Chapter 11 Intelligence Notes and VocabI.Origins of a.Sir Francis Galton i.Did the 1st quantative tests of mental abilities ii.Male upper-class were superior in intelligence b.Alfred Binet/ Simon i.hired by Paris to develop a test to determine which students might need help in school c. Lewis Terman i.Revised Binet test to fit US (Cali) ii. Stanford-Binet test 1.Stern- IQ factor mental age=chronological age*100

II.What is intelligence? a.IQ is a concept- to regard it as real, concrete is reification b.Intelligence is a person’s capacity for a goal directed adapted behavior -> includes several abilities

i.Factor analysis approach=statistical procedure that “clusters”different types of intelligence questions together that test thesame kind of intelligence ii.G factor-spearman’s theory that there is a general capacity that underlies specific mental abilities. c.Gardner and multiple intelligences i.Devised a curriculum for schools to tap all 7 intelligences (8 now) d.Sternberg and Wagner- stated that there are 3 types of intelligence i.academic problem solving- one answer ii.practical intelligence- required for everyday tasks, multiple solutions-required for everyday tasks, multiple solutions. iii.creative intelligence- reaction to novel situations, solving riddles, problem solving

III.Neurological measurements of intelligence a.Head size and intelligence-> no b.brain sizeand intelligence-> maybe so c.seems to be a link between how quickly we perceive what is stimulating thinking and intelligence=perception of things. i.speedy seems to be a predictor of some levels of intelligence

IV.assessing information (test on mental ability) a.aptitude- your ability to learn b.achievement- what you have learned c.when one is way out-> indicated learning problems i.WAIS/WISC- mostly used intelligence test because it is designed to test both aptitude and achievement. d.Test construction- ideal bell shaped pattern i.Standardization- all needs revision from time to time due to changes in society (number of students entering college today vs. 50’s_= Flynn effect ii.Reliability- test/retest the same group iii.Validity- does it test what you want to test

1.aptitude tests have predictive value and predict future possibilities for academic achievement but not in life (EQ vs. IQ)

2.SAT is not predictive, why? a.Same scores for all admits b.Some people are on a party passes c.Have learned laziness etc.

V. Dynamics of Intelligence a.High scoring adolescents tend to have been early readers b.Scores stabilize with age- little change after high school age c.Extremes in IQ i.Challenged <70 and difficulty adapting to everyday demands ii.Giftedness >130 (seem to be able to process sensory stimuli for processing more quickly) d.Creativity- the ability to produce novel ideas

VI.Genetics and environment in relation to intelligence a.Significance between intelligence and heredity i.With age, genetic influences become apparent ii.Adopted children’s scores more closely resemble those of biological parents b. Environmental

i.Other than neglectful/dwarfed=no significance except high quality preschools improve performance because better attitudes are formed

c. Ethnic similarities/differences i.Cultures rise and fall over centuries; genes do not. This fact makes it difficult to attribute a natural superiority to any race d. Genetic similarities/differences i.Girls are better spellers, talk earlier, stutter less, and need less remediation for reading ii.Boys seem to score higher on math problems

Vocabanalytical intelligence: according to Sternberg, the ability measured by most IQ tests;

includes the ability to analyze problems and find correct answerschronological age: the number of years since the individual's birthcontent validity: a property exhibited by a test in which each item is representative of the

larger body of knowledge about the subject that the test coverscreative intelligence: according to Sternberg, the form of intelligence that helps people see

new relationships among concepts; involves insight and creativitycriterion validity: a property exhibited by a test that accurately measures performance of

the test taker against a specific learning goalcrystallized intelligence: the knowledge a person has acquired, plus the ability to access

that knowledgeeugenics: a philosophy and a political movement that encouraged biologically superior

people to interbreed and sought to discourage biologically inferior people from having offspring

experts: individuals who possess well-organized funds of knowledge, including the effective problem-solving strategies, in a field

face validity: measures whether a tests looks like it tests what it is supposed to testfluid intelligence: the ability to see complex relationships and solve problemsg factor: a general ability, proposed by Spearman as the main factor underlying all

intelligent mental activitygiftedness: often conceived of representing the upper 2% of the IQ range, commencing

about 30 points above averageheritability: the amount of trait variation within a group, raised under the same conditions,

that can be attributed to genetic differences.inter-rater reliability: a measure of how similarly two different test scorers would score a

testIQ: a numerical score on an intelligence test, originally computed by dividing the mental

age by the chronological age and multiplying by 100item analysis: the process of examining each question on a test to see how it is related to

the objectives being testedmental age: the average age at which normal individuals achieve a particular scoremental retardation: often conceived as representing the lower 2% of the IQ range,

commencing about 30 points below averagemultiple intelligences: a term used to refer to Gardner's theory, which proposes that there

