Student Resources History and Biographies Alfred Binet and the Binet-Simon Test By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book." Learn about our editorial process Updated on October 31, 2023 Fact checked Verywell Mind content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Amanda Tust Fact checked by Amanda Tust Amanda Tust is a fact-checker, researcher, and writer with a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Learn about our editorial process Print Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Alfred Binet's Early Life Binet's Career The Binet-Simon Test Contributions Trending Videos Close this video player Alfred Binet was a French psychologist best remembered for developing the first widely used intelligence test, often known as the Binet-Simon test. The test originated after the French government commissioned Binet to create an instrument that could identify school kids who needed remedial studies. With his collaborator Theodore Simon, they created the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale. Lewis Terman later revised the scale and standardized the test with subjects drawn from an American sample, and the test became known as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. The test is still used today and remains one of the most widely used intelligence tests. At a Glance The Binet-Simon test was the world's first intelligence test. The test was named for its developers, Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon. Now known as the Stanford-Binet, the test remains a popular and important psychometric instrument. Let's explore more about who Alfred Binet was, his career in psychology, and how he came to create the Binet-Simon test. Alfred Binet's Early Life Alfred Binet was born Alfredo Binetti on July 8, 1857, in Nice, France. His father, a physician, and his mother, an artist, divorced when he was young and Binet then moved to Paris with his mother. After graduating from law school in 1878, Binet planned to follow in his father's footsteps and enroll in medical school. He began to study science at Sorbonne but soon began educating himself in psychology by reading works by individuals such as Charles Darwin and John Stuart Mill. Binet's Career Binet began working at the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris under the guidance of Jean-Martin Charcot. Afterward, he moved to a position at the Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, where he was the associate director and researcher. In 1894, Binet was appointed the director of the lab and he remained in this position until his death in 1911. Binet's early support of Charcot's research on hypnotism resulted in professional embarrassment when Charcot's ideas faltered under closer scientific evaluation. He soon turned his interest toward the study of development and intelligence, often basing his research on observations of his two daughters. While Alfred Binet's interests were broad and quite diverse, he is most famously known for his work on intelligence. The French government asked Binet to develop a test to identify students with learning disabilities or who required special help in school. Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence The Binet-Simon Test Binet and colleague Theodore Simon developed a series of tests designed to assess mental abilities. Rather than focus on learned information such as math and reading, Binet instead concentrated on other mental abilities such as attention and memory. The scale they developed became known as the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale. How Were Score Calculated? A person's IQ score was calculated by dividing their mental age by their chronological age and dividing the total by 100. The average IQ score on the Binet-Simon test was 100. Scores higher than 100 represented above-average intelligence, while scores below 100 represented below-average intelligence. Psychologist Lewis Terman later revised the test, and became known as the Stanford-Binet. While Binet's original intent was to use the test to identify children who needed additional academic assistance, the test soon became a means to identify those deemed "feeble-minded" by the eugenics movement. Eugenics was the now debunked belief that the human population could be genetically improved by controlling who was allowed to have children. By doing this, the eugenicists believed they could produce more desirable inherited characteristics. This shift in how the test was used is notable since Binet himself believed that the intelligence test he had designed had limitations. He believed that intelligence was complex and could not be fully captured by a single quantitative measure. He also believed that intelligence was not fixed. Perhaps most importantly, Binet also felt that such measures of intelligence were not always generalizable and could only apply to children with similar backgrounds and experiences. Binet's Contributions to Psychology Today, Alfred Binet is often cited as one of the most influential psychologists in history. While his intelligence scale serves as the basis for modern intelligence tests, Binet himself did not believe that his test measured a permanent or inborn degree of intelligence. According to Binet, an individual's score can vary. He also suggested that motivation and other variables can affect test scores. What This Means For You The Binet-Simon test created by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon had a significant impact on psychology and the use of psychometric testing. Today, experts recognize that IQ tests often have problems with validity and reliability. Many tests also contain biases that have contributed to scientific racism and discrimination. Understanding how these tests were developed and what they purport to measure can help us to better appreciate their potential uses as well as their limitations. What Is a Genius IQ Score? 6 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Michell J. Alfred Binet and the concept of heterogeneous orders. Front Psychol. 2012;3:261. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00261 Silverman W, Miezejeski C, Ryan R, Zigman W, Krinsky-mchale S, Urv T. Stanford-Binet & WAIS IQ Differences and Their Implications for Adults with Intellectual Disability (aka Mental Retardation). Intelligence. 2010;38(2):242-248. doi:10.1016/j.intell.2009.12.005 Teive HAG, Teive GMG, Dallabrida N, Gutierrez L. Alfred Binet: Charcot's pupil, a neuropsychologist and a pioneer in intelligence testing. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2017;75(9):673-675. doi:10.1590/0004-282X20170097 Becker K. History of the Stanford-Binet intelligence scales: Content and psychometrics. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition Assessment Service Bulletin No. 1. Holden LR, Tanenbaum GJ. Modern assessments of intelligence must be fair and equitable. J Intell. 2023;11(6):126. doi:10.3390/jintelligence11060126 National Human Genome Research Institute. Eugenics and scientific racism. Additional Reading Fancher RE, Rutherford A. Pioneers of Psychology. New York: W.W. Norton; 2016. Fancher RE. Alfred Binet. In Portraits of Pioneers in Psychology, Volume 3. GA Kimble & M Wertheimer (Eds.). Washington DC: Psychology Press; 2014. By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book." See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other Submit