Many psychiatrists define intelligence variously. In a 1921 annul meeting, entitled " Intelligence and Its Measurement", they came four definition of intelligence as " the capacity to learn". Other definition include "the ability to adapt adequately to new situations", "the capacity to learn or profit from experiences", and " the knowledge that an individual have". Dictionaries add more definition. For instance, Webster's define it as " the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situation".
For long time, there has been a big question whether intelligence can really be measured accurately or not. If intelligence is what a person knows or understand then it is possible to measure intelligence, however if intelligence is one's capacity for learning then it is difficult to measure. We can compare it to the capacity of a bowl. If you have a bowl and want to know how much water it will hold then you simply fill the bowl then pour the water into measuring device and the you know that the bowl holds two cups 0.5 a litres or 25 grams of water. There are some reasons why it is possible to measure the capacity for learning in the same manner. One cannot fill the brain with knowledge back out and measure it. First there is no way to indicate that the brain is full, no way possible to bring back all of the information, and no measuring device for knowledge. You cannot have two cups, 170 grams or three feet of knowledge. Secondly finding an accurate measuring device is difficult.
The measuring of intelligence began with the work of Francis Galton who attempted to apply Darwin's theory of biological evolution to the evolution of human society. Since then, more hundred different tests been developed, but the type of measurement has remained essentially the same. An intelligence test is administered either through group or individual testing, literacy is not required. Each individual testing. In a group testing, literacy is required because each person should do the test in writing formal. In individual testing, literacy is not required. Each individual meets privately with test examiner and takes an oral examination, For example. a child of three would be asked to identify individual pictures by name not use, build a bridge with blocks, identify specific article from a picture shown earlier, draw a circle and draw a vertical line. Test questions become gradually more then difficult with age.
