level, its perception is embodied trough human-induced language constructs like metaphors or metonymies, as Nietzsche says in this regard: â€Å"What is truth then? A mobile army of metaphors, metonymies, anthropomorphisms, in short a sum of human relations that are elevated, transmitted, beautified in a poetic or rhetoric manner, and that appear to the people after a long usage as fixed, canonical and binding† (Nietzsche 45) Indeed perspectivism is a crucial term in understanding the validity of Nietzsche’s concept of truth. Nietzsche claims that â€Å"tru ths are illusions of which one has forgotten they are illusions, metaphors that are worn out and literally became powerless† (Nietzsche 45). But the problem that arises here is whether Nietzsche is true. While â€Å"there is no truth† according to Nietzsche, the question is how the truthfulness of Nietzsche’s claim can be validated. Obviously Nietzsche himself is aware of the conundrum that his concept of truth may develop. In response to this question, Nietzsche assumes that truths are socially established collective perspectives about something which are collaborative with other human experiences. Subsequently there may be another truth claimed by a philosopher. But according to this different truth about something is the said philosopher’s own perspective which has been induced and modulated by different context and experience with which he or she happens to be familiar with. Therefore when a philosopher claims any idea or anything as true, he or she is prejudiced and ignorant of different contexts which might lead him to a different conclusion. In his book, â€Å"Beyond Good and Evil† Nietzsche discusses this very postulation of perspectivism and its relation with the philosophers’ prejudices about truth. In the beginning chapter called â€Å"On the Prejudices of Philosophers†, he comments that though a traditional philosopher may claim any of his idea as the product of pure reasons and, therefore, as something true, there can be a different truth, about the same thing, which is the product of different reasoning. Indeed reasons and reasoning can be different from individual to individual, since reasons themselves, in some ways or others, are the products of individual experiences and perspectives. Therefore, a cluster of experiences which is same for a group of people may give birth to a cluster of perspectives which itself may lead to a conclusion assumed as a truth. In the same manner, a different cluster of experiences about the same may lead to a different truth. The problem of traditional philosophers is that they attempt to prove their perspectives (according to Nietzsche, their prejudices) as the universal truth. Referring to this problem, Nietzsche comments: â€Å"They pose as having discovered and attained their real opinions through the self-evolution of a cold, pure, divinely unperturbed dialectic: while what happens at bottom is that a prejudice, a notion, an ‘inspiration,’ generally a desire of the heart sifted and made abstract, is defended by them with reasons sought after the event†

people :: essays research papers

EDGAR ALLAN POE 1809 - 1849 â€Å"Quoth the Raven, â€Å"Nevermore† Edgar Allan Poe – Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dark what is dark? It is defined in the dictionary as: Darkadj 1.Being without light or without much light. 2. Not a light in colour 3.Gloomy. 4. Being without knowledge and culture 5.Secretive – darklyadv – Dark-ness n.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  dark2n 1.Absance of light: Darkness; esp.: night 2. A dark or deep colour – in the dark 1. In secrecy. 2. In ignorance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dark is a major part of Edgar Allan Poe’s work. Take for example â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum†: The main character is locked in a dungeon with no light to see his surroundings. â€Å"I quickly unclosed my eyes. My worst thoughts, then, were confirmed. The blackness of eternal night encompassed me.† (Edgar Allan Poe, story and structure Canadian edition, â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum† pg.357 line 33.) Take also for example â€Å"The Mask of the Red Death†. The seventh room was black. â€Å" But in the western or black chamber the effect of the fire light that streamed upon the dark hangings through the blood – tinted panes, was ghastly and extreme †¦ It was in this apartment, also, that there stood against the west wall a gigantic clock of ebony.† These are just examples of literally darkness with no light. There is also the literary darkness Like in the â€Å"Tell Tale Heart†, the man murders his employer â€Å" He shrieked once – once only. In an n instance I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heave bed over him... the old man was dead†¦I took for the concealment of the body. The night warned, and I walked hastily, but in silence , first as I dismembered the corps. I cut off the head and the legs and the arms†. â€Å"The Raven† the man is mourning over the lost love Lanor. When a raven comes only to torment his already tired soul. With those words of pain â€Å"Never More†. †On this home by horror haunted – tell me truly I implore – is there – is there balm in Gilead? – tell me – tell me – I implore!† â€Å"Quoth the raven â€Å"never more†Ã¢â‚¬    Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion it is said that the greatest writer either write about sex or death and Edgar Allan Poe is one of the greatly misunderstood writers of our day due to the lack of information on him and his life.

