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For many decades, science has developed, and continues to develop, tests to draw conclusions about human intelligence. Some of those tests have historically relied on methods that are no longer in use today, but many are still used today.
What is Clinical Research?
Clinical research is the way doctors and scientists learn about new ways to prevent and treat illness in people. Clinical research is the fastest way to find answers to the many questions about health and disease. It is sometimes called “human research” or a “clinical trial.”
There are different ways volunteers participate in clinical research. For example:
- Volunteers participate by filling out questionnaires about their health, or they may answer questions about their health in an interview with researchers.
- Volunteers may be asked to donate specimens such as a tube of blood or a tissue sample for a clinical research study.
- Volunteers may participate in clinical research to find out if new treatments, or new ways of using known treatments, are safe and effective to use in people.
What is a Clinical Trial?
A clinical trial is a strictly controlled research study conducted in people. Each study is carefully designed to answer specific questions about a new treatment like a drug or a medical device to make sure it is safe and effective to use in people.
The details of the clinical trial, including all the tests and procedures used in the study, are outlined in a research plan, also called a protocol. The doctors, nurses, and scientists who run the clinical trial must follow the protocol and run the tests according to the strict rules set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other government agencies. The rules ensure that people who participate in the clinical trial are treated as safely as possible.
Consider applying for the attached job posting.
Text taken from "Volunteers for Clinical Research at UCSF"
The main character, Charlie Gordon, is often given Rorschach Test throughout this short story. He struggles with these tests and fails to understand how blobs of ink can depict images. These tests were developed by a Swiss psychiatrist named Hermann Rorschach. Commonly referred to as the ink blot test, the Rorschach Test is designed to measure thought disorder. Most of these images are black and white, yet some contain splashes of color.
Algernon
Algernon
A lab mouse, parallels Charlie in many ways. Algernon has had the same procedure as our main character. He spends his days in the lab running through mazes seeking the prized cheese at the end. Beginning in the 1900's, rats and mazes were frequently used in lab research.
Algernon serves as a foreshadowing tool during this short story.
The plot of this story is driven by the increase and decrease of the main character's IQ. This science fiction story begins with Charlie at age 37 with an IQ of 68. An IQ, or intelligence quotient, is a number that represents a person's ability to reason. This score can be determined through a series of standardized tests. These tests are sometimes used for educational placement and job screenings.
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