1. Intelligence Chapter 11

2. What is Intelligence?
Intelligence is the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use our knowledge to adapt to new situations.
In research studies, intelligence is whatever the intelligence test measures. This tends to be “school smarts.”
OBJECTIVE 1| Discuss the difficulty of defining intelligence, and explain what it means to “reify intelligence.”.

3. Conceptual Difficulties
Psychologists believe that intelligence is a concept and not a thing.
When we think of intelligence as a trait (thing) we make an error called reification — viewing an abstract immaterial concept as if it were a concrete thing.

4. Controversies About Intelligence
Despite general agreement among psychologists about the nature of intelligence, two controversies remain:
Is intelligence a single overall ability or is it several specific abilities?
With modern neuroscience techniques, can we locate and measure intelligence within the brain?

5. Intelligence: Ability or Abilities?
Have you ever thought that since people’s mental abilities are so diverse, it may not be justifiable to label those abilities with only one word, intelligence?
You may speculate that diverse abilities represent different kinds of intelligences. How can you test this idea?

6. Athleticism, like intelligence, is many things
General Intelligence
The idea that general intelligence (g) exists comes from the work of Charles Spearman ( ) who helped develop the factor analysis approach in statistics.
OBJECTIVE 2| Present arguments for and against considering intelligence as on general mental ability.
Athleticism, like intelligence, is many things

7. AP Psychology January 7, 2010 What is intelligence?
Hand-out 11-2
OR DO NOW: Design a test that could test for intelligence. Which factors would you use?

8. Homework: 1) Read pages 434-442 2) Complete Psych Sim

9. Spearman’s Studies Factor Analysis: cluster of items that measure
a common ability
Example: vocabulary, paragraph comprehension,
Grades in English classes, SAT verbal
If we conduct factor analysis of these items, we may find that these scores are positively correlated. Thus taken together, all factors indicate a common ability: verbal intelligence

10. General intelligence (g) is a factor that underlies all intelligence .
BUT…. Spearman’s Theory
of General Intelligence was controversial.
General Factor underlies all specific abilities that intelligence tests measure. Other scientists are skeptical, because people can score high on one specific ability but show weakness in others.

11. Other Early Theories of Intelligence as Multiple Abilities
-Intelligence as Seven Clusters of Primary Mental Abilities- Thurstone
-General Intelligence as an evolutionary adaptation
Intelligence as multiple abilities
- small group of 7 main abilities (reasoning, verbal competence, memory)
-large group of abilities- 100 different mental abilities

12. Contemporary Intelligence Theories
Howard Gardner
-multiple intelligences
-exceptionally intelligent people, such as savants
OBJECTIVE 3| Compare Gardner’s and Sternberg's theories of intelligence.
We have multiple intelligences, all independent of eachother
Savants- may score low on intelligence tests but possess some incredible abilitiy
People with savant syndrome excel in abilities
unrelated to general intelligence.

14. Howard Gardner
Gardner proposes eight types of intelligences (and speculates about a ninth one — existential intelligence. )
Existential intelligence is the ability to think about the question of life, death and existence.

15. How is Gardner’s theory problematic?
Difficult to research
Talents or intelligences?
Critics point out that is difficult to research his theory if you have so many different facets
Intelligence is MENTAL
Talents, can practice to become better at these things. Not natural gifts
In studies controlling for income and education differences, test takers who score low on intelligence tests have shorter average life spans and a higher likelihood of dying from lung cancer or cardiovascualr disease

16. Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Sternberg (1985, 1999, 2003) agrees with Gardner, but suggests three intelligences rather than eight.
Creative Intelligence: Intelligence that makes us adapt to novel situations, generate novel ideas
Analytical Intelligence: Intelligence that is assessed by intelligence tests.
Practical Intelligence: Intelligence that is required for everyday tasks (e.g. street smarts).

18. Sternberg and Gardner’s studies are important in broadening our definition for intelligence…… in the workplace, the classroom, on the athletic field.

19. Theories: Comparison

20. Do Now: Compare and contrast Spearman, Gardner, and Sternberg’s Theories of Intelligence. Which do you think is the best theory and why?

21. January 8 AIM: How can we assess intelligence?

22. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, understand, and manage emotions
-proposed by Daniel Goleman

23. Emotional Intelligence: Components
Description
Perceive emotion
Recognize emotions in faces, music and stories
Understand emotion
Predict emotions, how they change and blend
Manage emotion
Express emotions in different situations
Use emotion
Utilize emotions to adapt or be creative

24. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence correlates positively with career, marriage, and parenting success.
proposed by Daniel Goleman
Emotion Recognition Mischel’s Marshmallow 24 24

25. Emotional Intelligence: Criticism
Should intelligence apply to emotions?
But, studies show general intelligence DOES matter

26. *Crystallized and fluid intelligence
Crystallized intelligence: accumulated knowledge
Fluid intelligence: ability to reason quickly when solving new problems
How does each change with age?

