Doctoral Dissertation Research: Analyzing the Debates about Intelligence and Educational Opportunity in the United States after World War II

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This project is an historical study of changing definitions of "intelligence" during the 20th century. The project focuses on debates about IQ in the US from 1945, just after World War II, through the 1970s. It will result in a critical intellectual history that focuses on changing views among psychologists on intelligence and cognitive ability. Most of the historical scholarship on intelligence and IQ has focused on the period prior to WWII when attention was given to quantifiable nutritional and socio-economic factor believed to shape intelligence. Following WWII, a new approach emerged that gave attention to influences that were certainly a part of the environment but not easily quantifiable, such as the beliefs of parents, teachers and learners about a given learner's potential. This project will explore the conceptualization or construction of intelligence as a more broadly conceived debate about both epistemic and personal worth. The project will provide a new perspective and historical focus that will result in a welcome contribution to an area that has not received and is very deserving of attention.The project not only aims to tell a new story about the development of intelligence studies but also wants to demonstrate how the new approach shaped educational policy at a national level. As a result, it will be both timely and important in terms of its relevance to current issues of standardized testing and other related educational challenges. Tracing connections between levels of policy, theory and educational practice will serve to enhance the relevance of this study for contemporary debates.