Exploring Intelligence: Testing and Understanding Aptitude and Mental Abilities

1. Chapter 11 Intelligence McElhaney

2. Binet- 1904 Define Intelligence Intelligence Testing Aptitude, Mental abilities Validity and Reliability Criterion Validity Objective and Standardized Tests 5 Aspects of Intelligence Fluid Reasoning Draw the Bell Curve IQ tests (outline all aspects found in the text) Quantitative Reasoning- Visual-Spatial Processing Working Memory Mentally Gifted Dr. Terman Outline characteristics of successful students. (Pg. 411) Which signs of giftedness are most important to you? Autistic Savants Outline key information regarding Mental Retardation Profoundly, Severely, Mildly, Borderline retardation Causes of Retardation Familial, Organic, Fetal, Metabolic, Genetic Abnormalities PKU Microcephaly Hydrocephaly Cretinism Down syndrome Fragile X Syndrome Which has more influence on intelligence heredity or Environment? Eugenics Tryon study What do twin studies show? What are some other factors of intelligence- Environment, Socio-Economic level, child development programs? Intelligent information processing. Multiple Intelligences Howard Gardner Content Outline

3. Questions • What is intelligence? • How good are tests designed to measure intelligence? • Can test scores be compared without considering the social and academic background of the people who took the tests? • How are intelligence tests created? • What do intelligence tests measure? • How can intelligence tests be evaluated?

4. Basic Ideas • Intelligence Test are useful estimates of intelligence • Everyone has special aptitudes= wide range of mental abilities • Most people are mid-range intelligence • Small % of people have high intelligence • High IQ does not reveal success • Intelligence relates to heredity + environment • IQ test are not perfectly reliable • Intelligence is a developed ability… asking questions helps • Rewards for progress • Encouragement • Expectations (aid) (Rosenthal and Jacobsen study… teacher expectations)

5. Defining Intelligence • Definition- (abstract thinking, or reasoning, problem solving, capacity to acquire knowledge) • Intelligence is the global capacity to act purposefully • To think rationally • To deal effectively with the environment

6. Other Tests: • Aptitude Tests: • Measure readiness to learn certain things • Or preform certain tasks • Examples: SAT, ACT, GRE • Achievement Tests: • “Measures what a person has learned in a particular area”

7. General Intelligence Tests – measure: • Remembering • Reasoning • Verbal Abilities • Mathematic Abilities • Cognitive abilities- deal with capacity to: • Reason • Remember • Understand • Solve problems • Make decisions • We draw conclusions about people’s intelligence from what can be observed and measured

8. Alfred Binet, 1904 France • Education Researcher • Tried to measure reasoning, thinking, problem solving, and found all depended on intelligence • “Created test to tell if a child was performing up to his or her potential” • Tasks that would highlight differences in children’s ability to do these things • Age based tasks • “6 year old item” types of questions that most kids should be able to answer • Test measured a child’s mental level (aka) Mental Age • He found by determining the age level of most advanced items a child could consistently answer correctly then he made inferences about the child in reference to most children of that age… • “Children whose mental age equaled their actual chronological age were considered to be regular level intelligence.” (p. 367)

9. Intelligence Quotients • To accurately measure intelligence need to know • Chronological age (CA) • Mental age (CA)= (average intellectual performance)= level of age-ranked questions she or he can answer • Example vocabulary word “Connection” certain % know this term • Scores of many words similar can lead to an overall mental age can be identified.

10. IQ • IQ = from dividing one number into another. MA X 100 = IQ CA

11. Scoring IQ • When mental age and chronological age is the same or similar • = normal intelligence 100 or near… • Average ranges= 90-109 intelligence • When the mental age is higher than the chronological age- intelligence is higher

12. IQ + Achievement • 100 = struggle with college • 120- would do just fine • IQ = grades – correlation • IQ is not correlated to art, music, drama, science or leadership (creativity- test tell us more)

13. Nice to know • Modern IQ scores are associated with “Deviation Scores= based on a person’s relative standing in his or her age group.” Which tell how far above or below average a person’s scores fall. • IQ doesn’t really change after age 16, except, when strong stimulation is present IQ seems to increase,… or when alcoholism or drug use causes a decline

