1. What makes us smart? Or not so smart?
Intelligence
What makes us smart?
Or not so smart?

2. Theories of Intelligence
No one agrees on one definition
Intelligence: mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, & use knowledge to adapt to new situations
Intelligence test: method for assessing a person’s mental aptitudes & comparing them with others
4 main theories of intelligence….

3. Theory 1: Charles Spearman and his G factor
Spearman argued those who score high in one area usually score higher than average in other areas
General Intelligence (g)
A common skill set underlies all of our intelligent behavior
If you are strong in one area you are usually good at many others
If you think someone is smart in general or not, you probably prefer Spearman
Jack Bauer is good at torturing, bomb defusing, shooting, figuring out evil plots and saving the country (and he is good looking). Is there anything he cannot do?

4. Theory 2: Howard Gardner & Multiple Intelligences
Gardner believed that there 8 different types of intelligences exist
Linguistic
Logical-mathematical
Spatial
Musical
Body-kinesthetic
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
Naturalist

5. Savant Syndrome
A condition when a person has limited mental ability but has an exceptional specific skill (piano, computation, drawing…)
4 out of 5 are male
Many are autistic
Click on each photo to see the remarkable stories of 2 savants

6. Theory 3: Robert Sternberg and his Triarchic Theory
Three types of intelligence
Analytical intelligence (academic problem-solving): intelligence tests, one right answer, these tests predict school grades & career success well
Creative intelligence: reacting to novel situations & generating new ideas (ask me about 10 traits!)
Practical intelligence: needed for everyday tasks (ex: motivating people, delegating tasks, reading people, how to figure things out…)

7. Theory 4: Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence: the ability to perceive, understand, manage, & use emotions
1. Perceive emotions: recognize them in faces, stories, music…
2. Understand emotions: to predict them, how they change & blend
3. Manage emotions: know how to express them in different situations
4. Use emotions: helps w/ creative thinking
Interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences
Maybe EQ is a better predictor for future success than IQ?

8. Brain Size & Intelligence Is there a link?
Using an MRI found modest correlation b/w brain size and IQ score
Parietal & frontal lobes
Ex: Einstein’s brain 15% larger in parietal lobes (process math & spatial info)
Highly educated people have more synapses than less educated

9. History of Intelligence Testing
France public school
Some kids not benefiting from regular school & need special attention/classes
Gov’t wanted to minimize bias so…
Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon asked to figure out how to objectively identify children who needed special attention in school
Mental age: a measure of intelligence that corresponds to a given performance level (avg 8 yr old=mental age 8)
Binet believe intelligence test did not measure capabilities, only identify kids needing special attention
Hoped they could use test to help children, not label/limit them

10. Lewis Terman: IQ Test
Terman adapted Binet’s questions to put a number to measure intelligence
Today called Stanford-Binet test
IQ= Mental age X 100
Chronological age
Average score = 100
2/3 fall between
History of abusing intelligence tests
Ellis Island
Let’s figure this out:
1. A 8 year old has a mental age of 10, what is her IQ?
2. A 12 year old has the mental age of 9, what is his IQ?
3. A boy has the mental age of 10 and an IQ of 200, how old is he?

11. Problems with the IQ Formula
It does not really work well on adults, why?
If a 60 year old man
does as well as an average 35 year old
then his IQ would be 50!!!!!!
That makes no sense!!!!!

12. Types of Tests Aptitude Achievement
Predict your ability or potential to learn new skill (future)
Tests that reflect what you have learned (current)

13. Wechsler Tests WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale)
Most widely used intelligence test
Wechsler thought intelligence was made up of several mental abilities, not “g”
More common way to give IQ tests….does not use the formula but uses the same scoring system
4 Major Scores
Verbal Comprehension
Perceptual reasoning
Working memory
Processing Speed…

14. How do we construct an Intelligence Test?
To be widely accepted, tests have to meet 3 criteria: standardized, reliable, & valid
Standardized: the questions have been given to a similar populations and the scores fall on a normal distribution
Intelligence tests are restandardized…FLYNN EFFECT!!!
Reliable: measure of how consistent a test is (repeated)
Test-Retest Method & Split-halves Method make more reliable
Validity: a test measures what it is supposed to
Content: measures the content it is supposed to (ex: AP test %)
Predictive: there is a correlation b/w test & future performance
Aptitude tests are often criticized for not being predictive
Stanford-Binet & Wechsler tests meet these requirements

15. Normal Distribution

16. The Flynn Effect

17. Does Intelligence Change Over Time?
By age 4, a child’s IQ can predict adolescent IQ scores.
Most kids w/ high IQ scores were early readers
Parents, read to your kids!!!

18. Extremes of Intelligence
Intellectual Disability
limited mental ability
intelligence score of 70 or below
Difficulty adapting to life demands
controversial
Self-fulfilling Prophecy
If we are told/treated as “smart” we will act that way
Prophecy fulfilled
Works the other way, too 

19. Nature vs. Nurture: Intelligence
Twin studies: Nature
Studies show that twins raised together have almost same intelligence test scores
those raised apart have very similar scores
Bouchard (twin researcher) estimates 70% of intelligence score variation can be attributed to genes (heritability)
Others say 30-50%
Environment: Nurture
A stimulating sensory environment can influence
Nutrition impacts cognitive development
Not all experts can agree

20. Group Differences in Test Scores Same in Overall Intelligence
Girls
Better spellers
Verbal ability
Fluency & remembering words
Nonverbal memory
Objects & location (evolution? berries & food?)
Sensation
More sensitive to touch, taste, odor
Emotion detecting
Facial emotions & better responsiveness
Equal to boys in math
better at math computation
Boys
Math problem solving (SAT math)
Physics
Computer science
Spatial abilities
ex: fitting suitcases in car trunk, chess
Far greater variance
Lots more at low extreme & high extreme than girls