14 - Japanese abilities and achievements

Summary

Ability testing in Japan

Since the 1905 version of the Binet–Simon Intelligence Test was introduced in Japan in 1908, many researches on IQ and other tests have been conducted by Japanese psychologists. Both translations of western tests, and tests constructed by Japanese psychologists on the basis of western models, have been used. After World War II, the Japanese Ministry of Education adopted the recommendations of the U.S. Educational Mission, and formulated a school record form which contained a column for the children's scores on standardised tests. Schoolteachers had to fill in IQs every 1 or 2 years. This promoted the production of new tests, and group tests were put on sale by Japanese publishers in the 1950s. Some university staff members of psychology or education departments were involved in constructing tests for Japanese children, often according to Thurstone's multifactor theory of intelligence. Their researches on these tests usually appeared in bulletins or technical reports of their own universities, which were not widely distributed.

After World War II, when Japan achieved remarkable economic growth, upper secondary and higher education made rapid progress. This growth enabled a large proportion of Japanese families to think of sending their children to higher education. Although educational opportunities in general have greatly expanded over the past three decades, Japanese adolescents have to face difficult examination barriers in order to gain entry to universities, especially the elite universities which are believed by the Japanese to constitute the means of entrance to distinguished careers in big business, government service, and the professions. Younger children also compete for acceptance by higher grade secondary schools so as to improve their chances of reaching one of the many well-known universities.