Introduction
Polio is an infectious disease of a viral nature that affects the nervous system. The main complication of polio may be problems with the cognitive component, which may also cause the patient to be placed in an institution for the mentally disabled (CDC, 2023). Nevertheless, all patients undergo additional examinations, but the tests may often be biased. Therefore, people with no problems with cognitive development remain in places that are not intended for them. In this case, a man who had polio in childhood was placed in a clinic for the mentally disabled for no apparent reason, and there may be several factors associated with this error.
How Institutional Biases Overlooked a Polio Survivor’s Cognitive Abilities
The first factor is the bias of control tests that do not consider patients’ characteristics. Such tests include IQ tests and other types of mental abilities testing. Bias appears based on a general assessment provided in advance by tests, but may exclude the cultural characteristics of minorities (Niolon, n.d.). Another factor may be that people of different races are often compared to white people. Historically, white people have always had more direct access to education than people of racial minorities (GAO, 2020).
In this regard, all types of testing aim to control the results performed by white-skinned people who may be overestimated compared to those of people of color who have always had limited access to education. The third factor is that people from racial minorities may not be ready for testing. Such a problem lies in incorrect time allocation, lack of motivation for high achievements, and other problems (Niolon, n.d.). This problem is also connected with the historical development of all races except white-skinned people, who could more freely receive these skills in childhood.
Conclusion
Summing up, it can be concluded that a man who, although he had polio in childhood, was mistakenly identified in a clinic for the mentally disabled without having any issues with intelligence. In this case, the main problem was the bias of IQ tests, which may have nothing to do with actual intelligence. It is probably necessary to revise the testing types to assess people’s cognitive characteristics more accurately, apart from any bias.
References
CDC (2023). What is polio? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
GAO. (2020). Racial disparities in education and the role of government. U.S. Government Accountability Office. Web.
Niolon, R. (n.d). Are IQ tests biased? Resources for Students and Professionals. Web.