Chapter 9B - Intelligence PDF

Chapter 9B Intelligence Sample Footer Text 1 Topics Covered Intelligence & Creativity Measures of Intelligence Source of Intelligence What is Intelligence? o Concept of intelligence has changed throughout the history of psychology o Traditionally, intelligence was...

Chapter 9B Intelligence Sample Footer Text 1 Topics Covered Intelligence & Creativity Measures of Intelligence Source of Intelligence What is Intelligence? o Concept of intelligence has changed throughout the history of psychology o Traditionally, intelligence was defined as one’s mental abilities  But, it is argued by many that non-mental qualities are also part of intelligence Classifying Intelligence o There are different intellectual abilities… e.g., math, verbal, reasoning o If you are gifted in one are you gifted in others? Charles Spearman (1863- 1945) o Found evidence for one factor comprising intelligence:  Called this the g factor – general factor o Focused on commonalities between intellectual abilities, and de-emphasised uniqueness Raymond Cattell (1940s) o Intelligence is composed of two components: o Crystallized intelligence o Fluid intelligence  Robert Sternberg (1980s) Triarchic Theory of Intelligence Intelligence is made up of three interacting components 1. Analytical 2. Creative 3. Practical Howard Gardner (1980s) Multiple Intelligences Theory  There is no single, unified intelligence  Independent intelligences arising from different portions of the brain  Intra- and inter-personal can be combined into a single factor:  emotional intelligence Cattell-Horn-Carrol (CHC) Theory of Cognitive Abilities  General abilities at the top (e.g., general intelligence)  Broad abilities in the middle (e.g., short-term memory)  Narrow abilities at the bottom (e.g., memory span, working capacity) Cultural Intelligence o What constitutes intelligence can vary by culture o Cultural intelligence: how well you relate to the values of your culture Creativity o The ability to produce novel and valuable ideas, solutions, and possibilities o Intelligence may be necessary, but it is not sufficient for creativity. o Cultures define and appreciate creativity in different ways. Topics Covered Intelligence & Creativity Measures of Intelligence Source of Intelligence  History of Intelligence Testing o Intelligence Quotient (IQ): First approach to calculating intelligence History of Intelligence Testing Francis Galton (1822-1911) ▪ Thought Intelligence was inherited (Darwin’s cousin) ▪ Devised many tests of intellect ▪ e.g., reaction times, sensory acuity, body proportions, etc ▪ He coined the term “nature-nurture”, arguing of course that intellect was inherited ▪ Started the “Eugenics” movement which inspired many people like Hitler History of Intelligence Testing Alfred Binet (1857-1911) o First to develop reliable intelligence testing o Devised tests that most children at a given age would pass  Goal was to identify children in the new public education system that might need alternative forms of education or additional support. History of Intelligence Testing Lewis Terman (1877-1956) o Adapted Binet’s tests:  To reflect (white) American culture  Became known as “Stanford-Binet” test (1916)  Still used in U.S. to assess intelligence  Standardized the administration of the test and tested thousands of different-aged children to establish an average score for each age. o Advocated widespread testing: 1. to assess “vocational fitness”. 2. (like Galton) to eradicate the less intelligent History of Intelligence Testing Lewis Terman (1877-1956) o Standardization: ensuring the manner of administration, scoring, and interpretation of results of a test are consistent o Norming: administering a test to a large population so data can be collected comparing groups (e.g., age groups) History of Intelligence Testing David Wechsler (1896-1981) o Believed that intelligence is more than just verbal skills o Developed a new intelligence test combining subscales from various existing tests History of Intelligence Testing David Wechsler (1896-1981) o Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) o Includes verbal and non-verbal questions/tasks (less cultural bias) o 14 sub-tests o Test Yields: Overall Score (“IQ”) and scores on five scales: 1. Verbal Comprehension 2. Visual Spatial 3. Working Memory 4. Fluid Reasoning Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). 5. Processing Speed History of Intelligence Testing Flynn effect: rise in average IQ scores over time throughout the world  Nearly 30-point increase since 1918! Intelligence Test Scores The Bell Curve o AKA: Normal Distribution o Qualities of a normal distribution:  Mean, median, and mode are all equivalent  Distribution is symmetrical  Distribution is uniform Intelligence Test Scores The Bell Curve and IQ scores IQ = Intelligence Quotient o Average IQ = 100 o Standard deviation: describe how data are dispersed in a population o For modern IQ test, normed SD is 15.  About 68% of the population has an IQ score between + one standard deviation (+15 points) of the mean (100)  95% of the population has an IQ score + 2 standard deviations (+30 IQ points) of the mean Extremes of Intelligence o Intellectual disability: general intellectual functioning below normal and poor adaptive functioning o 2.2% of the population have IQ130) and usually evident at a young age. According to Turman Highly Gifted individuals: o Well-educated, well-adjusted as adults o Above average build, attractiveness Why Measure Intelligence? 1. To determine whether cognitive/behavioural problems partially caused by IQ score different from peers 2. To determine whether an individual is fit to stand trial in court 3. To determine whether someone is eligible for disability benefits Topics Covered Intelligence & Creativity Measures of Intelligence Source of Intelligence Source of Intelligence Nature vs. Nurture Heritability: the overall extent to which difference among people are attributable to genes o Nature: Twin studies  Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart  Higher correlation between intelligence scores of identical twins reared together (+.86) and identical twins reared apart (+.75) than fraternal twins (+.60) o Nurture  Intelligence levels impacted by levels of stimulation provided by caregivers  Low SS children have fewer skills when they go to school, likely due to lack of intellectual stimulation Range of Reaction o The upper and lower level of intelligence made possible by a child’s genetic nature  Potential is hardwired by genetics  Whether you reach it is determined by environment Racial Differences in Intelligence o Racial and ethnic groups differ in their average scores on traditional intelligence tests o What explains this finding?  Environmental differences  Bias: Test predicts outcomes better for certain groups than others Research suggests modern IQ tests not racially biased  Tests also may be easier for certain cultures  Current trend to identify questions that are culturally biased and to remove them from future tests IQ and Eugenics o Eugenics: improvement of the human species by only permitting those with desirable genetic characteristics to reproduce o Beliefs led to policies that included sterilization of people with low IQs and limits on immigration. o Hugely problematic, obviously. Stereotype Threat o Expectation of performance based on a perceived stereotype can influence test scores o This effect has been shown with a variety of groups based on gender, race, socioeconomic status, and program of study o Caused by cognitive and emotional factors o Can be reduced with positive self-affirmations