Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Making Sense of Listening: The IMAP Test Battery
Published on: October 11, 2010
Interpretation of intelligence test scores in Atkins cases: conceptual and psychometric issues
1Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA. gresham@lsu.edu
Abstract:
So-called Atkins cases refer to individuals who have been sentenced to death for capital crimes who claim that the death penalty constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment" under the Eighth Amendment. Psychological testimony is influential because this testimony strikes at the very core issue in these cases; namely, whether or not the individual is mentally retarded. Despite the importance of psychological testimony, courts have not been made to understand the subtleties and complexities of the issues in diagnosing mental retardation. Five such issues are discussed in this article: (a) the nature of intellectual functioning, (b) the Flynn Effect, (c) measurement error, (d) practice effects, and (e) the nature of school "diagnoses." Examples of each of these issues are illustrated with an actual Atkins case (Walker v. True, 2006).
Related Concept Videos
Intelligence
Measures of Intelligence
Validity refers to how well a test measures what it claims to measure. An intelligence test should accurately assess intelligence rather than another characteristic, like anxiety. Criterion validity is one way to evaluate this; it...
Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Binet's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence
Wechsler's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence
Cattell's Theory of Intelligence
Fluid intelligence involves the capacity to solve new problems and adapt to unfamiliar situations. It's the type of intelligence individuals use when they encounter a novel problem or puzzle that requires innovative thinking. For instance, figuring out how to operate a new gadget relies heavily on fluid...

