Mental age意思

"Mental age" is a concept that was historically used in psychology to describe an individual's level of cognitive development as compared to the average level of cognitive development for their chronological age. The term was first introduced by psychologist William Stern in the early 20th century as a way to assess intelligence.

Mental age was typically determined by administering intelligence tests to individuals and then comparing their test scores to the average scores of other individuals of different ages. For example, if a 10-year-old child scored at the same level as the average 12-year-old on an intelligence test, that child would be said to have a mental age of 12.

However, the concept of mental age is now considered outdated and potentially misleading, as it can oversimplify the complex nature of human cognitive development. Additionally, the use of mental age as a measure of intelligence has been criticized for perpetuating stereotypes and biases, and for not taking into account the unique strengths and weaknesses of individual people.

Today, psychologists typically use more nuanced and sophisticated methods for assessing intelligence and cognitive development, such as standardized IQ tests and other performance-based assessments. These methods are designed to provide a more comprehensive and accurate picture of an individual's cognitive abilities and potential.