1. Chapter 10: Intelligence and Intelligence Testing

2. 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?

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

4. 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.

5. The Nature of Intelligence: Emotional Intelligence
Charles Spearman ( )
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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.