Intellectual & Cognitive measures

• The presentation covers intellectual and cognitive measures, covering the definition of intelligence, intelligence scales, achievement measures, and neuropsychological testing.

Defining Intelligence

• Intelligence is a person's global capacity to act purposefully, think rationally, and deal effectively with their environment.
• Intelligence involves reasoning, planning, problem-solving, abstract thinking, comprehending complex ideas, and learning from experience.
• Intelligence includes a wide range of cognitive abilities, such as problem-solving, reasoning, learning, and adaptation.
• Key elements of intelligence include emotional, social, and creative intelligence, along with practical skills.
• A broad definition recognizes diverse cognitive and practice skills beyond traditional academic metrics.
• A narrow definition focuses on specific cognitive skills measured through standardized tests.

Theories of Intelligence Models

• Factor models: involves two or more factors at varying structural levels.
• Hierarchical models: assume different levels of factors, with higher-order factors composed of lower-order ones.
• Information processing models identify processes and operations that reflect how information is handled.

Spearman’s Two-Factor, Thurstone's and Cattell's Models

• Charles Spearman proposed that all intellectual activities share a common core known as the general factor (g).
  • Correlation between tests or abilities indicates their loading on the g factor.
  • Intellectual abilities are not perfectly correlated
• A number of specific factors (s) account for unique aspects of performance.
• Thurstone proposed primary mental abilities including spatial, perceptual, numerical, verbal, word, reasoning, deduction, and induction
  • Overlap of these contributes to Spearman's g.
• Other models suggest anywhere from 2 to 100 factors contribute to intelligence.
• 9thRaymond Cattell proposed a hierarchical model with main factors comprised of sunfactors.
  • Fluid intelligence refers to the ability to solve novel problems (innate intellectual potential).
  • Crystallized intelligence refers to what has been learned in life, from formal education to general life experiences.

Carroll's, Sternberg's and Gardner's Models

• Carroll organized cognitive abilities into a hierarchical structure with three levels or strata.
• Sternberg's triarchic theory includes three interrelated elements:
  • Componential (mental processes), experiential (influence of task novelty), and contextual (interaction with the environment).
• Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences suggests multiple forms of intelligence, linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, naturalist, spiritual, existential and marital.

Clinical Reasons for Intellectual Testing

• Used for diagnosing and monitoring dementia or traumatic brain damage.
• Identifies developmental or academic problems, providing access to programs and services.
• Assists treatment planning and determining employment/training suitability.
• Intelligence tests may not sample the range of mental abilities or have low content validity, clinical psychologists view intelligence test scores as "estimates" of intelligence.
• IQ tests primarily used for practical clinical needs and reasons

Wechsler's Tests and Features

• Created Wechsler intelligence tests, the most widely used.
• Tests includes a Full-Scale Intelligence Scale, index/composite scores (4-5), and subtest scores Index/Composite Scores: 4-5 -VCI (Verbal Comprehension/Concept Formation Index) -PRI: (Perceptual Reasoning Index) -WMI: (Working Memory Index)
  • PSI (Processing Speed Index)
  • Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ)
    • (singular) = 'G" Summing scores on verbal and non-verbal scales Subtest Scores: About a dozen
    • ("S") - Represent increasiningly specific areas of ability
• Wechsler cognitive tests include:
  • Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
  • Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)
  • Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI).
• Administered one-on-one with extensive training.
• Subtests consist of items increasing in difficulty.
• Most subtests appear in all three tests as core or supplemental subtests.
• Tests were split into verbal and performance sections which replaced by 4-5 composite measures.

Weschler Tests: Strengths And Limitations

• Comparing performance to a same-age sample.
• Tests generate an intelligence quotient (IQ).
• Tests used for diagnosing a wide range of clinical applications, including evaluations that focus on issues of intellectual developmental disorder, developmental delays, giftedness, educational and vocational planning, school placement and qualification, etc. Strengths"
  • Reailability
  • Validity
  • Wide-age range -Limitations:
  • Can produce unreliable scores
  • Bias because of culture
  • The administration of tests can be time consuming
  • scoring subtests include subjective elements that can vary based on "examiner's" judgements.
  • Have a "ceiling effect" where older individuals and adults dont test well.

WAIS-IV Information

• Is composed of 15 subtests organized from easy to hard.
• Each raw score is converted to a scaled score (mean=10, SD=3, range=1-19).
• Used to combine scores to form Verbal/Performance IQ (mean=100, sd=15).
• Factor analyzed scaled scores into four composite indexes

WAIS-IV Composition

• VCI: Vocabulary (define words), Similarities (explain how two items alike), Information (answer common questions), Comprehension (answering with correct social norms).
• PRI: Includes Block Design (assemble to match design), Visual Puzzles (Images match up together to make a sample), Picture Completion (Identify a missing thing).
• WMI: Digit Span (repeat back numbers of increasing length).
  • Number / Letter Sequencing
  • Arithmetic -Digit span - increasing length & reverse
• PSI: Symbol Search (indicate if symbol appears within an array of symbols), Coding and cancelation.
• FSIQ is computed (mean=100, sd=15).
• The composite scores are abbreviated-WMI, PSI, PRI, VCI and FSIQ.

WAIS-IV Interpretation

• Interpret WAIS-IV scores: proceeding from the general to the specific.
• Brain dysfunction often affects PRI, WMI & PSI more than VCI.
• Index, and Scaled Scores classify to IQ classifications.

IQ Information and other tests

• Wechsler introduced the use of standard scores.
• Based on normal distribution with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15.
• Factors that can affect IQ include heritability, environmental factors, breastfeeding, socioeconomic status, education, sex, age (older adults decline), and negative stereotype priming.
• Test are also compared to a Norm sample to identify IQ and provide information. Other Cognitive Tests:
  • Stanford Binet 5th addition - SB5 integrates fluid reasoning,knowledge,quantitive reasoning and visual-spatial processing.
  • Kaufman Assessment - for children KABC (2nd Ed), Also Adult Intelligence Test (KAIT).
• Selected Cognitive tests
  • Wechsler memory scale - WMS. tests procedural,declarative(symbolic) & semantic memory.
• Wechsler Individual Achievement test - WIAT evaluates -Academic and Problem-Solving skills.

Additional Terms

• Achievement is what someone has accomplished intellectually, focusing on learning in school.
• A specific learning disorder focuses on the primary comparison between the person's achievement and expected levels of achievement for people of the same age.
• Neuropsychological tests: Tests show how the subject's brain functions.
• Neuropsychological tests are useful for targeted assessment of problems from head injury, prolonged alcohol or drug use, or degenerative brain illness.
• Neuropsychological batteries range from the Halstead-Reitan Battery, to the Luria-Nebraska Battery to other assessments.