Description
This week, you viewed a video with historical footage of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island in New York Harbor. If you have not viewed this video, stop and do so now—or watch it again, this time with the perspective of what it would feel like to be in that scene. You may have relatives that arrived through Ellis Island or a similar entry point in other parts of the country. Imagine being in that moment, having endured great hardship, and then facing a test that checks your intelligence—and for no small reason. It will determine whether you can enter the United States.
Based on what you are learning about culture, is it likely that test would be fair in assessing the knowledge of those who speak languages other than English and have wildly different sets of experiences? Additionally, different cultures have different definitions of intelligence. Some cultures integrate movement and emotions into the concept of intelligence. Other cultures value analytical thinking. Still others highlight nonverbal communication. Sadly, many Ellis Island immigrants were labeled “feeble-minded” by extremely biased intelligence tests and, after all those hardships, were refused entry into America.
You will return to the issue of bias by examining how intelligence tests can favor some cultures over others. Through the Learning Resources, you will experience two types of intelligence tests and imagine how you might do if each test had major stakes for you—such as whether you could vote, be accepted by a college, or be allowed to enter a country. Intelligence tests have been used for those and other purposes—and sometimes with the express purpose of excluding some groups over others.
For this Assignment, you will examine how culture influences the definition of “intelligence” and what is considered “common knowledge” and analyze your own experiences with differing cultural views of these concepts.
To prepare:
- Review the Week 2 Learning Resources, with particular attention to Chapter 5 in the course text and the media piece on Ellis Island immigration.
- Take the two short assigned tests, “The Original Australian Test of Intelligence” and “The Chitling Intelligence Test,” in the Learning Resources. Note the tests cannot be filled in online. Use paper and pencil to record your answers, and then click the scoring sheet link to check your results.
- Consider how well you did on each test. What kind of knowledge was needed to do well, and how “common” is that knowledge? Consider questions in both tests that stand out to you as examples of cultural bias.
- Based on your experience, consider what conclusions you can draw about the meaning of “intelligence” and “common knowledge” across cultures and the potential of constructing an intelligence test without cultural bias.
- Begin thinking about two cultures to compare for their concepts of “intelligence.” Choose two cultures that are new to you. Research each culture by using the Week 2 Learning Resources and other scholarly resources that you find.
- Based on your research, compare the two cultures’ concepts of “intelligence.”
- Reflect on how your work this week has influenced your personal definition of “intelligence” and your ideas about how to determine “common knowledge” that is a fair measure of intelligence.
- Keep in mind the goal of supporting your viewpoints with clear reasoning and evidence. Review the Walden Writing Center resources on scholarly writing in preparation for creating your Assignment.
By Day 7
Submit a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following components. Be sure to include references to Learning Resources, including media.
- Analyze the bias in the Australian and Chitling intelligence tests assigned in the Week 2 Learning Resources. Give examples from both assigned tests of what makes an intelligence test unfair to people of different cultures.
- Explain whether an intelligence test in general could be constructed without cultural bias. Include your reasoning and support your views with relevant research.
- Select two cultural factors (e.g., environment, socioeconomic, biological, and family) that you believe have the greatest influence on intelligence. Explain the factors and your reasoning.
- For the two cultures that you researched, explain each culture’s definition of intelligence and identify similarities and differences in how the cultures view intelligence.
- Based on what you learned this week, create a personal definition of intelligence that includes your concept of “common knowledge.” Explain the influences that helped you arrive at this definition.
Note: Support the responses within your Assignment with evidence from the Learning Resources. Provide a reference list for resources you used for this Assignment.
| A | B | C | D | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analyze the bias in the Australian and Chitling intelligence tests | 9 (12%) - 10 (13.33%) Excellent application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues | 8 (10.67%) - 8 (10.67%) Good application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues | 7 (9.33%) - 7 (9.33%) Average application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues (lacking some information or details; and/or has some inaccuracies; and/or demonstrates a lack of understanding) | 6 (8%) - 6 (8%) Weak application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues (substantially lacking information or details; and/or has several inaccuracies; and/or demonstrates a lack of understanding) | 0 (0%) - 5 (6.67%) Substantially lacking in information or details; and/or has many inaccuracies; and/or does not address the prompt |
| Explain whether an intelligence test in general could be constructed without cultural bias. Include your reasoning, and support your views with relevant research | 14 (18.67%) - 15 (20%) Excellent application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues | 12 (16%) - 13 (17.33%) Good application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues | 11 (14.67%) - 11 (14.67%) Average application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues (lacking some information or details; and/or has some inaccuracies; and/or demonstrates a lack of understanding) | 9 (12%) - 10 (13.33%) Weak application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues (substantially lacking information or details; and/or has several inaccuracies; and/or demonstrates a lack of understanding) | 0 (0%) - 8 (10.67%) Substantially lacking in information or details; and/or has many inaccuracies; and/or does not address the prompt |
| Select two cultural factors that you believe have the greatest influence on intelligence. Explain the factors and your reasoning | 9 (12%) - 10 (13.33%) Excellent application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues | 8 (10.67%) - 8 (10.67%) Good application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues | 7 (9.33%) - 7 (9.33%) Average application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues (lacking some information or details; and/or has some inaccuracies; and/or demonstrates a lack of understanding) | 6 (8%) - 6 (8%) Weak application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues (substantially lacking information or details; and/or has several inaccuracies; and/or demonstrates a lack of understanding) | 0 (0%) - 5 (6.67%) Substantially lacking in information or details; and/or has many inaccuracies; and/or does not address the prompt |
| Explain each culture’s definition of intelligence, and compare similarities and differences in how the cultures view intelligence | 9 (12%) - 10 (13.33%) Excellent application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues | 8 (10.67%) - 8 (10.67%) Good application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues | 7 (9.33%) - 7 (9.33%) Average application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues (lacking some information or details; and/or has some inaccuracies; and/or demonstrates a lack of understanding) | 6 (8%) - 6 (8%) Weak application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues (substantially lacking information or details; and/or has several inaccuracies; and/or demonstrates a lack of understanding | 0 (0%) - 5 (6.67%) Substantially lacking in information or details; and/or has many inaccuracies; and/or does not address the prompt |
| Create a personal definition of intelligence that includes your concept of “common knowledge.” Explain the influences that helped you arrive at this definition | 9 (12%) - 10 (13.33%) Excellent application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues | 8 (10.67%) - 8 (10.67%) Good application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues | 7 (9.33%) - 7 (9.33%) Average application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues (lacking some information or details; and/or has some inaccuracies; and/or demonstrates a lack of understanding) | 6 (8%) - 6 (8%) Weak application/analysis of concepts, skills, or issues (substantially lacking information or details; and/or has several inaccuracies; and/or demonstrates a lack of understanding) | 0 (0%) - 5 (6.67%) Substantially lacking in information or details; and/or has many inaccuracies; and/or does not address the prompt |
| Quality of Writing. Writing is original, free of mechanics, usage, grammar, or spelling (MUGS) errors, and follows academic writing expectations (AWE) guidelines for citing and referencing | 18 (24%) - 20 (26.67%) No or very few MUGS errors | 16 (21.33%) - 17 (22.67%) Few MUGS errors | 14 (18.67%) - 15 (20%) Several MUGSerrors | 12 (16%) - 13 (17.33%) Many MUGS errors | 0 (0%) - 11 (14.67%) Excessive MUGS |
| Total Points: 75 |
|---|
Explanation & Answer
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