Psychology, 5/e   Wortman, Loftus & Weaver
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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How accurate are the SATs, and should they be used for college entrance criteria?

It depends on what is meant by “accurate.” The SAT is quite reliable, and when used a PART of an admission decision is undeniably useful. The SAT also correlates highly with the GRE, a test commonly used in the admissions process by graduate schools.

If “accuracy” is defined as “a reflection of intelligence,” the answer is also “yes.” The SAT, especially the verbal portion, is highly correlated with most intelligence tests.

But the correlation between SATs and Freshman GPAs is modest at most universities. This may seem like an argument against using the SAT, but it really isn’t. Those students who have low SATs (and would therefore be expected to have lower Freshman GPAs) are usually not admitted in the first place. Those who score extremely high on the SAT (and presumably, high GPAs), by contrast, are likely to enroll at a highly selective universities. At most universities, then, the very best and the very worst students are not included in the analyses, which will have the effect of reducing the observed correlation.

2. What is EQ (Emotional Quotient)?

EQ is a term made popular by the author Daniel Goldman in his 1995 book Emotional Intelligence. Goldman pointed out that virtually every standardized test used to measure intelligence (IQ) failed to incorporate any assessment of emotional factors. As Goldman correctly pointed out many aspects of our lives require emotional “skills,” and in some cases the role of emotion is arguably more important than intelligence. Despite its intuitive appeal, however, few formal “EQ” tests exist.

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