are seven (or more) types of intelligencesnormal range: scores falling near the middle of a normal distributionobjective tests: tests that can be scored easily by machine; multiple choicepractical intelligence: according to Sternberg, the ability to cope with the environment;

sometimes called "street smarts"reliability: a property exhibited by a test that yields the same results over timesavant syndrome: found in individuals who have a remarkable talent even though they are

mentally slow in other domainsself-fulfilling prophecy: observations or behaviors that result primarily from expectationssplit-half reliability: a measure of reliability in which a test is split into two parts and an

individual's scores on both halves are comparedsubjective tests: tests in which individuals are given an ambiguous figure or an open-ended

situation and asked to describe what they see or finish a storytest-retest reliability: a property exhibited by a test on which people get about the same

scores when they take the test more than oncetriarchic theory: the term for Sternberg's theory of intelligence; so called because it

combines three forms of intelligencevalidity: a property exhibited by a test that measures what it purports to measure

VocabAchievement Test: a test designed to assess what a person has learnedAptitude Test: a test designed to predict a person's future performance; aptitude is the

capacity to learnContent Validity: the extent to which a test smaples that behavior that is of interest (such

as a driving test that smaples driving tasks)Creativity: the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas

Criterion: the behavior (such as future college grades) that a test (such as the test) is designed to predict; thus, the measure used in defining whether the test has predictive validity

Down Syndrome: a condition of retardation and associated physical disorders caused by an extra chromosome in one's genetic make up

Emotional Intelligence: the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotionsFactor Analysis: a statistically procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called

factors) on a test; used to identify different dimensions of a performance that underlie one's total score

General Intelligence (g): a general intelligence factor that according to Spearman and others underlies specific mental abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test

Intelligence: mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations

Intelligence Quotient (IQ): IQ was simply a person's mental age divided by chronological age and multiplied by 100

Intelligence Test: a method for assessing an individual's mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others, using numerical scores

Mental Age: a measure of intelligence test performance devised by BinetMental Retardation: a condition of limited mental ability, indicated by an intelligence

sccore of 70 ot below and difficulty in adapting to the demands of life; varies from mild to profound

Normal Curve: the symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes

Predictive Validity: the success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict

Reliability: the extent to which a test yields consistent results, as assessed by the consistency of scores on two halves of the test, on alternate forms of the test, or on retesting

Savant Syndrome: a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in computation or drawing

Standardization: defining meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested standardization group

Stanford-Binet: the widely used American revision (by Terman at Stanford University) of Binet's original intelligence test

Stereotype Threat: a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype

Validity: the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed toWechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS):most widely used intelligence test; containes

verbal performance (nonverbal) subtests

We use intelligence tests to give a numerical value to ones mental abilities by comparing them to others. 

The Origins of Intelligence Testing

Francis Galton  (1822-1911) had great enthusiasm in measuring human traits that lead to the “eugenics”

movement. His goal was to “quantify human superiority” by means of tests on strength, reaction time, sensory

precision and even head size.  Despite his efforts, no correlation whatsoever was found between general mental

abilities and the traits.

Alfred Binet – founder of modern intelligence testing, sought methods to identify students who would have

difficulties in regular classes by measuring ones  Mental Age –  if you perform the way a typical 10 year old

would, then your mental age is 10 years old, regardless of your real age.  This lead to labelling problems.  Ie,

people saw your level of intelligence and not really who you are.

Lewis Truman- developed the current Stanford-Binet intelligence test.  The test measures IQ Intelligence

Quotient- mental age divided by chronological age(real age) times 100.  If you are 12 years old(chronological

age) and your mental abilities are the same as those who are 12 years old (mental age).  Then your IQ is 12/12 X

100= 100, the average IQ.

The stanford-Binet test became applied to many people of differing races.  The result, Truman realized, the

reason why non-Anglo Saxons did worst is because the test measures not only their innate abilities but also

education and cultural distinctiveness.

 

What is Intelligence

We define Intelligence as the ability/capacity to be goal oriented and exhibit adaptive behavior.

IQ is not a fixed “thing” one has; it is merely a score one obtains from a test.

Know that intelligence is always expressed in a context.  Ie, in the context of warriors, musicians, engineers,

artists, different intelligence levels will be expressed in different areas by one individual.

To determine if many factors undermine ones general mental ability, psychologists make use of factor analysis –

a statistical method that identifies a variety of related factors in a test.

Charles Spearman believed that there is a general intelligence factor or g factor undermining each ability/factor. 

Ie, those who excelled in reasoning also did quite well in all other areas such as spatial ability, verbal, memory,

and word fluency.

People with Savant syndrome excel exceptionally in one ability/skill but has limited mental abilities.  Ie, a 12 year

old who has difficulty speaking and walking but can compute numbers as fast as a calculator. Thus, contrary to 

the g factor, Howard Gardner believes we have “multiple intelligences” that are independent of each other.

