The dark history of IQ tests - Stefan C. Dombrowski

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Carol Wang

In 1905, psychologists Alfred Binet and Théodore Simon

1905 年，心理學家 阿爾弗雷德·比奈和西奧多·西蒙

designed a test for children who were struggling in school in France.

在法國設計了一個測驗， 對象是學校裡表現不佳的孩子。

Designed to determine which children required individualized attention,

測驗的目的是要判斷 哪些孩子需要個別化的關注，

their method formed the basis of the IQ test.

他們的方法成了智力測驗的基礎。

Beginning in the late 19th century,

從十九世紀末開始，

researchers hypothesized that cognitive abilities like verbal reasoning,

研究者便假設認知能力， 如語文推理、

working memory, and visual-spatial skills

工作記憶，和視覺空間技能，

reflected an underlying general intelligence, or g factor.

能反映出能力背後的一般智能，

或普通因素（G 因素）。

Simon and Binet designed a battery of tests to measure each of these abilities

西蒙和比奈設計了一系列測驗 來測量上述每一種能力，

and combine the results into a single score.

並將結果整合成單一個分數。

Questions were adjusted for each age group,

題目會根據不同年齡層來調整，

and a child’s score reflected how they performed relative to others their age.

孩子的分數反映出相對於 他們這個年齡層的表現如何。

Dividing someone’s score by their age and multiplying the result by 100

把受測者的分數除以他們的年齡， 再把得到的數字乘以一百，

yielded the intelligence quotient, or IQ.

就是他們的智力商數， 或智商（IQ）。

Today, a score of 100 represents the average of a sample population,

現今，一百分代表 樣本母體的平均水平，

with 68% of the population scoring within 15 points of 100.

68% 的人分數落在 八十五分到一百分之間。

Simon and Binet thought the skills their test assessed

西蒙和比奈認為， 這測驗中評估的那些技能

would reflect general intelligence.

會反映出一般智能。

But both then and now,

但，當時和現在，

there’s no single agreed upon definition of general intelligence.

都沒有任何一個一般智能的定義 是大家都能認同的。

And that left the door open for people to use the test

因此就開了一扇門， 讓使用這項測驗的人

in service of their own preconceived assumptions about intelligence.

可以套用他們自己對於 智力的先入為主假設。

What started as a way to identify those who needed academic help

測驗的目的，一開始只是 要找出需要學術協助的人，

quickly became used to sort people in other ways,

很快卻被拿來 以其他方式將人做分類，

often in service of deeply flawed ideologies.

通常被有缺陷的意識型態所利用。

One of the first large-scale implementations

最早期的大規模應用之一

occurred in the United States during WWI, when the military used an IQ test

發生在一次大戰時期的美國，

當時的軍隊使用智力測驗

to sort recruits and screen them for officer training.

將招募的新兵分類 並針對軍官訓練做篩選。

At that time, many people believed in eugenics,

在當時，有很多人相信優生學，

the idea that desirable and undesirable genetic traits

他們的想法是， 想要和不想要的基因特性

could and should be controlled in humans through selective breeding.

可以／應該透過 精選育種的方式來控制。

There were many problems with this line of thinking,

這種想法有許多問題，

among them the idea that intelligence was not only fixed and inherited,

其中一個問題是認為智力 不僅是固定不變且天生的，

but also linked to a person’s race.

還和種族有關聯。

Under the influence of eugenics,

在優生學的影響下，

scientists used the results of the military initiative

科學家根據這項軍方計畫的結果，

to make erroneous claims that certain racial groups

做出錯誤的聲明，宣稱某些種族

were intellectually superior to others.

在智力上比其他種族更優越。

Without taking into account that many of the recruits tested

他們並沒有考慮到，

許多受測新兵是美國的新移民，

were new immigrants to the United States

who lacked formal education or English language exposure,

新移民沒受過正式教育， 或很少接觸英語，

they created an erroneous intelligence hierarchy of ethnic groups.

他們就這樣直接建立了 一個錯誤的人種智力階層。

The intersection of eugenics and IQ testing influenced not only science,

優生學和智力測驗的結合

不僅影響到科學，也影響到政策。

but policy as well.