27. Intelligence and Creativity
Creativity is the ability to produce ideas that are both novel and valuable. It correlates slightly with intelligence.
Expertise: A well-developed knowledge base.
Imaginative Thinking: The ability to see things in novel ways.
Adventuresome Personality: A personality that seeks new experiences rather than following the pack.
Intrinsic Motivation: A motivation to be creative from within.
A Creative Environment: A creative and supportive environment allows creativity to bloom.

28. Is Intelligence Neurologically Measurable?
Recent Studies indicate some correlation (about +.40) between brain size and intelligence.
OBJECTIVE 6| Describe the relationship between intelligence and brain anatomy.
Several studies report a positive correlation (+.40) between brain size and intelligence score. As adults age, brain size and nonverbal intelligence test scores fall in concert.
Other studies suggest that highly educated people die with more synapses, very intelligent people have greater neural plasticity
Larger brain size MAY enable greater intelligence, but it is also possible that greater intelligence elads to experiences that exercise the brain and build more connections, increasing its size
Gray matter concentration in people with high intelligence.

29. Brain Function Intelligence tests and reaction time
OBJECTIVE 7| Discuss the findings on the correlations between perceptual speed, neural processing speed, and intelligence.
Studies of brain functions show that people who score high on intelligence tests perceive stimuli faster, retrieve information from memory quicker, and show faster brain response times.
People with higher intelligence respond correctly and quickly to
the above question.

30. Assessing Intelligence
Intelligence testing: a method for assessing an individual’s mental aptitudes and comparing them with others
OBJECTIVE 8| Define intelligence tests and discuss the history of intelligence testing.

31. Alfred Binet Alfred Binet: predictor intelligence testing
developing questions that would predict children’s future progress
Mental Age: Intelligence
Increases as we age

32. Lewis Terman
Stanford-Binet Test: The following is the formula of Intelligence Quotient (IQ), introduced by William Stern:

33. Intelligence Tests First proposed by Binet
Adapted by Terman into the IQ test
Xenophobic?

34. Aptitude and Achievement Tests
Aptitude tests are intended to predict your ability to learn a new skill
Achievement tests are intended to reflect what you have already learned.

35. David Wechsler
Wechsler developed the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and later the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), an intelligence test for preschoolers.

36. WAIS
WAIS measures overall intelligence and 11 other aspects related to intelligence.
- Designed to assess clinical and educational problems
-Most widely used intelligence tests, 11 subtests, overall score and separates verbal comprehension, perceptual organization, working memory, and processing speed into separate scores
WAIS has 11 subscales in addition to overall IQ score to give verbal IQ and performance IQ
types of questions: verbal- define words, solve word problems, explain similarities between items; performance- ordering pictures to tell a story, duplicating block patterns
differences between 2 IQs can identify learning disabilities
-Alert the examiner to possible learning problems

37. Principles of Test Construction
For a psychological test to be acceptable it must fulfill the following three criteria:
Standardization
Reliability
Validity

38. Question 1: Point to the puppy

39. Establishes a basis for meaningful comparison.
Standardization
Standardization:
1) administering the test to a representative sample of future test takers
2) Testing and scoring uniformly for all test-takers
Establishes a basis for meaningful comparison.
OBJECTIVE 10| Discuss the importance of standardizing psychological tests, and describe the distribution of scores in a normal curve.
Questions have been piloted on similar population and norms have been established, allows comaprisons between people

40. Normal Curve
Standardized tests establish a normal distribution of scores on a tested population in a bell-shaped pattern called the normal curve.
Norms are scores established from the test and used to compare
gives IQ scores based on deviation IQ- test is standardized so score of 100 is mean with standard deviation of 15
scores fall into normal curve- percentage of scores in each part of the curve is predetermined
score is how many deviations from mean one is
68% within 1 standard deviation (15 points); 95% within 2 standard deviations (30 points); 99% within 3 standard deviations
2% of all scores earns an intelligence score of 130.

41. Variance- degree to which scores differ from each other Standard deviation: degree to which scores differ from the mean

42. Intelligence Testing
Z scores- (standard score)- can compare scores initially on different scales
Statistical significance (p value)
Z score of 1 for an IQ test might equal 115, while the Z score of 1 for the SATS mighr tqwual 115

43. This phenomenon is known as the Flynn effect.
In the past 60 years, intelligence scores have risen steadily by an average of 27 points.
This phenomenon is known as the Flynn effect.
Flynn effect- several theories to explain, may be due to:
Better nutrition
Better education
More stimulating environments
More parental investment
Better genes

44. Extent to which a test yields consistent results:
Reliability
Extent to which a test yields consistent results:
Split-half Reliability:
Reliability using different tests:
Test-Retest Reliability:
OBJECTIVE 11| Explain what it means to say that a test is reliable.
Split-half: odd verses even, for example
2) SAT given on a Saturday different than Sunday
Extent to which a test yeilds consistent scores
Split-half Reliability: Dividing the test into two equal halves and assessing how consistent the scores are.
Reliability using different tests: Using different forms of the test to measure consistency between them.
Test-Retest Reliability: Using the same test on two occasions to measure consistency.

