1. Individual differences
Include: Intelligence & Personality
Intelligence: Problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt
to and learn from life’s everyday experiences

2. Individual Intelligence Tests The Binet Tests
Mental Age
Intelligence Quotient
Normal Distribution
An individual’s level of mental development relative to others
A symmetrical distribution
Majority of the scores falling in the middle
Few scores in the extremes

3. Intelligence The Normal Curve

4. Individual Intelligence Tests The Wechsler Scales
Age-related versions provide an overall IQ and also yield both verbal and performance IQs.
(WPPSI-P) Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised. Ages 4 to 6 ½
(WISC-R) Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. Ages 6 to 16
(WAIS-R) Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised

5. Wechsler Subscales

6. Group Intelligence Tests
Advantage
More convenient and economical
Disadvantages
Examiner cannot:
establish rapport
determine student’s level of anxiety
Student:
might not understand instructions
might be distracted by other students

7. Theories of Multiple Intelligence Early Views
Spearman (1927): People have both general intelligence (g) and specific types of intelligence (s).
Thurston (1938): People have seven specific intellectual abilities (verbal comprehension, associative memory, word fluency, reasoning, number ability, spatial visualization, and perceptual speed).

8. Theories of Multiple Intelligence Sternberg’s Theory
Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Analytical: analyze, judge, evaluate, compare/contrast
Creative: create, design, invent, originate, and imagine
Practical: use, apply, implement, put into practice

9. Theories of Multiple Intelligence Gardner’s Theory
Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences
Skills are represented in the following areas:
Verbal • Musical
Mathematical • Intrapersonal
Spatial • Interpersonal
Bodily-kinesthetic • Naturalist

10. Emotional Intelligence
Salovey and Mayer (1990)
Read and understand emotions in oneself and others,
Use emotion and emotional expression to manage oneself and others.
Salovey
Mayer

11. Intelligence Controversies and Issues
Nature and Nurture
Heritability of IQ about 50% according to twin studies.
Similarity to parents’ IQ increases with age, 40% in childhood to 60% in adulthood.

12. Intelligence Controversies and Issues
Culturally biased tests favor:
Urban over rural children
Middle-income over low-income children
White children over minority children
Culture-fair tests, free of cultural bias:
Type 1: Include items familiar to all SES and ethnic backgrounds
Type 2: All of the verbal items are removed

13. Raven’s Progressive Matrices

14. Intelligence Controversies and Issues
The Flynn effect
IQ scores are rising
About 3 points per decade
All over the world
More pronounced on abstract tests
Possible reasons?

15. Intelligence Controversies and Issues
Ability Grouping and Tracking
Between-Class Ability Grouping groups students based on their ability or achievement.
Advantages
- Narrows class skill range
- Prevents “less able” students from holding back more talented students
Disadvantages
- Stigmatizes students in lower track
- May segregate students by SES and ethnicity

16. Learning and Thinking Styles Dichotomies
Deep Learners
Surface Learners
Deep learners actively construct knowledge and are more internally motivated.
Reflective Students surpass Impulsive Students
Reflective students set higher standards, are better at reading comprehension, problem-solving, and remembering structured information.

17. Personality and Temperament
Personality: The distinctive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that characterize the way an individual adapts to the world
Temperament: A person’s
behavioral style and characteristic
way of responding

18. Personality and Temperament
The “Big Five” Personality Factors

19. Personality and Temperament
Three basic styles of temperament found in children
Easy
Positive mood
Establishes regular routines
Adapts to new experiences
Difficult
React negatively
Aggressive tendencies
Lacks self-control
Slow-to-Warm-Up
Low activity level
Negative
Slow adaptability
Low intensity of mood