Chapter 5 Intelligence PDF

Chapter 5 Intelligence David Wechsler defined Intelligence as the global capacity to think rationally, act purposefully, and deal effectively with the environment.  The Development of Intelligence Tests With the help of Psychiatrist Theodore Simon, French psychologist Alfred...

Chapter 5 Intelligence David Wechsler defined Intelligence as the global capacity to think rationally, act purposefully, and deal effectively with the environment.  The Development of Intelligence Tests With the help of Psychiatrist Theodore Simon, French psychologist Alfred Binet developed procedures to identify students who might require special help. They devised a series of tests to measure different mental abilities, which focused on elementary mental abilities such as memory, attention, and the ability to understand similarities and differences. Binet’s observations lead to the idea of a mental level or a mental age, which was different from child’s chronological age. Mental age: A measurement of intelligence in which an individual’s mental level is expressed in terms of the average abilities of a given age group. Binet’s test was adapted in the United States by Lewis Terman, who named it The Stanford-Binet intelligence scale. Scores expressed in a number called IQ. Intelligence quotient (IQ): A global measure adapted by Lewis Terman, derived by comparing an individual’s score with the score of others in the same group.  Does a High IQ score ?Predict Success in Life To investigate the relationship between high IQ and success in life, Lewis M. Terman (1921) set up a longitudinal research that identified 1500 schoolchildren with “genius” IQ –above 140- and here are some of the findings: - Those children tended to be socially well- adjusted. - They were physically: taller, stronger, and healthier than average children  As the general success of Terman’s gifted child demonstrates, high intelligence can certainly contribute to success in life. But intelligence alone is not enough. Although IQ scores do reliably predict academic success, success in school is no guarantee of success beyond school. David Wechsler (1896- 1981) believed that intelligence involved in a variety of mental abilities. He also strongly believed that IQ scores could be influenced by personality, motivation, and cultural factors.  Wechsler Intelligence Scale Designed for adults rather than children Provides scores on 11 subtests measuring different abilities. The subtest scores were grouped to provide an overall verbal score and performance score.  Wechsler Intelligence Scale The Verbal score: Vocabulary Comprehension Knowledge of general information Other verbal tasks.  Wechsler Intelligence Scale Performance score: Identify the missing part in incomplete picture. Arranging picture to tell a story. Arranging blocks to match a given pattern. The Wechsler Intelligence scale for children Revised and updated in 1991, the WISC-III is designed to asses the intelligence of children ages 6 to 16, and revised in 2003 (WISC-IV)  Principles of Intelligence Test Construction There are three basic requirements of a good test design: 1) Standardization 2) Reliability 3) Validity  Standardization The administration of a test to a large, representative sample of people under uniform conditions for the purpose of establishing norms (the standard against which an individual score is compared and interpreted). IQ test’s norm a closely follow a pattern of normal curve or normal distribution.  The Normal Curve A bell shaped distribution of individual differences in a normal population in which most scores cluster around the average score The Normal Curve of Distribution of IQ Reliability: The ability of a test to produce consistent results when administrated on repeated occasions under similar conditions. Validity: The ability of a test to measure what it is intended to measure.  The Nature of Intelligence Psychologist do not agree about the basic nature of intelligence, including whether it is a single, general ability and whether it includes skills and talents as well as mental aptitude.  Theories of Intelligence Charles Spearman: Intelligence is a general ability, he called it: G Factor or General Intelligence: According to Spearman, the notion of a general intelligence factor that is responsible for a person’s overall performance on tests of mental ability.  Louis L. Thurstone : Intelligence is a cluster of abilities Louis L. Thurstone (1887-1955) American Psychologist, he believed that there were seven different “primary mental abilities”, each a relatively independent element of intelligence.  Howard Gardner: Multiple Intelligences Rather than one intelligence, Howard Gardner believes that there are “multiple intelligences”. To Gardner, intelligence is the ability to solve problems, or to create products, that are valued within one or more cultural settings.  Robert Stenberg: Three forms of Intelligence Analytic Intelligence: The mental processes used in learning how to solve problems Creative Intelligence: The ability to deal with novel situations by drawing on existing skills and knowledge. Practical Intelligence: The ability to adapt to the environment “street smart”. Depending on situation, culture and environment.  The Roles of Genetics and Environment in Determining Intelligence Both genetics and environment contribute to intelligence, but the relationship is complex. Twin Studies: Identical twins raised together have a very similar IQ scores. Identical twins raised in separate homes have IQs that are slightly less similar. Thank You