“Intelligence” and Testing

1. “Intelligence” and Testing

2. Measuring Intelligence • Intelligence Tests: tests for assessing a person’s mental abilities and comparing them with the abilities of other people, by means of numerical scores.

3. Origins of Intelligence Tests • Alfred Binet, a French psychologist, is most often considered to be the pioneer of the intelligence testing movement. • What was his purpose?

4. Alfred Binet and Intelligence Tests • Binet looked to identify a child’s intelligence. His test resulted in scientists calculating mental age as a measure of intelligence. • Mental Age: chronological age that most typically corresponds to a given level of performance. • A child who does as well as the average 8-year-old is said to have a mental age of 8. • Binet did not believe his test measured inborn intelligence.

5. Lewis Terman and Intelligence Tests • Lewis Terman, an American psychologist at Stanford, adapted Binet’s test in an attempt to measure what he thought was inherited intelligence. • Stanford-Binet: refers to the widely used revision of Binet’s original intelligence test.

6. IQ Tests • In an attempt to measure inherited intelligence, tests developed the “IQ.” • IQ: (intelligence quotient): defined originally as the ratio of mental age (ma) to chronological age (ca) multiplied by 100 • IQ = ma/ca x 100 • on contemporary tests it is the average performance for a given age is assigned a score of 100

7. Number of scores Sixty-eight percent of people score within 15 points above or below 100 Ninety-five percent of all people fall within 30 points of 100 55 70 85 100 115 130 145 Wechsler intelligence score The Normal Curve

8. “Intelligence” is Hard to Define • Intelligence is often defined as the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations. • Intelligence is not a “thing” it is an abstract concept…an IQ is simply a score on an intelligence test. • What types of things are usually NOT measured on an IQ test that might illustrate “intelligence?”

9. Broadening Theory of Intelligence • Savant Syndrome: a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill. Rain Man on Netflix: 37:50 -39:50 and 42:00 • Gifted Children: Some children are born with high levels of giftedness in specific areas. • Prodigies: Children who are exceptionally talented in certain areas. Ex: Mozart

10. Autism is Different than Savant Syndrome • Autism is a mysterious developmental brain disorder which impacts Social interaction and Communication with others. • Some people with autism also engage in repetitive and compulsive behaviors. • Autism has a spectrum –mild to severe.

11. Mental Retardation • Mild Retardation: IQs from 50 to 70 – can read, do basic math, hold a job and take care of themselves • Moderate Retardation: IQs from 35 to 49 – can speak, feed and dress themselves, work under supportive conditions • Severe Retardation: IQs from 20 to 34 – Require constant supervision, limited communication.

12. Causes of Mental Retardation • Genetic disorders (Down Syndrome) • Pregnant women who do drugs or drink alcohol • Difficulties during childbirth

13. Howard Gardner and Multiple Intelligences • From a biological point of view, Gardner has noted that brain damage often may diminish some abilities but not others. • Gardner argues humans do not have an intelligence but instead multiple intelligences which are relatively independent of the others.

14. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Gardner argues there are 9 intelligences: • Verbal Linguistic • Logical-mathematical • Visual Spatial • Bodily-kinesthetic • Auditory-musical • Interpersonal (sensitivity to the feelings of others) • Intrapersonal (insight into one’s own inner feelings) • Existential (insight into larger picture of life ((phil.)) • Naturalist (understanding laws that govern natural behavior)

15. Howard GARDNER “Multiple Intelligences” - continued The existence of idiots savants, prodigies and other exceptional individuals supports Gardner’s theory: • The Real Rain Man • Derek - 60 Minutes • Lily the geography wiz!

16. Robert Sternberg and “Successful Intelligence” • Sternberg looked to overcome the fact that although IQ tests predicted school tests relatively well, they did less well predicting vocational success. • Sternberg’s 3 Aspects of Intelligence: • Analytical Intelligence: (academic problem solving) • Creative Intelligence: (reacting to new situations and creating new ideas) • Practical Intelligence: (often required for everyday tasks, “common sense”)

17. Is Intelligence Neurologically Measurable? • .15 correlation between head size and intelligence score. • .44 correlation between brain size and intelligence score.

18. Is Intelligence Neurologically Measurable? • Einstein’s brain was 15% larger in the parietal lobe’s lower region…center for mathematical processing and spatial information. • But smaller in some other regions.