Also supporting the multiple intelligence theory is the existance of  emotional intelligence – the ability to manage,

express, understand, and perceive emotions.  People with high emotional intelligence do better in social

situations and thus are more successful in careers, marriages, and parenting.  This EI is independent, if not

negatively correlated, with academic intelligence.

With modern brain imaging techniques, researchers still fail (as did with Galton) to find significant correlation

between head size and intelligence.

Brains of people with high performances are less active (intake less glucose), quick, and registers information

with more complexity. One explanation for this could be that people with faster cognitive processes acquire more

information.

 

Assessing Intelligence

Aptitude tests –  predict your future performance or ability to learn new skill.  Ie, college entrance exam(designed

to test your ability to do college work), intelligence tests, physical examinations

Achievement  tests –  assesses your current knowledge or what you know.  Ie, final course examinations

(designed to test the knowledge you already obtained during the course), and chapter tests.

Currently, the most widely used intelligence test is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)  it has 11

subtests and gives a verbal score, a performance score, and an overall score.  Large differences between the

verbal and nonverbal scores indicate possible learning difficulties.

Psychological tests must meet all 3 of the following criteria in order to be widely accepted.

1.    Standardization – To standardize a test, it must first be given to a large representative sample of people in which

their scores will be set as the standard for comparison.

Normal curve- a bell shaped curve of scores formed by standardized test results. The majority (68%) of

people fall within the center or average of the curve.

2.    Reliability –  To be reliable, a test must yield consistent results.  This is done by comparing scores on two halves of a test or by retesting.

3.    Validity – The degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure.

Content validity –  corresponds to  achievements tests. The extent to which a test  measures it’s intended

behavior.

Predictive validity (or criterion-related validity) - corresponds to aptitude tests.  The success the test has in

predicting intended behavior

Criterion –  The behavior being tested.

Flynn Effect – Intelligence tests worldwide show an increase in scores since 1960’s.  BUT aptitude test scores are

decreasing; Possible explanations: Greater academic diversity, better education, and/or improved nutrition.

 The Dynamics of Intelligence

Before age 3, except for extremely impaired children, casual observations and intelligence tests predict future

aptitudes minimally; but by age 3, performances on intelligence tests begin to predict adolescent and adult scores

By age 7, intelligence tests become more stable and increases in stability with age of child

Mental retardation: condition of limited mental ability as indicated by an intelligence score of below 70 and

produces difficulty in adapting to demands of life;  varies from mild to profound; ONLY  one percent of population

meets criteria and males outnumber females by 50 percent

One cause of mental retardation is Down syndrome: physical disorders caused by an extra chromosome in one’s

genetic makeup

Creativity: ability to produce novel and valuable ideas

Discovered that certain level of aptitude is necessary but not sufficient for creativity, correlates, but only to certain

level (score of about 120)

Those who are freed from concern of social approval demonstrate better creativity

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Intelligence

IQ scores of identical twins are virtually the same as though one person taking test twice whereas IQ scores of

fraternal twins are less similar

Evidence of environmental influence –fraternal twins who are no more genetically alike than any other sibling, but

are treated more alike tend to score high than other siblings

Adopted children score more similar to their biological parents than their adopted parents

Heritability: proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes; heritability of trait may vary,

depending on range of populations and environments studied

Environment that siblings share influences their aptitudes marginally, but significantly influences scholastic

achievements

Psychologist J. McVicker Hunt tested the benefits of responsive caregiving; trained caregivers to play vocal

games with infants in which first they imitated babies’ babbling, then led babies in vocal follow-the-leader (shifting

from one familiar sound to another) and finally begin to teach them sounds from Persian language; results were

all 11 infants could name more than 50 objects and body parts by 22 months; Hunt’s experiment shows

importance of environment on children’s intelligence

Racial groups differ in average scores on intelligence tests

Difference not mostly based on genetics unlike individual performance differences because heritability within

groups would not eliminate the possibility of strong environmental impact on the group differences

Example -IQ performances of today’s better-fed and better-educated population exceeds those from 1930s

population by the same amount as average white today exceed average african-american

Girls are better spellers and are equal or surpasses average boy in math grades, but boys tend to score better in

math problem solving

David Geary and Irwin Silverman speculate that skills came from evolutionary perspective where males tend to be

stronger in skills that their ancestral fathers needed such as tracking prey and navigating way home whereas

females were enhanced in keen memory for location of edible planes by their ancestral mothers

Researchers discovered that some people are better emotional detectors than others while women are better at it

than men

Some speculate that through evolution where ancestral mother learned to read emotions of infant and may have

further being fueled by cultural tendencies to encourage empathic skills