Intelligence

What is Intelligence? Fluid Intelligence – processing ability Crystallized Intelligence – knowledge acquired By age 3 children’s performances can predict future intelligence. Fluid intelligence decreases to about age 75.

“g” - factor Charles Spearman believes there is a general intelligence. Used factor analysis to identify and quantify abilities in certain areas. If your good at one thing, then you’ll be good at another.

Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Are these people bodily-kinesthetic geniuses equal to Einstein and DaVinci? =

Are these people Moral geniuses?

Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand your own emotions and those of people around you. Highly intelligent people can be social morons

Autistic/Idiot Savants Score low on intelligence tests, but have extraordinary skills usually in the form of memory feats, or mathematic, artistic, or musical abilities Rain Man Rex Lewis Clack Stephen Wiltshire

Colleges and Universities Should schools take multiple intelligence into account when accepting students? How can schools incorporate multiple intelligences into their curriculums? Should They?

Tests Aptitude tests – attempt to predict future performance (SAT, GRE, ACT) Achievement tests – attempt to measure what you’ve learned (Regents exams, AP exam)

What makes a good test? Standardization and Norms (avg. scores) Norms determine how well you do compared to a representative sample. Typically form a normal distribution.

What makes a good test? Reliability – consistent results Test-retest and split-half scores help predict reliability Validity – the test measures what it is supposed to measure. Criterion related validity – does it measure what’s intended? Can a test be reliable, but not valid? Can a test be valid, but have low reliability?

Predictive Validity of the SAT Is the SAT reliable? Is the SAT a valid test? Is the SAT a valid measure of future performance? Low predictive validity SAT math (r = .39) SAT verbal (r = .37) H.S. grades (r = .46) Combined predictors (r = .57) Females score 35-40 points lower than males, yet they get better grades in college. Class rank and high school GPA seem to be the best predictors of future performance. Why do colleges use it?

 SAT takers in the Year 2002 Verbal Math Total  Ethnic Group  Amer. Indian or Alaskan Native 479 483 962  Asian,Asian Amer., orPacific Islander 501 569 1070  African American or Black 430 427 857  Mexican or Mexican American 446 457 903  Puerto Rican 455 451 906  Other Hispanic or Latino 458 464 922  White 527 533 1060  Other 502 514 1016  Familiy Income    Less than $10,000/year 417 442 859  $10,000 - $20,000/year 435 453 888  $20,000 - $30,000/year 461 470 931  $30,000 - $40,000/year 480 485 965  $40,000 - $50,000/year 496 997  $50,000 - $60,000/year 505 509 1014  $60,000 - $70,000/year 511 516 1027  $70,000 - $80,000/year 517 524 1041  $80,000 - $100,000/year 530 538 1068  More than $100,000/year 555 568 1123  Gender  Female 500 1002  Male 507 534  ALL TEST-TAKERS 504 1020

First Intelligence Tests Alfred Binet established a test to identify students who needed additional help in schooling. Simon and Binet attempted to measure a child’s mental age. Herman Terman created the Stanford-Binet Test to determine IQ

Modern Tests of Mental Abilities Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) – set of 11 subtests Wechsler Scale for Children (WISC)

Change over time Flynn effect – we are smarter today Why? Avg. IQ score 80 yrs. ago was a 76 Goes up about 3 pts. every decade Why? Better nutrition? More Education? More Stimulating environments?

Stability vs. Change Baby’s 2-11 months who become bored easily tend to score higher on IQ tests 10 years later. By age 7 intelligence test scores stabilize.

Group Differences Asians score higher than whites Jews score higher than gentiles Whites score higher than blacks About 15 pts. or 1 SD 16% of blacks score higher than avg. white Hispanics are between whites and blacks and Native Americans are below blacks What accounts for these differences?

Environmental effects Differences in child-rearing Commands vs. explanations TV watching Inferior schools Nutrition Prenatal care Lead pollution and other toxins

Genetic Influences Adopted children are more similar to their biological parents Twin studies 163 twins reared apart have similar IQs

Social Class and Intelligence The Eugenics Movement wanted to discourage reproduction of individuals IQ is strongly related to Crime Poverty levels Welfare