45. Validity
Validity of a test refers to what the test is supposed to measure or predict.
Content Validity: Refers to the extent a test measures a particular behavior or trait.
Predictive Validity: Refers to the function of a test in predicting a particular behavior or trait.
OBJECTIVE 12| Explain what it means to say that a test is valid, and describe two types of validity.

46. Reliability verses Validity
Question 1: Measuring three people with the same yardstick, but the yardstick is off by 3 inches
Question 2: A college admissions office is concerned with how well applicants will perform on college-level assessments. Which of following best demonstrates predictive validity?
1) SATS
2) School Grades
3) Recommendations
4) Extracurriculars
Which is most reliable?

47. The Dynamics of Intelligence
Does intelligence remain stable over a lifetime or does it change? Are individuals on the two extremes of the intelligence scale really that different?

48. Stability or Change?
Intelligence scores become stable after about seven years of age. In numerous studies, stability of intelligence scores have been determined (Angoff, 1988; Deary et al., 2004).
OBJECTIVE 13| Describe the stability of intelligence scores over the life span.

49. Extremes of Intelligence
A valid intelligence test divides two groups of people into two extremes: the mentally retarded (IQ 70) and individuals with high intelligence (IQ 135). These two groups are significantly different.
OBJECTIVE 14| Discuss the two extremes of the normal distribution of intelligence.

50. Mental Retardation
Mentally retarded individuals required constant supervision a few decades ago, but with a supportive family environment and special education they can now care for themselves.

51. High Intelligence
Contrary to popular belief, people with high intelligence test scores tend to be healthy, well adjusted, and unusually successful academically.

52. Genetic and Environmental Influences on Intelligence
No other topic in psychology is so passionately followed as the one that asks the question, “Is intelligence due to genetics or environment?”

53. Genetic Influences
OBJECTIVE 15| Discuss the evidence for the genetic contribution to individual intelligence, and explain what psychologists mean by the heritability of intelligence.
Studies of twins, family members, and adopted children together support the idea that there is a significant genetic contribution to intelligence.

54. Adoption Studies
Adopted children show a marginal correlation in verbal ability to their adopted parents.

55. Environmental Influences
Studies of twins and adopted children also show the following:
Fraternal twins raised together tend to show similarity in intelligence scores.
Identical twins raised apart show slightly less similarity in their intelligence scores.
OBJECTIVE 16| Discuss the evidence for environmental influences on individual intelligence.

56. Early Intervention Effects
Early neglect from caregivers leads children to develop a lack of personal control over the environment, and it impoverishes their intelligence.
Romanian orphans with minimal
human interaction are delayed in their development.

57. Ethnic Similarities and Differences
To discuss this issue we begin with two disturbing but agreed upon facts:
Racial groups differ in their average intelligence scores.
High-scoring people (and groups) are more likely to attain high levels of education and income.
OBJECTIVE 17| Describe ethnic similarities and differences in intelligence test scores, and discuss some genetic and environmental factors that might explain them.

58. Racial (Group) Differences
If we look at racial differences, white Americans score higher in average intelligence than black Americans (Avery and others, 1994). European New Zealanders score higher than native New Zealanders (Braden, 1994).
White-Americans
Black-Americans
Average IQ = 100
Average IQ = 85
Hispanic Americans

59. Environmental Effects
Differences in intelligence among these groups are largely environmental, as if one environment is more fertile in developing these abilities than another.

60. Reasons Why Environment Affects Intelligence
Races are remarkably alike genetically.
Race is a social category.
Asian students outperform North American students on math achievement and aptitude tests.
Today’s better prepared populations would outperform populations of the 1930s on intelligence tests.
White and black infants tend to score equally well on tests predicting future intelligence.
Different ethnic groups have experienced periods of remarkable achievement in different eras.

61. Gender Similarities and Differences
There are seven ways in which males and females differ in various abilities.
1. Girls are better spellers
2. Girls are verbally fluent and have large vocabularies
3. Girls are better at locating objects
4. Girls are more sensitive to touch, taste, and color
5. Boys outnumber girls in counts of underachievement
6. Boys outperform girls at math problem solving, but under perform at math computation
7. Women detect emotions more easily than men do
OBJECTIVE 18| Describe gender differences in abilities.

62. The Question of Bias
Aptitude tests are necessarily biased in the sense that they are sensitive to performance differences caused by cultural differences.
However, aptitude tests are not biased in the sense that they accurately predict performance of one group over the other.
OBJECTIVE 19| Discuss whether intelligence test are biased, and describe the stereotype threat phenomenon.

63. Stereotype Threat
A stereotype threat is a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype.
This phenomenon appears in some instances in intelligence testing among African-Americans and among women of all colors.