Intelligence

1. Intelligence

2. Intelligence • Exactly what makes up intelligence is a matter of debate • David Wechsler’s Definition • Act purposefully • Think rationally • Deal effectively with the environment

3. Theories of Intelligence

4. Early Theories of Intelligence • Charles Spearman • Believed intelligence is general • People who are bright in one area are usually bright in other areas as well • L. L. Thurstone • Believed that intelligence is made up of seven distinct, independent abilities • Spatial ability, perceptual speed, numerical ability, verbal meaning, memory, word fluency, and reasoning

5. Early Theories of Intelligence • R. B. Cattell • Identified two clusters of mental abilities • Crystallized intelligence includes abilities such as reasoning and verbal skills • Fluid intelligence includes skills such as spatial and visual imagery, rote memory, and the ability to notice visual details • While education can increase crystallized intelligence, it was not thought to have any effect on fluid intelligence

6. Contemporary Theories of Intelligence • Robert Sternberg • Triarchic theory of intelligence posits three types of intelligence (prototype of 3 grad school applicants) • Analytical intelligence includes the ability to learn how to do things, solve problems, and acquire new knowledge (Alice) • Creative intelligence includes the ability adjust to new tasks, use new concepts, and respond well in new situations (Barbara) • Practical intelligence includes the ability to select contexts in which you can excel and solve practical problems (Celia)

7. Contemporary Theories of Intelligence • Logical-mathematical • Linguistic • Spatial • Musical • Bodily-kinesthetic • Interpersonal • Intrapersonal • Naturalistic • Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences

8. Contemporary Theories of Intelligence • Daniel Goleman • Proposed theory of emotional Intelligence • Emotional intelligence has five components • Knowing one’s own emotions • Managing one’s own emotions • Using emotions to motivate oneself • Recognizing the emotions of other people • Managing relationships

9. Comparing Contemporary Theories

10. Intelligence Tests • Binet-Simon scale • First test of intelligence, developed to identify children who might have difficulty in school • Binet developed the concept of mental age in children • Mental Age = age at which you perform intellectually - may or may not correspond with chronological age • Stanford-Binet scale • L. M. Terman’s adaptation of the Binet-Simon scale • Terman introduced the I.Q. score

11. Intelligence Tests • Stanford-Binet measures four kinds of mental abilities • Verbal reasoning • Abstract/visual reasoning • Quantitative reasoning • Short-term memory

12. Intelligence Tests • The Wechsler Intelligence Scales • The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Third Edition is the most commonly used test of intelligence for adults • WAIS-III is divided into to parts, one that focuses on verbal abilities and one that focuses on performance skills • Also a version for children, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Third Edition

13. Intelligence Tests • Group Tests • Intelligence tests that can be given to large groups • Advantages • Quick scoring • No examiner bias • Easier to establish norms • Disadvantages • Less likely to detect someone who is ill or confused • Might make people nervous • Learning disabled children often perform worse

14. Intelligence Tests • Performance tests • Tests that minimize the use of language • Used to test very young children or people with retardation • Also can be used to test those unfamiliar with English • Culture-fair tests • Tests designed to reduce cultural bias • Minimize skills and values that vary from one culture to another

15. What Makes a Good Test? • Reliability • Ability of a test to provide consistent and stable scores • Validity • Ability of a test to measure what it was designed to measure

16. What Makes a Good Test? • Standardization uniform rules for administering, taking and scoring the test. • Norms – performance benchmarks established during test development used to establish “average” performance. • Representative Sample – group used to establish norms that adequately reflects the demographics of those who will be taking the test.

17. Scoring the IQ Test • Raw Score - • number of questions answered correctly; doesn’t tell much about performance • Standard Score - • score that tells you how you did compared to other test takers – a much better read of performance • Percentile Score - • what percentage of test takers you scored better than • What does it mean to score in the 85th percentile? • You scored better than 85% of the test takers • IQ = Mental Age/Chronological Age x 100 • Most common IQ score? • 100! Why?

