Intelligence

Ways of Defining Intelligence Consisting of: Capacity to learn from experience Ability to adapt to environment Metacognition: Ability to understand and control your own thinking Ability to deal with complexity What intelligence tests measure Cultural definitions

Early Measures of Intelligence Two approaches: Galton – sensory-based

Early Measures of Intelligence Two approaches: Binet – scholastically-based Intelligence quotient

Current Intelligence Tests Stanford-Binet Wechsler (see handout) Verbal score Performance score Overall score

Debated Questions about Intelligence Is intelligence singular or multiple? Is intelligence inherited? Are intelligence tests biases?

Spearman- the “g”factor Factor Analysis

Arguments against a general intelligence factor Architecture of the brain – modularity Artificial Intelligence research Most IQ studies done on middle-class Americans IQ tests do not test practical intelligence

Gardner- Multiple Intelligences Linguistic Logical-Mathematical Spatial Musical Bodily-kinesthetic Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalist

Gardner’s Criteria for Identifying Intelligences 1. Brain damage 2. Exceptional individuals 3. Core operations 4. Developmental history 5. Evolutionary history 6. Supportive evidence from cognitive-experimental research 7. Supportive evidence from psychometric tests 8. Symbol system

Biological Basis of Intelligence Size of brain Speed of nerve conduction Efficiency of brain Twins studies Can intelligence change over your lifetime?

The Bell Curve & Social Intelligence The Bell Curve Intelligence is a single property Intelligence is distributed in the population in a bell curve Intelligence is inherited Low intelligence leads to social pathology Implied: blacks more likely to have low IQ than whites Social Intelligence One important type of intelligence ignored in psychology

Race and Intelligence Problems with arguments Race is a social construct

Culture and Intelligence