14. Terman= Stanford-Binet • Louis Terman of Stanford (p. 368) • Developed the Stanford-Binet (1918) • Intelligence test for adults • Mental age was decided by chronological age and the result multiplied by 100 • Identified by Intelligence Quotient • Chronological age and mental age are equal then the IQ is 100 • Example 10year old with mental age of 12 = 10/12x100= 120 IQ

15. New Stanford Binet (SB5) • Still age based IQ • Measures: • Fluid Reasoning • Knowledge • Quantitative Reasoning • Working Memory • Visual + Spatial Processing • (Verbal and Non-verbal) • Age ranked questions- that get progressively more difficult

16. 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 Most scores fall close to the average and few are found at extremes

17. Sex in Relation to IQ • Women- best performance as group • Verbal, vocabulary and rote learning • Men- spatial visualization- math • Issue related to the tendency of parents + teachers to encourage males in these areas

18. IQ and Job Status • There are many variables associated IQ- its not absolute • High IQ correlates with white collar careers • Lawyers, engineers = 125 IQ • Lower IQ = miners & farm workers

19. Wechsler, David (1930) • (WAIS) Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale • Tested • Verbal • Non-verbal • Success was not measured on formal school • WAIS IV newest version gives IQ based on Verbal and Non-verbal • Verbal Tasks- • Remembering a series of digits • Solving arithmetic • Defining vocabulary • Understanding and answering general knowledge questions • Performance Tasks • Understanding relationships between objects • Manipulation of blocks, mazes, pictures/stories, completing unfinished pictures

20. Are IQ tests fair? • Bias is associated with IQ and jobs that require academic degrees • Test measure a particular type of intelligence (Fluid Reasoning, Knowledge, Quantitative Reasoning, Visual-Spatial Processing, Working Memory) • Studies show that African Americans score lower on IQ scores because of cultural bias.

21. Evaluating Tests: Are IQ Tests Fair? • There are many variables that can impact test performance • English language • Vocabulary and experiences • Culture Specific • Many tests reflect the attitudes and experiences of the authors example middle class culture • Context dependent questions • Biased questions

22. IQ Bias examples • What number comes next in the following sequence:   1   2   5   6   9   10   ___________ • How many weeks are in a year?   ___________ • Filthy is to disease as clean is to __________ • Three of the following may classified with pool.  What are they?   lagoon   swamp   lake   marsh   pond (circle your answers) • Which items may be classified with clock?   ruler   thermometer   rainguage   tachometer (circle your answers) • If BAD is written 214, how would you write DIG in the same secret writing? ______ • If Mary's aunt is my mother, what relation is Mary's father to my sister? _______ • Why does the state require people to get a license in order to get married?___________________________________________________________________ • What is the thing to do if you find an envelope in the street that is sealed, addressed and has a new stamp? • ___________________________________________________________________ • Why should you keep away from bad company? • ___________________________________________________________________

23. Answer Key • Scoring Sheet: Australian/American Test of Intelligence • Answer is 13.  Add 1 to the first number, then add 3, ,then 1, then 3, etc. • Fifty-two • Health - If you believe that germs cause illness and if you believe that absences of "filth" signifies the absence of germs. • Lagoon, lake, pond • All of these.  They are all measuring devices. • 497.  Solution of this problem requires ability to count and sort some of concept of codes. • Uncle.  Assumes conceptualization of European/Western familial relationships. • For social control?  To see that people do not commit bigamy?  To see that closely related kinsfolk do not marry?  For statistical purposes?  To ensure that people who are under age do not marry? • Post it.  However, a more practical line of action would be: open it to see if it contains anything of value, carefully remove the stamp for your own use and at least be 18c richer.  But in a highly acquisitive society principles of "honesty" (i.e. respect for unprotected property) have to be supported or society could easily break down (to the disadvantage of property owners).  Note the question asks "What is the thing to do...." not "What would you do...."  Again, the "correct" answer has a moral basis. • Because they may influence your own behavior and get you into trouble.  However, this only correct if you believe that bad people influence good people and not vice versa, that people who behave badly should be isolated in the community.  Again, the "correct" answer has a moral basis.

