Chapter 10: Intelligence & Testing Cognitive Abilities Chapter 10: Intelligence & Testing

Cognitive Ability The capacity to perform higher mental processes (such as reasoning & problem solving) Cognitive Ability Robert Sternberg’s Characteristics Possession of knowledge Efficiently use knowledge Employ reasoning in different environments Intelligence

The History of Measuring Intelligence French psychologist Identified & studied children performing poorly in schools. Alfred Binet Chronological Age compared w/ Mental Age Aged-Graded Test Items English Language Version of the Binet Exam Stanford-Binet Test

History of IQ Tests Mental Age/Chronological Age x 100=IQ Intelligence Quotient Rank individuals according to IQ. Pinpoint who did/did not have “sustainable” intelligence. Argument at this time was intelligence is inherited. Purpose & Intent Many argued intelligence is not simply inherited. Later theories suggested intelligence develops w/education & experience. Group tests proved to be culturally biased. Controversial

History of IQ Tests Developed tests to improve upon earlier ones. David Wechsler Included VERBAL & NON-VERBAL subtests Constructed so that success was less dependent having a on formal education Subtests were scored separately 3 Key Differences WAIS: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale WISC: Wechlser Intelligence Scale for Children Special Versions

Today’s Tests of Intelligence Verbal Scale-7 Subsets Performance Scale-7 Subsets Raw score of individual is compared to the raw score of others in same age group Wechsler Tests Ten Subsets Include Fluid Reasoning & Knowledge Stanford-Binet (5th Edition) Points are added up for every correct answer Total score compared to others 100 is the average: Score (IQ) reflects relative standing w/in your age population IQ Scoring

The Normal Distribution of IQ Scores When the IQ scores in the overall population are plotted on a graph, a bell shaped curve appears. The average IQ score of any given age group is 100. Half of the scores are higher than 100 and half are lower than 100. Approximately 68% of the IQ scores of any age group fall between 84 and 116; about 16% fall below 84, and about 16 % fall above 116.

Stevenson Mental Inventory Scale 17-20 (# correct) IQ: 122-134 13-16 IQ: 105-121 9-12 IQ: 83-104 8 or less IQ: 82 or less

Types of Tests Measures a person’s capacity to learn certain things/perform certain tasks. ACT/GRE/SAT Aptitude Tests Measure what a person has accomplished or learned in a particular area. Classroom Tests Achievement Tests

Measuring Quality of Tests Procedure for observing behavior in a standard situation. Standardized Objective Norms Tests Degree to which a test can be repeated w/ same results Calculate correlation coefficient (b/w 2 sets of scores on same test by the same person) Test/Retest Reliability Method; Alternate Form Method; Split-Half Method Reliability Degree to which test scores are interpreted correctly & used appropriately Content validity; Criterion Validity; Predictive Validity; Construct Validity Validity