Cognitive Development II: Intelligence and Tests

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Questions and Answers

Which type of intelligence involves the ability to see new connections and question conventional wisdom?

Practical intelligence

Interpersonal intelligence

Analytical intelligence

Creative intelligence (correct)

What are the four dimensions measured by the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking?

Conventionality, originality, flexibility, and clarity

Innovation, adaptation, originality, and precision

Imagination, creativity, productivity, and spontaneity

Fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration (correct)

Which type of intelligence is often associated with the ability to identify one's own strengths and set personal goals?

Intrapersonal intelligence (correct)

Bodily kinesthetic intelligence

Linguistic intelligence

Naturalistic intelligence

What aspect distinguishes practical intelligence from analytical and creative intelligence?

Ability to apply knowledge to real-life situations Signup and view all the answers

Which type of intelligence is primarily measured by typical IQ and achievement tests?

Analytical intelligence Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of a child’s environment on their IQ score in relation to their reaction range?

A better environment raises IQ scores towards the upper limit. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about the relationship between preschool quality and later life outcomes?

Quality preschool programs have little impact on high school graduation rates. Signup and view all the answers

How do cultural beliefs about achievement vary?

Some cultures emphasize innate ability, while others focus on effort. Signup and view all the answers

What is suggested as a potential cause of sex differences in spatial abilities?

Hormonal differences and prenatal environment variations. Signup and view all the answers

According to information-processing theory, what factor may underlie individual differences in IQ scores?

Variations in the speed of information processing. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence is NOT included in the traditional types of intelligence?

Physical intelligence. Signup and view all the answers

What do studies suggest about the reaction of typically developing children versus children with mental retardation in terms of information processing?

Flexibility in strategy use differs between the two groups. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements describes a disadvantage of later-born children?

They have lower interaction with adults compared to their siblings. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is important in determining a child's effective intellectual performance?

Environmental factors and genetics together. Signup and view all the answers

How does early childhood education influence children’s placement in special education?

Children with quality preschool experiences are less likely to require special education. Signup and view all the answers

What main abilities are included in the definition of intelligence?

Ability to reason abstractly Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following tests measures cognitive skills primarily in infants?

Bayley Scales of Infant Development Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of achievement tests?

To evaluate specific knowledge learned Signup and view all the answers

As a child ages, what typically happens to their IQ score stability?

It becomes more stable Signup and view all the answers

What factor is noted as a risk factor affecting IQ scores?

Mother's level of education Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is true about the Flynn effect?

Children today perform better on tasks than children did in the past Signup and view all the answers

What does the intelligence quotient (IQ) compare?

A child's performance against their peers Signup and view all the answers

How do shared environments affect children's IQ scores?

They provide significant contributions to intellectual development Signup and view all the answers

What is implied by the term 'cumulative deficit' regarding IQ?

Long-term poverty negatively impacts cognitive function. Signup and view all the answers

Which of these statements concerning individual IQ score variation is true?

Heredity and environment both contribute to IQ score differences. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic measured in modern IQ tests?

Floating memory skills Signup and view all the answers

What role do parents play in a child's intellectual development according to protective factors?

They provide a complex and interesting environment. Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of an IQ test compared to an achievement test?

Revealing potential cognitive abilities Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of family dynamics can affect individual differences in IQ within a family?

Nonshared environment Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Cognitive Development II: Individual Differences in Cognitive Abilities

Intelligence involves abstract reasoning, learning from experience, and adapting to environments.
Early IQ tests, developed by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon (1905), aimed to identify children needing extra support in school. These tests assessed vocabulary, comprehension, mathematical and verbal reasoning skills.
Lewis Terman revised and adapted the Binet-Simon test for US use, creating the Stanford-Binet test, with six age-appropriate versions.
IQ score calculations now directly compare a child's performance to the average performance of others their same age. An IQ of 100 is considered average.
Gifted and mentally retarded children represent a small portion of the population's IQ distribution.
Modern IQ tests, like the Stanford-Binet V, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III), and Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC-IV), assess various cognitive functions.
Infant tests (like the Bayley Scales) evaluate sensory and motor skills development in infants with increasing difficulty, helping identify developmental delays and disorders.
Achievement tests measure what a child has already learned in school, assessing the acquired knowledge and skills versus broader intellectual abilities. Comparing a child's achievement to their peers is a key component of this assessment.
IQ scores are generally quite stable as children get older. However, some variation exists in younger children.
IQ tests are evaluated based on validity– whether the test measures what it's designed to predict. Real-world performance should match the test results for validity.
Twin and adoption studies suggest significant hereditary influence on IQ scores (up to 80% of variation). However, environment also contributes.

Explaining Individual Differences in IQ Scores

Family environment strongly impacts intellectual development. Low Socioeconomic status and parental education can be risk factors impacting cognitive development. Adverse experiences in early life can lead to a cumulative deficit.
Children in families often experience different environments; therefore, nonshared environment factors are important to consider.
Early intervention programs can significantly impact cognitive development
Interactions between heredity and environment are crucial, forming a reaction range for intellectual performance. The environment pushes intellectual performance towards the upper or lower ends of this range.

Group Differences in IQ or Achievement Test Scores

A lack of valid and reliable tests across various cultures may confound cross-cultural comparisons of IQ/achievement scores. Different cultural values of innate ability and effort can also affect scores on these tests.

Sex Differences

Sex differences in cognitive abilities are not consistently established though some minor differences in mathematical reasoning and spatial abilities may be observed. Prenatal environments or genetic predispositions may influence differences between boys and girls. Beliefs of parents play a role.

Alternative Views of Intelligence

Information processing speed can influence IQ scores; people with faster processing often score higher.
The flexibility and types of strategies used to solve problems can also be a key part of intelligence.
Other theoretical perspectives exist, like Sternberg's triarchic theory and Gardner's multiple intelligences, which identify different types/aspects/components of intelligence.

Measuring Creativity

Conventional IQ tests do not assess creativity directly.
Divergent thinking, the ability to generate multiple solutions to a problem, is a key component of creativity. Assessment of creativity often uses tests that measure aspects of fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration.

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Description

Explore the complexities of cognitive development and individual differences in intelligence through historical and modern IQ tests. This quiz covers early assessments by Binet and Terman, as well as contemporary scales used to evaluate various cognitive abilities. Test your knowledge on how intelligence is defined and measured across different populations.