Unit 11: Testing and Individual Differences

How is intelligence defined? Intelligence-mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations. An intelligence test assesses people’s mental abilities and compares them with others, using numerical scores.

Intelligence Fluid intelligence Crystallized intelligence Our ability to solve abstract problems & pick up new information & skills Crystallized intelligence Using knowledge accumulated over time

Theories of Intelligence Charles Spearman’s General intelligence (g): underlies specific mental abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test Factor analysis: statistical technique that measures correlations between different items Several distinct abilities tend to cluster together and to correlate enough to define a general intelligence factor L.L. Thurstone: Seven clusters of primary mental abilities: Word fluency, Verbal comprehension, Spatial ability, Perceptual speed, Numerical ability, Inductive reasoning, and Memory

Theories of Intelligence Howard Gardner’s Eight Intelligences Linguistic Logical-mathematical Musical Spatial Daniel Goleman- EQ Emotional intelligence-similar to Gardner’s interpersonal & intra- personal intelligences Bodily-kinesthetic Intrapersonal Interpersonal Naturalist

Theories of Intelligence Robert Sternberg’s 3 Intelligences Triarchic theory Analytical (academic problem-solving) intelligence: present well-defined problems with only one right answer Creating intelligence: reacting adaptively to inventive situations and generating innovative ideas Practical intelligence- required for everyday tasks, which may be ill- defined with multiple solutions

Intelligence Testing Alfred Binet Identifying school children who might need educational assistance Created a standardized test that would determine a child’s mental age: the level of performance performance typically associated with a certain chronological age Allowed him to differentiate between children functioning at different levels

Intelligence Testing Lewis Terman-used Binet’s system to create the intelligence quotient (IQ): IQ = (mental age/chronological age) X 100 IQ of 100 is considered average Terman was a professor at Stanford, the test he created is known as the Stanford-Binet Test

Intelligence Testing David Wechsler measured intelligence differently Didn’t actually find a quotient, but his tests are still referred to as IQ tests Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS): used in testing adults Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC): used for testing children 6-16 Wechsler preschool & primary scale of intelligence (WPPSI): used for children as young as 4 These tests yield their (IQ) scores based on deviation IQ-tests are standardized so the mean score is 100, standardized deviation is 15, with the scores forming a normal distribution.

Wechsler Intelligence Normal distribution Normal curve (bell curve)

Principles of Test Construction Reliability: tests have to yield dependably consistent scores Validity: the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to Content validity: the test samples the behavior that is of interest Predictive validity: the success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict