Intelligence in Historical Perspective

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Questions and Answers

What idea did Sir Francis Galton propose regarding intelligence?

All individuals have equal mental capacities regardless of lineage.

Genius and intelligence are hereditary and run in families. (correct)

Intelligence cannot be measured or quantified.

Intelligence is solely determined by environmental factors.

What was Alfred Binet's primary contribution to the field of intelligence?

He created the first workable intelligence test for children. (correct)

He established the Eugenics and Genetics Standing Committee.

He proposed the concept of intelligence being solely genetic.

He developed a method for measuring sensory capacities.

How did Binet determine the mental age (MA) of children?

By assessing their familial intelligence.

By measuring their genetic attributes.

By comparing their performance to average scores for their age group. (correct)

By comparing their scores to a standard deviation.

What measurement technique did Galton use to investigate intelligence?

Physical and sensory measurements. Signup and view all the answers

What term did William Stern introduce in relation to Binet’s mental age concept?

Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was a significant consequence of eugenics in South Africa?

Legislation that legitimized oppression through racial categorization. Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic did Binet notice about fast learners compared to slow learners?

Fast learners provided answers typical of older children. Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of intelligence did Galton believe did NOT influence it?

Personal motivation. Signup and view all the answers

What is the formula to calculate IQ?

IQ = MA/CA x 100 Signup and view all the answers

Which child has the highest IQ?

Child B with CA of 8 and MA of 10 Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant criticism of the Stanford-Binet Test?

It relied heavily on verbal skills. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a cognitive domain measured by the WISC-IV?

Nonverbal Learning Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a subtest of Verbal Comprehension in the WISC-IV?

Similarities Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of intelligence did David Wechsler emphasize in his testing?

The deterioration of performance with age Signup and view all the answers

What does Full Scale IQ represent in the WISC-IV?

An aggregate of all subtest scores Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is a reason for using normative scores in intelligence testing?

They provide a consistent standard across ages. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the Socio-economic Deprivation Questionnaire in psychological assessments?

To assist psychologists in identifying the appropriate norm group for comparison Signup and view all the answers

What does the psychometric approach primarily aim to map?

The structure of intellect and mental competencies Signup and view all the answers

In Horn-Cattell’s Two-Factor Theory, what does crystallized intelligence represent?

The factual knowledge and learned skills developed through education Signup and view all the answers

What statistical technique is mainly used in the psychometric approach to reduce multiple measures into factors?

Factor Analysis Signup and view all the answers

What concept did Charles Spearman introduce in understanding intelligence?

The general intelligence factor known as ‘g’ Signup and view all the answers

According to Lubinski's research, which dimension is deemed most significant in cognitive ability studies?

The general intelligence factor (g) Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the main goals of cognitive processes approach in studying intelligence?

To investigate the specific thought processes involved in intelligence Signup and view all the answers

Which age range does the Junior South African Individual Scale (JSAIS-R) target?

3-7 years 11 months Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of fluid intelligence?

Novel problem-solving and inductive reasoning Signup and view all the answers

How does performance on fluid intelligence tests typically change with age?

It declines as one enters late adulthood Signup and view all the answers

What did Louis Thurstone argue about general intelligence?

It is weakly evidenced by a limited correlation between tests Signup and view all the answers

What is the broad category of intelligence in Carroll's Three-Stratum Model that includes gf?

Broad intelligence Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a component of Robert Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Intelligence?

Emotional components Signup and view all the answers

Which type of intelligence in Sternberg's model focuses on everyday problem-solving skills?

Practical intelligence Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence?

Fluid intelligence underlies individual differences in crystallized intelligence Signup and view all the answers

What is a key process associated with metacomponents in Sternberg's Triarchic Theory?

Planning and regulating task performance Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of creative intelligence?

Adaptability to novel problems Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT one of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences?

Technological Signup and view all the answers

What ability is primarily associated with emotional intelligence?

Motivating oneself and regulating personal emotions Signup and view all the answers

Which component is part of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT)?

Understanding Emotions Signup and view all the answers

What does the interpersonal intelligence primarily involve?

Understanding and responding to others' moods Signup and view all the answers

Which intelligence involves the capacity to perform transformations on visual perceptions?

Spatial Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a skill associated with emotional competence?

Mastering coding languages Signup and view all the answers

Which of these intelligences primarily relates to sensitivity and understanding of nature?

