Chapter 9: Intelligence and IQ Testing PDF

PSYC 105 Chapter 9: Intelligence and IQ Testing  Ancient Greeks (BCE) Noticedindividual differences in human characteristics Came to believe that these differences have real life consequences  Ancient Chinese 220 BCE – 1905 AC First to use civil ser...

PSYC 105 Chapter 9: Intelligence and IQ Testing  Ancient Greeks (BCE) Noticedindividual differences in human characteristics Came to believe that these differences have real life consequences  Ancient Chinese 220 BCE – 1905 AC First to use civil serve examinations This created to a competent bureaucratic ruling class And the world’s first meritocracy Premises Behind Testing Today Individuals differ along hypothetical psychological constructs -- explanatory variables which are not directly observable (e.g., self esteem) Constructs have meaningful implications Constructs are measureable & those measurements are useful  Why We Test 1. screen/select applicants 2. evaluate functioning/assessment 3. personal development 4. research  3 Types of Tests 1. Mental Tests ⚫ Aptitude tests ⚫ Achievement tests ⚫ Intelligence tests  3 Types of Tests 2. Dispositional Tests ⚫ Personality ⚫ Interests, attitudes, values ⚫ Mood, emotions  3 Types of Tests 3. Abilities/Perceptual-Motor Skills Tests ⚫ Artistic/Creative ⚫ Neuropsychological ⚫ Mechanical ability  Quality Tests Are Always… Standardized = uniform procedures are used to administer, score, & interpret all individual’s tests Normed ⚫ Representative sample data with which to compare scores against  Psychometrics Thefield of psychology (& education) that specializes in the development & evaluation of psychological tests  3 Levels of Evaluation Psychometric properties ⚫ 1. Reliability ⚫ 2. Validity ⚫ 3. Generalizability  Test Quality Depends on a test’s usefulness ⚫ E.g., Lactose Intolerance Test vs. Criminal Test, both with equally great psychometric properties Is subjective in the end Intelligence Tests  Intelligence Difficult and controversial to define Hypothetical, intangible We know it by its effects  Binet and Simon “…judgment, otherwise called good sense, practical sense, initiative, the faculty of adapting oneself to circumstances. To judge well, to comprehend well, to reason well, these are the essential activities of intelligence” Emphasison judgment, understanding, and reasoning  Terman (1916) Ability to do abstract thinking  Wechsler (1958) “…ability to act purposefully, think rationally, and deal effectively with the environment” Inclusionof motivation and goals, as well as cognitive skills  Sternberg (1999) “ability to achieve success in life in terms of one's personal standards, within one's sociocultural context” Deemphasizes role of cognitive skill, emphasizes fit with environment  Boring (1923) Intelligence is “whatever is measured by an intelligence test”  Commonalities 1. Abstract thinking 2. Benefitting from experience 3. Solving problems through reasoning 4. Adapting to new situations 5. Focusing abilities to achieve goals  Scrap It? Some have suggested abandoning the attempt to define or test intelligence Intelligence Tests Predict Success Education Occupation Socioeconomic Outcomes Mortality and Quality of Life 3 Approaches: Last 100 Years  1. Psychometric Approach Intelligence can be measured to reveal individual differences Early emphasis on practicality (i.e., classification, prediction) over theory Charles Spearman (1927)  Spearman’s “g” Factor Two Factor Model g factor = general factor of intelligence common to all types of intellectual activity s factor = specific factors which are unique to problems Howard Gardner (1983)  Gardner’s (1983) 8 Theorized 8 independent abilities 5 of which were not previously recognized Based largely on naturalistic assessments (i.e., classroom observation)  Gardner’s 8 Nontraditional ⚫ 4. Musical ⚫ 5. Bodily-kinesthetic ⚫ 6. Interpersonal ⚫ 7. Intrapersonal ⚫ 8. Naturalistic  Gardner’s 8 Traditional ⚫ 1. Linguistic ⚫ 2. Logical-mathematical ⚫ 3. Visuo-Spatial Raymond Cattell (1963)  Cattell’s 2 Intelligences Fluid = innate; enables to solve new problems and perceive relations, similarities, and parallels ⚫ Mostly nonverbal, independent of experience Crystallized = learned; accumulated knowledge from exposure of fluid intelligence to environment & life lessons ⚫ Mostly verbal, experience dependent  2. Neurological