Intelligence in Practice Atkins vs the State of Virginia

Intelligence in Practice Atkins vs the State of Virginia

After reading about the court case of ‘Atkins vs the State of Virginia’, write a paper (max. 700
words) in APA style in which you address the following questions at the best of your abilities,
linking the court case to course readings and notes.
“Atkins vs the State of Virginia” is a great example of how much faith people place in the
absolute validity of IQ tests to make tiny discriminations (e.g. someone who scores 70 is
definitely ‘more intelligent than someone who scores 69), which is not what IQ tests are
designed for. In this case, tiny changes in IQ score had huge implications for the defendant!
1. Produce a summary of the case
2. Explain what you think this shows about IQ testing
3. Do you agree with the law using psychometric testing to determine whether someone
is considered fit for punishment or not? Explain your answer.
Be critical in your answers and provide scientific argumentation. Feel free to expand and
elaborate to any direction.