The dark history of IQ tests - Stefan C. Dombrowski episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 9, 2026 · 8 MIN

The dark history of IQ tests - Stefan C. Dombrowski

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Explore the history of IQ tests; how they measure a person’s intelligence and the ways they have been used to justify scientifically baseless ideologies. --In 1905, psychologists Alfred Binet and Théodore Simon designed a test for children who were struggling in school in France. Designed to determine which children required individualized attention, their method formed the basis of the modern IQ test. So how do IQ tests work, and are they a true reflection of intelligence? Stefan C. Dombrowski explores how the tests have been used throughout history.Lesson by Stefan C. Dombrowski, directed by Kozmonot Animation Studios.Animator's website: https://www.kozmonot.tv/Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterSupport us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagramView full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-dark-history-of-iq-tests-stefan-c-dombrowskiThank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! David Matthew Ezroj, Sweetmilkcoco, Raphaël LAURENT, Joe Meyers, Farah Abdelwahab, Brian Richards, Divina Grace Dar Santos, Jessie McGuire, Abdullah Altuwaijri, Sarah Burns, Clement, Hadi Salahshour, FAWWAZ GHUWAIDI, Dino Biancolini, Reagen O'Connor, Nicu Boanda, Cindy O., Karla Brilman, Jørgen Østerpart, Sergi Páez, rakesh Katragadda, Carolyn Corwin, Charlene You, Boris Langvand, Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Carsten Tobehn, Kin Lon Ma, Katie Dean, Ezgi Yersu, Eunsun Kim, Katrina Harding, Gerald Onyango, alessandra tasso, Astia Rizki Safitri, Côme Vincent, Antony Lee, Melissa Sorrells, Rakshit Kothari, Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Simon Holst Ravn, Manognya Chakrapani, Ayala Ron, Samantha Chow, Philippe Spoden, Phyllis Dubrow, Michelle Stevens-Stanford, Cas Jamieson, Ophelia Gibson Best, Amber Wood and Paul Schneider. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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