Understanding Intelligence Concepts

What is Intelligence?

• The global capacity to act purposefully, think rationally, and deal effectively with the environment.
• Defined by Wechsler.

Intelligence Tests vs Other Tests

• Aptitude tests measure ability in specific areas
• Achievement tests measure what has already been learned.
• Intelligence tests measure comprehensive capability across all relevant domains.

Three Approaches to Intelligence

• Psychometric Approach
  • Began with the idea that some children seem to have more potential than others.
  • Children differ in scholastic aptitude, meaning they must be different in intelligence level.
• Multiple Intelligence Approach
  • Intelligence is expressed in many ways.
  • Criticizes psychometric approach.
• Information Processing Approach
  • Investigates the building blocks of intelligence.
  • Ex: How good is memory? Good memory implies a higher intelligence.
  • Ex: How good are you at learning new patterns? Good at learning patterns implies a higher intelligence.
  • While the upper limit of intelligence may be fixed intelligence can worsen over time due to factors such as alcohol addiction and dementia.

Psychometric Approach

• Children seem to have different potential.
• This approach assumes the existence of intelligence and then tests and quantifies it.
• Similar to the process for personality tests.
• Binet & Simon: Developed 30 tests of "natural intelligence". It is important to consider which tests capture different aspects of intelligence, which ones have the best predictive ability, and which ones overlap.
  • Spearman revised this to a general ability approach (g) in 1904.
  • This led to the two-factor theory.
    • g: general ability, central factor. Higher g means more intelligent. Lower g means less intelligent.
    • s: specific ability. We have or lack aptitudes in specific domains such as: logical, spatial, mechanical, and arithmetical.
  • Predictive validity: the theory should be able to identify events in people's lives that are expressions of intelligence and accurately predict which people are likely to enact intelligent activities.
  • The two-factor theory has predictive validity:
    • g correlates with a greater score on the following:
      • Elementary school grades: r=0.7; 49% variability
      • High school grades: 36% variability
      • College students: 20% variability
      • Graduate students: 15% variability
      • The correlation between g and grades decreases over time, likely because habits play a more significant role in grades than intelligence.
    • Mechanical s correlates with video games: 15% variability.

Multiple Intelligences Approach

• Intelligence is a product of many communicating systems.
• Supporting evidence:
  • Brain damage often impacts a specific ability but not other abilities.
  • Development of systems happens at different ages.
  • "Gifted" individuals may possess a strong ability in one domain but not in another.
• Gardner's 7 (or 8) intelligences:
  • Logical/mathematical
  • Verbal
  • Visual-spatial
  • Intra-personal (understanding yourself)
  • Social (interpersonal)
  • Body/kinesthetic
  • Musical
  • Naturalistic
• Limitations:
  • Multiple intelligences are strongly correlated with each other. This is problematic as they should be unique.
  • This implies the existence of g.
  • Multiple intelligences strongly correlate with g.
  • This is a subjective theory. Different researchers could defend different sets of intelligences.
  • This theory has low predictive validity.
    • 10% variability of elementary grades (vs 49% of the two-factor theory).

Information Processing Approach

• Complements the other two approaches, which are in competition with each other.
• Investigates basic processes supporting intelligence.
  • Processing speed: How quickly can you perform mental tasks?
    • Ex: How fast can you press a button when you see a dot on a computer screen?
    • Ex: How quickly can you say the color you see on a screen?
  • Acquiring new mental processes or habits
  • Inhibiting previously learned mental processes.
  • Knowledge base or crystallized intelligence: more like achievement than intelligence.
• No conclusion on the structure of these basic mechanisms.
  • Much of the evidence supports the "working memory factor."
  • Other evidence points to a three-factor model: updating, shifting, and inhibition.

Defining Intelligence: Synthesis

• Data seems to indicate:
  • A general factor (g), which is a good way of thinking of human intelligence.
  • Intelligence is expressed in many different ways (s) -- these are not intelligences on their own.
  • This is a better way of thinking about intelligence than Gardner's theory of multiple approaches.
  • There are underlying mechanisms that support higher levels of intelligence.

Explore the multifaceted concept of intelligence through various approaches and assessments. This quiz delves into the definitions, comparisons between intelligence tests and other evaluations, and three distinct approaches to understanding intelligence. Test your knowledge on this intriguing subject!