24. Measuring the Quality of Tests • Tests are standardized procedure, observing and describing behavior • Objective in nature to remove biases • Score= a performance summary • Norms= the frequency of particular scores related to other people and groups • Reliability= Replication, identified as a Correlation Coefficient • Validity= test measures what it is supposed to measure • Criterion Validity- comparing test scores with actual performance • Objective tests- tests that can be scored the same by two different scorers

25. Standardized Tests • Standard procedures are used • The norm =results of average • Used to rank and compare students and achievement • http://www.fairtest.org/facts/nratests.html

26. Degrees of Mental Retardation Level Typical Intelligence Scores Percentage of the Retarded Adaptation to Demands of Life Mild 50-70 85% May learn academic skills up to sixth-grade level. Adults may, with assistance, achieve self-supporting social and vocational skills. Moderate 35-49 10 May progress to second-grade level. academically. Adults may contribute to their own support by labor in sheltered workshops. Severe 20-34 3-4 May learn to talk and perform simple work tasks under close supervision but are generally unable to profit from vocational training. The Dynamics of Intelligence Profound Below 20 1-2 Require constant aid and supervision.

27. 5 Aspects of Intelligence • Fluid Reasoning • Knowledge • Quantitative reasoning • Visual-Spatial reasoning • Working memory

28. Fluid Reasoning • Use inductive reasoning – from specific to general • Or • Deductive reasoning- from general to the specific • Example of question tasks- “how are an apple, a plum, and a banana, different from a beat?” • Other items- • Complete a matrix of shapes that has one missing. • Tell a story that explains what’s going on in a series of pictures.

29. Knowledge • Assesses general information the test taker has acquired. • Questions: • General knowledge = “How many legs does a horse have? • Vocabulary = Define the word cryptic • Absurdities = What is wrong with this picture?”

30. Quantitative Reasoning- • Measure a person’s ability to solve problems involving numbers. • Questions emphasize practical problems vs mathematical knowledge • Given the number 3, 6, 9, 12 what number would come next?

31. Visual-Spatial Processing • Assesses someone’s ability to see patterns and relationships in visual displays • Examples- putting picture puzzles together • Working with geometric shapes • Reproducing patterns of blocks

32. Working Memory • Measures the ability to recall, sort, and apply information in short-term memory • Remembering the order of colored beads on a stick

33. Giftedness

34. Dr. Terman

35. Psychometrics • Psychometrics is the field of study concerned with the theory and technique of psychological measurement, which includes the measurement of knowledge, abilities, attitudes, personality traits, and educational measurement. The field is primarily concerned with the construction and validation of measurement instruments such as questionnaires, tests, and personality assessments.

36. New Ways of Viewing Intelligence (cont.) • Reflective Intelligence: Ability to become aware of one’s own thinking habits • Metacognitive Skills: Ability to manage one’s own thinking and problem solving efforts • Cattell + Spearman (factors of intelligence) • Found 2 types of intelligence • Fluid Intelligence- basic power of reasoning and problem solving • Crystallized Intelligence- specific knowledge

37. Gardner’s Theory of Intelligence: Some Concepts • Multiple Intelligences: Theory posed by Howard Gardner that states we have several specialized types of intellectual ability • Howard Gardner and Multiple Intelligence • Found some insight into how people learn • He identified different skills that make up intelligence • Said they are complimentary and interact • Some intelligences are developed further than others

38. Gardner’s Theory of Eight Multiple Intelligences • Language: Used for thinking by lawyers, writers, comedians • Logic and Math: Used by scientists, accountants, programmers • Visual and Spatial Thinking: Used by engineers, inventors, aviators • Music: Used by composers, musicians, music critics • Bodily-Kinesthetic Skills: Used by dancers, athletes, surgeons • Intrapersonal Skills (Self-Knowledge): Used by poets, actors, ministers • Interpersonal Skills (Social Abilities): Used by psychologists, teachers, politicians • Naturalistic Skills (Ability to Understand Natural Environment): Used by biologists, organic farmers

39. Gardner’s Theory of Eight Multiple Intelligences (cont.) • Gardner said traditional intelligence tests only look at the first 3.