Read the case and answer the questions that follow.
Alfred Binet, in 1905, was requested by the French government to devise a method by which students who experienced difficulty in school could be identified. Binet and his colleague, Theodore Simon, began developing questions that focused on areas not explicitly taught in schools those days, such as memory, attention skills related to problem solving. Using these questions, Binet determined which were the ones that served as the best predictors of school success.
Binet quickly realised that some children were able to answer more advanced questions than older children were generally able to answer and vice versa. Based on this observation, Binet suggested the concept of mental age or a measure of intelligence based on the average abilities of children of a certain age group. This first intelligence test is referred to as the Binet-Simon Scale. He insisted that intelligence is influenced by many factors, it changes over time, and it can only be compared in children with similar backgrounds.
1. Identify the approach on which the Binet - Simon Intelligence Scale is based. Discuss its features.
2. ‘Binet quickly realised that some children were able to answer more advanced questions than older children were generally able to answer and vice versa’. Why do individuals differ in intelligence? Using examples, give reasons for your answer.