1. Testing & Individual Differences 5-7%
Think of the names of the smartest person you know of. Consider: what makes them 'smart'?
DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING WITH A PARTNER:
1. How much of intelligence is inherited, and how much is due to upbringing? 2. What exactly is intelligence, and what do test scores mean? 3. Why do some people with high IQ scores become underachievers, while others with average IQ scores become leaders?

2. What is Intelligence? Intelligence
ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations

3. Theories on Intelligence
Crystallized
Accumulated knowledge over time
Increases with age
Fluid
Ability to quickly solve abstract problems
Decreases with age

4. Intelligence Test = method of
assessing an individual’s mental aptitudes
comparing them to those of others, using numerical scores

5. Origins of Intelligence Testing
Alfred Binet = Mental Age
a measure of intelligence test performance
Used chronological age that most typically corresponds to a given level of performance

6. Origins of Intelligence Testing
Stanford-Binet
widely used American version of Binet’s original intelligence test
revised by Terman at Stanford University
revised a method of scoring by developing the IQ or “intelligence quotient” = IQ Test

7. What is an IQ score? Intelligence Quotient
the ratio of mental age (ma) to chronological age (ca) multiplied by 100
on contemporary tests, the average performance for a given age is assigned a score of 100
EXAMPLES:
child who does as well as the average 8-year-old is said to have a mental age of 8 = IQ of 100 (8/8 = 1 x 100 = 100)
10 year old who scores the mental age of a 5 year old = IQ of 50 (5/10 = .5 x 100 = 50)
2 year old who scores mental age of a 4 year old = IQ of 200 (4/2 = 2 x 100 = 200)

8. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
David Weschler constructed 3 tests
most widely used intelligence tests
WAIS = Weschler ADULT intelligence scale
WISC = children
WPPSI = preschool and primary
Many different subtests to account for multiple skills

9. Assessing Intelligence
Psychometric Approach = emphasizes the products of intelligence (IQ scores)
Aptitude Test
a test designed to predict a person’s future performance
aptitude is the capacity to learn
Achievement Test
a test designed to assess what a person has learned

10. Assessing Intelligence
Standardization
defining meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested “standardization group”
Normal Curve
the symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of scores
most scores fall near the average, and fewer and fewer scores lie near the extremes

11. The Normal Curve

12. Getting Smarter? What is this called?
The Flynn Effect TED Talk=

13. Flynn Effect—WHY? Better nutrition? More education?
Hypothetical thinking?
Logical thinking skills?
More stimulation in the environment?
Less childhood disease?
Smaller families?
More parental involvement?

14. Reliability vs. Validity
the extent to which a test yields consistent results
assessed by consistency of scores on:
two halves of the test
alternate forms of the test
retesting
Validity
the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to

15. Reliability v. Validity

16. Genetic Influences Heritability
variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes
depends on range of populations and environment studied

17. Theories/People to Know
Multiple Intelligences = Howard Gardner
Linguistic
Logical-mathematical
Spatial
Musical
Body-kinesthetic
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
Naturalistic

18. Theories/People to Know
Triarchic Theory – Robert Sternberg
3 kinds of intelligences:
Analytic – problem solving, measured by IQ tests
Creative – composing music, art
Practical – survival skills
Broadens the concept of intelligence and emphasizes what it means in everyday life

19. Theories/People to Know
Daniel Goleman = advocate of emotional intelligence or EQ
Combines interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences
Ability to understand and regulate your emotions
Studies suggest a high EQ has greater correlation with financial success than high IQ 
Charles Spearman = argued intelligence can be expressed by a single factor
Called that number Spearman’s g: g = generalized intelligence
If you think a person is either generally smart or not so smart = you believe in Spearman’s g 

20. Diversity in Cognitive Abilities
Divergent thinking – the ability to think along many paths to generate many solutions to a problem = creative personality
3 kinds of cognitive and personality characteristics necessary for creativity:
Expertise
Set of creative skills
Motivation
Creativity requires divergent thinking and IQ tests assess convergent thinking (the ability to apply logic to narrow down the # of possible solutions)

21. Diversity in Cognitive Abilities
Giftedness = high IQs
May have higher motivation to master knowledge/tasks
Have “more” of the basic cognitive abilities seen in children
Mental Retardation = IQ less than 70
a condition of limited mental ability
produces difficulty in adapting to the demands of life
varies from mild to profound. EX=
Down syndrome – extra chromosome
Fragile X syndrome –defect on chromosome 23
Environmental conditions – head injury, exposure to alcohol or toxin
Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia – letters appear disjointed or jumbled
Dysphasia – difficulty understanding spoken words or recalling words
Dysgraphia – problems with writing, motor and information processing
Dyscalculia – difficulty with arithmetic

22. Savant Syndrome special, prodigious memory
Certain savants have also been shown to display advanced skills in one or more of five major areas: art, musical abilities, calendar calculating, mathematics and spatial skills.
One in ten people with autism have savant skills
50% of savants have autism; the other 50% often have psychological disorders or mental illnesses
25 savants: