Final answer:
The Binet-Simon scale was designed to identify children who might have difficulty in school. It was created by Alfred Binet and was a significant development in the history of intelligence testing. The scale was the precursor to the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales and influenced later tests like the WAIS and WISC.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Binet-Simon scale was originally developed to identify children who might have difficulty in school. This was a task assigned to Alfred Binet by the French government in the early 1900s. The test included many verbally based tasks and was designed to single out children who would benefit from additional support in their educational environment. Its creation marked a significant moment in the history of intelligence testing, as it opened the door to more systematic approaches to assessing cognitive abilities in children. This scale laid the foundation for later iterations and enhancements, such as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales.
It's important to note that the scale has undergone various modifications. Louis Terman, an American researcher from Stanford University, revised the Binet-Simon Scale to develop what is now known as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. Intelligence testing has evolved over time with the work of other psychologists such as David Wechsler, who created the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), widely used tools for measuring intelligence today.