Naturalistic Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Historical Perspectives on Intelligence

Early research in intelligence can be linked to Sir Francis Galton and Alfred Binet.
Sir Francis Galton (1822 - 1911) emphasized the role of genetics and heredity in intelligence, proposing that genius runs in families.
Galton conducted physical and sensory measurements (reaction speed, hand strength, sensory acuity, skull size) to explore his theories.

Eugenics in South Africa

In the 1920s, South Africa formed the Eugenics and Genetics Standing Committee within the SAAAS, which promoted racial categorization and oppression.

Alfred Binet’s Contributions

Alfred Binet (1857 - 1911) created the first practical intelligence test in 1905 aimed at assessing school children's mental abilities.
Binet's method involved comparing a child's performance against established age norms determined by testing multiple children across age groups.
Introduced the concept of mental age (MA) to gauge intelligence, noting fast learners answered like older peers while slow learners resembled younger children.

William Stern and IQ

William Stern developed the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) formula: IQ = (MA/CA) x 100, where CA is chronological age.
This approach enables limited cross-age comparisons of intelligence.

Stanford-Binet Test

Lewis Terman revised Binet's test for use in the USA, creating the Stanford-Binet Test, primarily verbal-based, yielding a single score.
The test became a standard measure for clinical psychology, psychiatry, and educational counseling, based on the idea of intelligence being largely hereditary.
The concept of MA is not useful for adults; normative scores provide better performance comparisons.

David Wechsler’s Innovations

David Wechsler introduced a multi-faceted approach to intelligence testing through measures like WAIS-R, WISC-IV, and WPPSI-R.
He developed scales assessing verbal and performance IQ to account for individuals with verbal deficits.
The structure of the WISC-IV consists of four indexes contributing to a comprehensive Full Scale IQ.

Types of Intelligence Testing in South Africa

Senior South African Individual Scale (SSAIS-R) for ages 7-16 years.
Junior South African Individual Scale (JSAIS-R) for ages 3-7 years.
South African Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (SAWAIS) for ages 16-69 years.
Socio-economic Deprivation Questionnaire aids psychologists in contextualizing scores based on background.

Nature of Intelligence

Split into two main approaches:
- Psychometric Approach: Focuses on the structure of intelligence and underlying competencies.
- Cognitive Processes Approach: Examines specific thought processes influencing intelligence.

Psychometric Approaches

Psychometrics utilizes statistical methods to understand psychological tests and determine mental abilities.
Factor Analysis organizes large data sets into clusters based on correlations, aiding comprehension of intelligence structures.

The ‘g’ Factor Theory

Charles Spearman posited the existence of a general intelligence factor ('g') influenced by specific skills ('s').
'g' serves as a predictor for academic and job performance, highlighting its significance in cognitive studies.

Horn-Cattell's Two-Factor Theory

Divides general intelligence ('g') into crystallized intelligence (gc), stable knowledge, and fluid intelligence (gf), which pertains to problem-solving and tends to decline with age.

Louis Thurstone’s Primary Mental Abilities

Proposed seven distinct mental abilities challenging the singular 'g' factor concept, emphasizing diverse cognitive skills.

Carroll’s Three-Stratum Model

Established through extensive factor analysis, this model categorizes intelligence into three levels: general ('g'), broad abilities (gf, gc, plus other functions), and narrow specific skills.

Cognitive Process Approaches

Focus on the information-processing aspects of intelligence; Robert Sternberg's Triarchic Theory divides cognitive skills into metacomponents, performance components, and knowledge-acquisition components.
Sternberg identifies three intelligence types: analytical (problem-solving), practical (everyday skills), and creative (adaptive thinking).

Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Defines eight distinct intelligences:
- Linguistic
- Logical-Mathematical
- Spatial
- Musical
- Bodily-Kinesthetic
- Interpersonal
- Intrapersonal
- Naturalistic
- Existential

Emotional Intelligence

Comprises abilities to accurately perceive, respond to, and regulate emotions.
The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) assesses emotional intelligence through four components:
- Perceiving Emotions
- Using Emotions to Facilitate Thought
- Understanding Emotions
- Managing Emotions

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Description

This quiz explores the historical development of intelligence theories, focusing on key figures such as Sir Francis Galton and Alfred Binet. Discover how early concepts of intelligence have shaped contemporary understanding and assessment of cognitive abilities.