Who gave 'Mental Age' concept?"

The concept of Mental Age is fundamental in the field of educational psychology and intelligence testing. It refers to the level of intellectual functioning or cognitive ability of an individual, expressed in terms of the age at which an average person reaches the same level of performance.

Key Points

•  Alfred Binet introduced the concept of Mental Age while developing the first practical intelligence test.
• Their goal was to identify children in schools who required special educational support.
• Binet observed that some children performed at intellectual levels different from their actual (chronological) age, leading him to propose the idea of Mental Age.
• For example, if a 7-year-old child performs like an average 9-year-old, their mental age would be considered 9.

Hint

• Cattell contributed to the field of intelligence by distinguishing between fluid and crystallized intelligence, not the concept of mental age.
• William Stern introduced the IQ formula (Mental Age ÷ Chronological Age × 100) but did not create the concept of mental age itself.
• Edward Thorndike is known for his work on learning theory and the "Law of Effect," not intelligence testing or the mental age concept.

Hence, the correct answer is Binet.