In 1924, the state of Virginia created policy

1924 年，維吉尼亞州 制定了一項政策，

allowing for the forced sterilization of people with low IQ scores—

允許對智商分數低的人 進行強制絕育——

a decision the United States Supreme Court upheld.

美國最高法庭還支持這項決策。

In Nazi Germany, the government authorized the murder of children

在納粹德國，

政府授權謀殺智商低的孩童。

based on low IQ.

Following the Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement,

在大屠殺和民權運動之後，

the discriminatory uses of IQ tests

智力測驗在歧視上的應用

were challenged on both moral and scientific grounds.

受到道德和科學領域的挑戰。

Scientists began to gather evidence of environmental impacts on IQ.

科學家開始收集證據， 證明環境對智力的影響。

For example, as IQ tests were periodically recalibrated over the 20th century,

比如，在二十世紀時， 定期重新校調智力測驗，

new generations scored consistently higher on old tests

新世代做舊測驗時得到的分數

一直都會比前一個世代更高。

than each previous generation.

This phenomenon, known as the Flynn Effect,

這個現象就是 一般所知的弗林效應，

happened much too fast to be caused by inherited evolutionary traits.

它發生得太快了，不可能 是由先天演化特性所造成，

Instead, the cause was likely environmental—

成因反而比較有可能是環境——

improved education, better healthcare, and better nutrition.

改善的教育、較佳的健康照護， 以及更好的營養。

In the mid-twentieth century,

在二十世紀中期，

psychologists also attempted to use IQ tests

心理學家也嘗試把智力測驗

to evaluate things other than general intelligence,

用在評估一般智能以外的地方，

particularly schizophrenia, depression, and other psychiatric conditions.

特別是思覺失調（精神分裂）症、 憂鬱症，及其他精神病。

These diagnoses relied in part on the clinical judgment of the evaluators,

這些診斷有部分要仰賴 評估者的臨床判斷，

and used a subset of the tests used to determine IQ—

並使用判斷智力測驗的一部分——

a practice later research found does not yield clinically useful information.

後來研究發現，這種做法並不能 產生出在臨床上有用的資訊。

Today, IQ tests employ many similar design elements and types of questions

現今，智力測驗採用了許多

和早期測驗類似的 設計元素和問題類型，

as the early tests,

though we have better techniques for identifying potential bias in the test.

不過我們有比較好的技術， 可辨視出測驗中可能的偏見。

They’re no longer used to diagnose psychiatric conditions.

智力測驗已經不再 被用來診斷精神病，

But a similarly problematic practice using subtest scores

但像這樣只採用部分測驗 來計分的不當做法

is still sometimes used to diagnose learning disabilities,

在診斷學習障礙時偶爾還會看到，

against the advice of many experts.

違反了許多專家的建議。

Psychologists around the world still use IQ tests

世界各地的心理學家 仍然會用智力測驗

to identify intellectual disability,

來找出智能障礙，

and the results can be used to determine

結果可以被用來判定

appropriate educational support, job training, and assisted living.

何種教育支持、工作訓練， 及輔助式生活會比較適合。

IQ test results have been used to justify horrific policies

智力測驗結果曾被作為正當理由，

用於駭人政策 和無科學根據的意識型態。

and scientifically baseless ideologies.

That doesn’t mean the test itself is worthless—

那並不表示測驗本身毫無價值——

in fact, it does a good job of measuring the reasoning and problem-solving skills

事實上，它原本的目的是要 測量推理和解決問題的技能，

而在這方面它很成功。

it sets out to.

But that isn’t the same thing as measuring a person’s potential.

但這和測量人的潛能是兩回事。

Though there are many complicated political, historical, scientific,

雖然智力測驗中包裝了許多複雜的

and cultural issues wrapped up in IQ testing,

政治、歷史、科學、文化議題，

more and more researchers agree on this point,

仍然有越來越多 研究者認同這一點，

and reject the notion that individuals can be categorized

並排拒用單一分數數字

by a single numerical score.

來將個人分類的想法。