Chapter 10: Intelligence and Intelligence Testing

The Nature of Intelligence The ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to a new situation Is intelligence one thing or are there multiple intelligences?

The Nature of Intelligence: Howard Gardner (1943- ) Author of a contemporary theory of multiple intelligences consisting of eight separate kinds of intelligence

The Nature of Intelligence: Emotional Intelligence The ability to perceive, express, understand, and regulate emotions People high in emotional intelligence are more in touch with their feelings and the feelings of others.

The Nature of Intelligence: Emotional Intelligence Charles Spearman (1863-1945) Theorized that a general intelligence factor (g) underlies other, more specific aspects of intelligence General Intelligence (g) General intelligence factor that Spearman believed underlies specific mental abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test

Intelligence Testing: Alfred Binet Developer of the first test to classify children’s abilities using the concept of mental age Assumed children’s intellectual abilities grew every year Mental Age The chronological age that corresponds to the difficulty of the questions a child can answer An average 8-year-old child should have the mental age of 8 years. Chronological Age The actual age of a person

Intelligence Testing: Lewis Terman Adapted Binet’s tests for use in the United States as the Stanford-Binet intelligence test The test reported intelligence as a calculated IQ score. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) The number that results from Terman and Stern’s formula for computing the level of a person’s intelligence IQ = (MA/CA) X 100 A score of 100 would be considered average Formula has been replaced with modern versions

Intelligence Testing: David Weschler Developed the Wechsler intelligence scales which included: Different tests for different age groups Separate verbal and nonverbal scores Subtests and subtest scores

Intelligence Testing: Group Tests Originally designed for the army in World War I Can be given to large numbers of people Those supervising the test do not need extensive training Are very easy to score Not the most reliable

Test Construction: Achievement and Aptitude Tests Achievement Tests Tests that attempt to measure what the test-taker has accomplished i.e. classroom tests at the end of a unit Aptitude Tests Tests that attempt to predict the test-taker’s future performance Examples: ACT and SAT

Test Construction: Reliability and Validity Test Reliability The extent to which a test yields consistent results Types of Reliability Test-retest reliability - taking the same test and receiving a similar score Split-half - the score on one half of a test’s questions is similar to the score on the other half Scorer reliability – the score of the test should be similar no matter which scorer is scoring the test

Test Construction: Reliability and Validity Test Validity The extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is suppose to Does an achievement test accurately measure accomplishments? Does an aptitude test accurately measure the person’s future performance? One needs to know the purpose of the test

Group Differences in Intelligence Test Scores A number of studies show scoring differences between different racial, ethnic, and gender groups. Are these differences due to nature or to nurture? Studies suggest environment is playing a heavy role. Heredity and environment interact to produce intelligence in individuals.