40 pages 1 hour read

Stephen Jay Gould

The Mismeasure Of Man

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1982

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Essay Topics

1.

How did societal prejudices and unconscious bias affect the search for hereditary intelligence in the 19th and 20th centuries? Why was this question so important to scientists?

2.

In his analysis of Broca’s data, does Gould exhibit any of his own examples of unconscious bias? What evidence do you see in his analysis that supports your argument?

3.

In comparing Binet with the psychologists who popularized IQ testing in America, why was Binet able to challenge his biases when other scientists could not? Why did Goddard, Terman, and Yerkes feel that the IQ test was an appropriate measure of “intelligence”?

Related Titles

By Stephen Jay Gould