Individual Differences and Intelligence

That the individuals vary in both biological and psychological trait can be attributed to many influences – biological, environmental, cultural, social and interrelation of all these factors.

The recognition that individual differ from each other that are unique has challenged many educators in their task of curriculum-making and in the development of techniques that make prediction necessary – hence, the development of test ( intelligence, aptitude, achievement, interest, personality) and measure of central tendencies, ( mean, medium, mode) and the measures of variation ( range, standard deviation and mean deviation).

Attempt to meet individual differences have devised; among them: homogeneous grouping, supervised study, special school, teaching techniques, and enrichment.

Intelligence is one area where individuals manifest differences. Alfred Binet, who advised the first intelligence test came up with a method or formula for arriving at the IQ (INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT), one method of measuring intelligence. The other method are through the MA (mental age) and the Percentile Rank.
Studied have tried to trace intelligence to various sources. Hereditary, Environment, Sex, Social condition, race and geographical location have offered factual basis for such intellectual differences.

The normal curve which mathematical concept marking the limit of distribution has signified information regarding the distribution of traits along a continuum. The extremes which are apparently few (making up about 1/3 of the population), are represented by the mentally retarded (moron, imbecile, idiots in descending order) and the mentally superior at the other end.

The mentally retarded are the distinguished from the mentally defective in that first are such from birth while the second are such due to environmental condition (illness, injury, physical defect).

While the mentally retarded have aroused a lot of attention, the mentally gifted, on the consumption that they can take care of themselves and are the favored few, have apparently merited less attention comparatively.

Studies of the gifted have belief the popular notion that the gifted are qeer, unadjusted, emotionally unstable and physical weaklings. Like normal population, they have they share of failures, in the sense that they have not fully realized their potentialities – although their IQ’s have remained high.