Final answer:
Intelligence tests in the early 1900s were mainly used to assess children's cognitive development (option a) , derived from Alfred Binet's work and standardized by Louis Terman. These tests established norms for intelligence scores but were also misused in the eugenics movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
Use of Intelligence Tests in the Early 1900s
Intelligence tests were used in the United States in the early 1900s primarily to assess cognitive development in children. These tests helped identify children who might have difficulty in school due to cognitive challenges, a practice initiated by the French psychologist Alfred Binet and later standardized in America by Louis Terman through the Stanford-Binet IQ test. This approach allowed for a more objective assessment of a child's intellectual abilities in comparison to peers and established a normed bell curve of intelligence scores.
Over time, IQ testing also played a controversial role in areas such as the eugenics movement, which led to unethical applications such as forced sterilizations. The history of IQ testing reflects both the potential benefits in educational and clinical settings as well as the ethical challenges and limitations these tests can present.