INTELLIGENCE AP Psychology

Intelligence Intelligence – mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations. Socially constructed by a culture Usually referred to as “school smarts” Several intelligence theories 1 intelligence or multiple? Can it be quantified with a number?

Spearman’s General Intelligence (g) A single, basic intelligence - g - predicts our abilities in varied academic areas General intelligence (g) Factor analysis - A statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called factors) on a test Mental abilities tend to form clusters People tend to show about the same level of competence in all abilities in a certain cluster CRITICS - Human abilities are too diverse to be encapsulated by a single general factor

Thurstone’s Primary Mental Abilities A single g score is not as informative as scores for seven primary mental abilities 7 intelligence factors: word fluency, verbal comprehension, spatial ability, perceptual speed, numerical ability, inductive reasoning, and memory CRITICS – 7 factors show tendency to cluster, suggesting an underlying g score.

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Intelligence is more than just verbal and mathematical skills as other abilities are equally important. 8 intelligences Multiple intelligences theory has the most effect on the educational system. Some teachers agree while others do not. CRITICS - Should all abilities be considered intelligences? Shouldn’t some of them just be talents instead?

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence 3 areas that can be tested reliably CRITICS - These three factors are related and can have an underlying g factor. Also, additional testing is needed to determine whether these facets can reliably predict success.

Other Intelligences Social intelligence - the know-how involved in comprehending social situations and managing oneself successfully Emotional intelligence - the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions. Found to be higher in women

Creativity The ability to produce novel and valuable ideas Exceptionally creative people do not score higher on intelligence tests than their non-creative peers. Convergent thinking vs. divergent thinking 5 components Expertise Imaginative thinking skills A venturesome personality Intrinsic motivation A creative environment

Big Brains = Big Smarts? Some studies have found a correlation between brain size and intelligence scores. More educated, therefore defined “intelligent”, people have more connections between neurons (more synapses) than less educated people → more complexity and density. nature or nurture?

Savant Syndrome Crash Course – Intelligence 1 A condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in computation or drawing. 4/5 savants are male Many savants have autism. Crash Course – Intelligence 1

ASSESSING INTELLIGENCE

Origins Intelligence test – a method for assessing an individual’s mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others, using numerical scores. Aptitude – capacity to learn Alfred Binet (1857-1911), French intelligence researcher Hypothesized that all children develop intellectually in the same way but some develop quicker Mental age – a measure of intelligence; the chronological age that most typically corresponds to a given level of performance

Origins Stanford professor Lewis Terman (1877-1956) revised Binet’s test → Stanford-Binet (American version) adapted some questions, established new age norms, and extended the upper end of the test’s range from teenagers to “superior” adults German researcher William Stern (1871-1939) developed the intelligence quotient (IQ) mental age chronological age IQ no longer computed with intelligence tests; now used as a term to refer to a score on an intelligence test IQ refers to the test-taker’s performance relative to the performance of others of the same age. x 100

Misuse of IQ and Intelligence Tests Historically, IQ tests have been used to label certain groups of people as inferior. Terman promoted the widespread use of IQ tests to “take account of the inequalities in original endowment” – believed intelligence was innate and some people were naturally inferior/superior. Envisioned that the use of IQ tests would “ultimately result in curtailing the reproduction of feeble-mindedness and in the elimination of an enormous amount of crime, pauperism, and industrial inefficiency.” (essentially advocating for eugenics) In the early 20th century, the US experienced a massive immigration wave → new immigrants were given American IQ tests… intelligence tests assess intelligence which is culturally defined …therefore it is no wonder immigrants did poorly on American intelligence tests and were classified unfairly.

Modern Tests Aptitude tests – designed to predict the ability/potential to learn a new skill. Ex: SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test, formerly called the Scholastic Aptitude Test – seeks to predict your ability to do well in college) Achievement tests – designed to assess what a person has learned. Ex: EOC (End of Course exam – seeks to assess what you learned in the course)

Modern Tests Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) – developed by David Wechsler, the most widely used intelligence test; contains both verbal and nonverbal subtests 11 subtests Yields an overall intelligence score, and also scores for verbal comprehension, perceptual organization, working memory, and processing speed. Results are important to identify learning disabilities or brain disorders (important for teachers, employers, and therapists)  Also a version for children

Principles of Test Construction To be widely accepted, psychological intelligence (aptitude and achievement) tests must be: Standardized Reliable Valid

Standardization Standardization – defining meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested standardization group AND using uniform test procedures The number of correct responses on an intelligence would reveal almost nothing… your performance must be compared others’ performances First the test is given to a sample population, then later given with the same procedures to other groups → compare scores to the sample group to determine your position in relation to others Tests need to be constantly restandardized to properly assess different generations – Flynn effect = intelligence scores have been rising over time.

Standardization When a test is standardized, the results when graphed typically form a normal curve – symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many psychical and psychological attributes; most scores fall near the average and fewer and fewer scores lie near the extreme. On an intelligence test, the average score is 100.

Reliability The extent to which a test yields consistent results Retest the same people, split the test in half and see if scores are consistent → higher the correlation between scores, higher the reliability (WAIS and Stanford-Binet IQ have a +.9 correlation coefficient) People should generally score the same when the test is taken multiple times

Validity the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to Content validity – the extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest Ex: a driving test assess driving tasks Predictive validity – the success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict Criterion – the behavior a test is designed to predict Ex: the SAT is designed to predict future college performance which is the criterion

Extremes of Intelligence – Below 70 Mental handicapped – a condition of limited mental ability , indicated by an intelligence score of 70 or below and difficult in adapting to the demands of life; varies from mild to profound. Mentally handicapped can sometimes have a physical cause – Down syndrome – a condition of retardation and associated physical disorders caused by an extra chromosome in one’s genetic makeup.

Mental Retardation Severity Many with intelligence scores just below 70 have been integrated into regular education classrooms and mainstream society → more happiness and dignity.

Extremes of Intelligence – Above 130 Some extraordinarily intelligent children are more isolated and introverted, but most thrive and continue on to higher education. nature or nurture? Controversy over gifted children programs: not as many children labeled as gifted are actually extraordinarily gifted “Tracking” children of different abilities can cause them to live up or down to a perception of their intelligence/abilities (self-fulfilling prophecy)

Nature and Nurture Genetic Environmental Intelligence score of identical twins raised apart is less similar than scores of pairs raised together. Other studies have shown that children raised in impoverished or enriched environments or different cultures show that experiences influence test performance. Twin studies show that identical twins reared together have almost identical intelligence scores Adoptive children’s intelligence scores tend to resemble those of their birth parents rather than adoptive parents.

Gender Differences Females Males better spellers more verbally fluent and can remember more words better at nonverbal memory more sensitive to touch, taste, and color better at math computation higher emotional intelligence - empathy better at math problem solving Superior spatial intelligence more underachievers

The Question of Bias Scientific bias – however, intelligence tests, like the SAT, are not biased in the fact that they are less valid for some groups. The predictive validity of the SAT (as in whether it accurately predicts future behaviors) is the same for men and women, blacks and whites, and the rich and poor. Stereotype threat – the self-confirming belief that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype. Are intelligence tests discriminatory? Yes – they are designed to distinguish individuals apart from their peers. No – they are not designed to distinguish individuals based on political, racial, or ethnic backgrounds Crash Course – Intelligence 2