Breaking the Cycle of Violence

â€Å"Experience in the cities shows that the cycle of violence is a self-perpetuating phenomenon, constantly generating new violence from within itself. † (Enns 2002 p. 3). When we observe our nation of children, as a whole group, we see a higher and higher incidence of violence among them, not to mention that it occurs at an earlier and earlier age. It is becoming almost commonplace to hear of pre-teens who have committed acts of violence, and we now are beginning to hear of children as young as six and seven committing violent acts.It is a fact that violence begets violence, and our children are exposed to unimaginable acts from parents and caregivers. Drugs are rampant in our nation, and poverty and domestic violence are merely a way of life for many children today. According to author Kathy Sitarski, â€Å"we all tend to take out our pain on others to one degree or another, even if only in fantasy. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 1). This phenomenon does not occur because we a re in some way inhuman, but rather because we are unable to deal with the feelings of terror and rage that come along with memories of our own pain.When we feel helpless and powerless, or when terror threatens to overtake us, acting out toward others makes us feel more in charge in some strange way. Of course there are those who consciously choose not to take their rage and pain out on another human being, and, in many cases, turn it against themselves in the form of abusive relationships or endangering their own lives. (Sitarski 2004 p. 2). Violence can isolate us as human beings because it brings shame into our lives.We are ashamed to have hurt another or we are ashamed that we have allowed ourselves to be abused; â€Å"a beating feels shameful and humiliating and the survivor often internalizes that he or she somehow deserved it. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 2). Even witnessing violence against another can cause us to feel shame as we feel powerless to stop it. Most rapists can rec all rape and physical abuse in their own histories, then they later act out the same form of violence on another. How likely is it that today’s abused, neglected and ignored children will become tomorrow’s violent offenders?According to the National Institute of Justice it is extremely likely; results of a detailed study show that childhood abuse and neglect â€Å"increase the odds of future delinquency and adult criminality overall by 29 percent. † (National 2001 p. 1). Further statistics are equally appalling: the abused or neglected child has a 59 percent increased likelihood of juvenile arrest, and 28 percent increased likelihood of adult arrest, and 30 percent increased likelihood of having committed a truly violent crime. These statistics give us an idea of what the â€Å"cycle of violence† leaves in its wake.Nationwide, the incidence of neglect is some two and a half times that of physical abuse. Neglect can also have the potential to be even more damaging to the development of a child than physical abuse. (National 2001 p. 3). When we think of abuse and neglect, we rarely think of malnutrition. Some children are literally starved of the basic nutrition and food their bodies need to grow as small children. Malnourished children will later show attention deficits, reduced social skills, and poorer emotional stability than the comparison group.Unfortunately, our system of incarceration fails miserably in the sense that the â€Å"punishment phase† of prison is meant to â€Å"blame, shame, ridicule, beat down and break the spirit of people who have broken the law. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 3). While most all of us would certainly agree that those who commit violent crimes must be incarcerated, must be kept from the population at large, we are punishing these people in the same ways that actually turned them to violence in the first place. Those long-held feelings of terror and rage, rather than being relieved in some way, only increase with every day spent in the violent atmosphere of prison.If we really believe in the rehabilitation theory of prison, a long hard look needs to be taken at our prison system, and some practices put into place to actually break this vicious cycle of violence that will continue to repeat itself until interrupted. Early intervention is the key to stopping this destructive cycle; children at risk need to be identified early and swift measures need to be taken to try and relieve some of the terror and rage felt by the abused and neglected child.When this takes place, one link in the cycle is broken, perhaps leading to another and another. Works Cited About Domestic Violence (2003). Cycle of Violence. Retrieved December 11, 2006 from: http://www. edvpor/aboutDV/cycle. htm Enns, Fernando (2001). Breaking the Cycle of Violence. From the Ecumenical Review, Volume 53, Issue 2. Retrieved December 9, 2006 from: http://www. questia. com Hopper, Jim (1997). Factors in the Cycle of Violence: Gender Rigidity and Emotional Constriction. Retrieved December 11, 2006 from: http://www.jimhopper. com/cycle National Institute of Justice (February 2001). An Update on the Cycle of Violence. Retrieved December 8, 2006 from: http://www. ncjrs. gov/pdffiles1/nij/184894. pdf Siris, Karen (2004). Interrupting the Cycle of Bullying and Victimization in the Elementary Classroom. From Phi Delta Kappan, Volume 86, Issue 4. Retrieved December 9, 200 from: http://www. questia. com Sitarski, Kathy (2004). The Wheel of Violence. From The Humanist, Volume 56, Issue 3. Retrieved December 7, 2006 from: http://www. questia. com