1. Unit 11 Testing and Individual Differences

2. What is intelligence? The ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations Intelligence tests are ways to assess mental aptitudes comparing results with others

3. How do we judge intelligence? Some people are good at math and terrible in music Some can draw and have little athletic ability Book smart vs common sense?

4. General Intelligence Charles Spearman  g  We have one general intelligence or special ablility that stands out  Using factor analysis – stat. procedure that identifies clusters of related items  Idividuals who score higher in one area, also tend to do better in the others

5. Multiple intelligence Gardener’s 8 Intelligences  Intelligence may come in packages  Some with diminished mental capacity can do great things, some who are the most brilliant lack other abilities  Savant syndrome Scoring low on an intelligence test, but have a brilliant quality

6. Gardener’s 8 1. Linguistic 2. Logical Mathematical 3. Musical 4. Spatial 5. Bodily kinesthetic 6. Intrapersonal 7. Interpersonal 8. Naturalistic

7. Sternberg’s 3 Intelligences Agrees with Gardener, but thinks there are only three Analytical – understanding that questions have a right answer Creative – reacting and adapting Practical – required for everyday tasks  Multiple solutions to problems

8. Emotional Intelligence Social intelligence  Comprehending social situations and managing oneself successfully  Edward Thorndike  Very rational people may lack social awareness Unable to  Percieve emotion - recognition  Understand emotion - predicting  Manage emotions – how to express  Use emotion to enable creative thinking

9. How can we measure intelligence? Brain size?  Not necessarily  However, some regions of the brain have been correlated with more intelligence Einstein’s parietal lobes  There are more synapses in those who are more educated

10. Brain function Perceptual speed  Being quick witted  Picking up things faster correlates with higher intelligence Neurological speed  Percieving things faster means they can be processed faster

11. Intelligence Testing Alfred Binet  Assumed all kids start on the same road to development, but some develop more rapidly  Measured mental age of these kids Bright or backward

12. Intelligence Testing Lewis Terman  The innate IQ Stanford-Binet Test  From this test, the intelligence quotient was founded IQ = MENTAL AGE CHRONOLOGICAL AGE X 100

13. Modern Tests Achievement Tests  Designed to assess what you have learned Aptitude Tests  Predict your ability to learn Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)  Most widely used today  Similar to Stanford Binet, but also breaks down results into smaller characteristics Which can point out weaknesses

14. Test Construction Tests must meet three criteria to be considered successful  1. Standardized – defines scores as meaningful or not when compared to a group Normal Curves or Bell Curves

15. 2. Reliability  Yielding dependably consistent scores  Retest people over and over 3. Validity  Does the test measure what it is supposed to?  Content validity – testing the behavior that it is supposed to  Predictive Validity – can it predict what it is supposed to ?

16. Dynamics of Intelligence Nearly 70% of Americans fall between 85 and 115 on a WAIS By about 4, intelligence tests can be reliable By 7, intelligence scores seem to be consistent with later on in life Extremes take longer

17. Extremes Lows  intellectual disability  IQ below 70, with varying levels Mild – 50-70 Moderate – 35-50 Severe – 20-35 Profound – below 20  Could have a physical cause Down Syndrome – extra chromosome 21 in genes

18. Extremes High Extreme  Terman studied 1500 kids with IQ over 135  many turned into Drs. Lawyers, scientists  surprised by how well adjusted they were g  Gifted programs? self fulfilling prophecy?

19. Genes vs Environment in Intellect Identical Twins  virtually the same Fraternal  not as close Recent research has identified an area of DNA that may be correlated with intelligence – polygenetic

20. Genes vs Environment in Intellect Environment  kids who are mistreated or neglected score about the same  Adopted children do not have any correlation upon adulthood with their adoptive families

21. Early Environment Providing an enriched environment early on does not seem to correlate with higher intelligence  However, malnutrition neglect, social isolation and sensory deprivation can all have a negative impact  No way to “fast forward” genius

22. Gender differences Who scores higher?  Spelling  Verbal ability  Nonverbal memory  Sensation  Emotion detection  Math and spatial  Which is more variable? WOMEN WOMEN AND MEN MEN

23. Are intelligence tests biased? If a test is given in a format that the taker is unfamiliar with it can be considered biased If the test does not predict future behavior of all the test takers, it can also be considered biased

24. Test Takers Expectations Expectations and attitudes can influence our perceptions and behaviors  If told women do better on a test, they usually will and men will perform worse (priming) Telling students that there is not much expected from them, or that they will not succeed  Stereotype threat