19. Environmental Influences on Intelligence Genetics play a role in intelligence (because identical twins have similar IQs) but … • the home environment and parenting styles can influence IQ and; • preschool programs like Head Start affect IQ as well.

20. Assessing Intelligence • Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) • most widely used intelligence test • subtests • verbal • performance (nonverbal) • Also a WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children).

21. VERBAL PERFORMANCE Picture Completion Picture Arrangement Block Design Object Assembly Digit-Symbol Substitution General Information Similarities Arithmetic Reasoning Vocabulary Comprehension Digit Span From Thorndike and Hagen, 1977 Assessing Intelligence- Sample Items from the WAIS

22. WAIS SAMPLE

23. WAIS SAMPLE

24. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5293 IQ Tests Go to War— Measuring Intelligence in the Army The army’s use of intelligence tests during World War I lent new credibility to the emerging profession of psychology, even as it sparked public debate about the validity of the tests and their implications for American democracy. Intelligence testing influenced American society long after the war that had launched it. The tests were revised for use in schools and promoted the “tracking” systems of segregating students into ability groups according to test results. Intelligence testing fueled eugenics programs and were also widely invoked by those who pressed successfully to restrict immigration to the United States. Match your wits with World War I-era recruits with questions from actual army intelligence tests.

25. Answer: C • 1. Bull Durham is the name of aA. chewing gumB. aluminum wareC. tobaccoD. clothing

26. Answer: B • 2. Seven-up is played withA. racketsB. cardsC. pinsD. dice

27. Answer: B • 3. The Merino is a kind ofA. horseB. sheepC. goatD. cow

28. Answer: A • 4. The most prominent industry of Minneapolis isA. flourB. packingC. automobilesD. brewing

29. Answer: D • 5. Garnets are usuallyA. yellowB. blueC. greenD. red

30. Answer: A • 6. The Orpington is a kind ofA. fowlB. horseC. graniteD. cattle

31. Answer: D • 7. George Ade is famous as aA. baseball playerB. comic artistC. actorD. author

32. Answer: A • 8. Soap is made byA. B. T. BabbittB. Smith & WessonC. W. L. DouglasD. Swift & Co.

33. Answer: C • 9. Laura Jean Libby is known as aA. singerB. suffragistC. writerD. army nurse

34. Answer: C • 10. An air-cooled engine is used in theA. BuickB. PackardC. FranklinD. Ford

35. Answer: B • 11. A house is better than a tent, becauseA. it costs moreB. it is more comfortableC. it is made of wood

36. Answer: A • 12. Why does it pay to get a good education? A. it makes a man more useful and happyB. it makes work for teachersC. it makes demand for buildings for schools and colleges

37. Answer: C • 13. If the grocer should give you too much money in making change, what is the right thing to do?A. buy some candy off him with itB. give it to the first poor man you meetC. tell him of his mistake

38. Answer: A • 14. Why should food be chewed before swallowing? A. it is better for the healthB. it is bad manners to swallow without chewing C. chewing keeps the teeth in condition  

39. Answer: B • 15. If you saw a train approaching a broken track you should A. telephone for an ambulanceB. signal the engineer to stop the trainC. look for a piece of rail to fit in

40. Answer: C • 16. If you are lost in a forest in the daytime, what is the thing to do? A. hurry to the nearest house you know ofB. look for something to eatC. use the sun or a compass for a guide

41. Answer: B • 17. It is better to fight than to run, because A. cowards are shotB. it is more honorableC. if you run you may get shot in the back

42. Answer: A • 18. Why should all parents be made to send their children to school? Because A. it prepares them for adult lifeB. it keeps them out of mischiefC. they are too young to work

43. Answer: C • 19. Why do some men who could afford to own a house live in a rented one? BecauseA. they don’t have to pay taxesB. they don’t have to buy a rented houseC. they can make more by investing the money the house would cost

44. Answer: B • 20. Why is beef better food than cabbage? Because A. it tastes betterB. it is more nourishingC. it is harder to obtain

45. Was this test a valid measure of intelligence? Was there bias? • Was this an ACHIEVEMENT TEST or and APTITUDE TEST? • Do you think the people who scored highest on this test were the best soldiers? (predictive validity)

46. http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/brain-games/ • The Biggest Brain –national geographic you tube • I think therefore I am –Moody Blues