Approach Halstead (1961) proposed 4 biological based cognitive functions that are relatively independent of culture  Halstead’s (1961) 4 1. Central integrative (C) = organize & integrate new experiences 2.Abstraction (A) = ability to group things, perceive similarities & differences  Halstead (1961) 3. Power (P) = undistorted cognitive strength; includes ability to suspend affect 4.Directional (D) = factor provides focus and direction to a person’s ability  Brain Volume Research generally shows a weak to moderate positive correlation between brain volume and IQ, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 Thismeans that individuals with larger brain volumes tend to score slightly higher on IQ tests, on average  3. Developmental Approaches Emphasis on the thoughts, not their results Jean Piaget (1972) ⚫ Recognized qualitative differences in kids’ thinking across age groups Jean Piaget  Piaget’s Generalizations 1. Cognitive growth follows fixed patterns 2. Timing varies but sequence doesn’t 3. Mental growth is done in late teens Intelligence Testing  Binet Scales 1904 Alfred Binet petitions French government for money to develop a test that can distinguish between normal & abnormal learners Assembled a large pool of items; administered to children that ranged in age; selected items that children progressively answered correctly  1905: Binet-Simon 30-item Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale Score was in Mental Age = the age at which a child is performing intellectually Firsttest to accurately predict school performance  1916: Stanford-Binet Translated by Lewis Terman at Stanford University into English & introduction of new scoring: ⚫ Intelligence Quotient (IQ) = (Mental Age / Chronological Age) × 100 Allowed for comparison across age groups  Improvements SB 2 in 1937, lowered floor, increased ceiling SB 3 in 1960, better norms, deviation scoring SB 4 in 1983, more attention to clinical needs; scoring based on Cattell–Horn-Carol ⚫ Verbal, quantitative, abstract/visual reasoning SB 5 in 2003, lowered flow & increased ceiling, scoring system like rival, now five factors of IQ  David Wechsler’s Scale Administration of Army Alpha & Army Beta Tests to WWI recruits Wartook him to London where he studied under Pearson & Spearman Became chief psychologist at Bellevue Hospital in New York; was unsatisfied with the Stanford-Binet for adults Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale (WBIS; 1939) FullScale IQ = an equal weighting of verbal and performance 11 subtests taken from other tests  Later Versions Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS; 1955) WAIS 2 in 1981 WAIS 3 in 1997 WAIS 4 in 2008 WAIS 5 in 2024 Few changes over the years Re-standardized to keep up with changing demographics & the Flynn Effect Interpreting Scores  Interpreting FSIQ most important because most reliable and valid IfVIQ > PIQ or PIQ > VIQ by 12 points, then FSIQ is invalid & factors should be assessed individually  Interpreting Large discrepancies have diagnostic value, may indicate cognitive phenomena (e.g., learning disability, brain injury) or cultural phenomena (e.g., education)  Low IQ Not surprising low IQ it is still a major focus of testing Criteria of Intellectual Disability (ID; 2% prevalence): ⚫ 1. Low IQ (i.e., IQ < 70) ⚫ 2. Low functional behavior (e.g., ability to shop, dress, eat) ⚫ 3. Early onset (< 18 years old)  High IQ Giftedness is defined as FSIQ > 130 (2% prevalence) Genius is often confused with giftedness Most don’t define genius on IQ score  Termites 1921 Lewis Terman identifies hundreds of top 1% scorers (IQ > 155) on SB and follows throughout lifetime, checking in every 5 years Produced more patents, papers, & books than counterparts, but no exceptional achievements (it isn’t enough to just be capable)  Termites Shattered stereotypes: they were physically, mentally, & emotionally healthier More rebellious, restless, strong willed, & obnoxious Problems with IQ Testing  Misinterpretation & Misuse Henry Goddard ⚫ Introduced Intelligence testing in the U.S ⚫ Advocated eugenics ⚫ Controversial legacy  Bias Testshave been criticized for bias in several ways, particularly cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic factors Disparity in outcomes doesn’t equal bias Problem is the culture group of the test creators is not the top scoring group END