18. The “Normal” (Bell) Curve:Approximate Distribution of IQ Scores in the Population

19. Criticisms of IQ Tests • Test content and scores • Critics argue that IQ test measure a narrow set of skills • Some feel that the tests merely measure test taking ability • Tests may discriminate against minorities • Use of intelligence tests • Could result in permanent labeling • IQ and success • Relationship does exist, but may be the result of a self-fulfilling prophecy • Cases of Alicia P. and Gladys Burr?

20. What Determines Intelligence? • Nature • Biological similarities in Adoption Studies – • IQ scores of child more closely correlated with biological mother than adoptive mother. • Identical Twins reared apart – • after identical twins reared together, identical twins reared apart have the highest correlation of IQ scores.

21. Correlation of IQ Scores of Family Members

22. What Determines Intelligence? • Nurture • Isolated or Deprived Environments • individuals living in culturally or physically impoverished environments have lower IQ scores • Adoption Studies and Improved Environment • children demonstrated elevated IQ scores after being moved from crowded orphanage to parents with high socioeconomic status

23. What Determines Intelligence? • Family Structure? • Intellectual Climate – numerical calculation of the level of intellect in a household, based on the number of family members and their ages. • Example Calculation – adults = 30, teens = 15, children = 5, and newborns = 0: • 2 adults: • 30+30=60/2=intellectual climate of 30 • 2 adults and a newborn: • 30+30+0=60/3=intellectual climate of 20 • Intellectual climate goes down most when there are many children born in rapid succession.

24. Heredity vs. Environment:Which is More Important? • There is general agreement that both heredity and environment affect IQ scores • Debate centers around the relative contribution of nature (heredity) and nurture (environment) to the development of intelligence

25. Determinants of Intelligence: Gender • Early Research (1970s) • males excel at math/spatial skill while females excel at verbal • Hyde and Linn’s Meta-analysis (1988) • intellectual differences between males and females are so small that they are not statistically significant. • Today’s Conclusions • Overall, men and women do not differ significantly in general intelligence • Women show slight advantage in verbal and mathematical computation skills while men show an advantage in spatial ability • Men are more likely to fall in the extremes of intelligence range • There is no explanation for why these minimal differences exist – are they cultural or inborn?

26. Determinants of Intelligence • Culture • Difference in academic performance between American and Asian students are found from first grade through high school in mathematics and reading • May be related to a difference in cultural attitudes toward ability and effort • Stability of Intelligence • IQ stays relatively steady over course of life

27. Extremes of Intelligence: Giftedness • Definition • top 3% of IQ scores, typically over 132, • Superior IQ combined with ability in academics, creativity, and leadership • Giftedness is often in specific areas • “Globally” gifted people are rare • Specialized Programs of Study?

28. Extremes of Intelligence: Mental Retardation • Definition • IQ < 70; lowest 3% of IQ scores • not a result of accident • onset before age 18 • substantial limitations in functioning. • Causes – drug abuse during pregnancy, genetic disorders, lack of fetal nutrition • Levels • Mild - 90% of cases • Moderate - 6% of cases • Severe - 3% of cases • Profound - 1% of cases • Some people with retardation show savant performance on particular skills

29. Mental Retardation

30. Education and the Law • All children are entitled to an education that is… • FREE • PUBLIC • APPROPRIATE • Mainstreaming • keeping special needs kids in regular ed classes for whatever subject areas/activities they can handle • Inclusion • rather than taking special needs kids out of regular ed classes for support, bring support personnel into regular ed classes so kids can stay with their peers. • Leveling • separating children by ability into different classes

31. Creativity • Defined as the ability to produce novel and socially valued ideas or objects • Creativity and Intelligence – Early studies suggested that there was little relationship between the two, however, later research indicates otherwise: creative individuals tend to have higher IQs AND creative individuals are perceived as being more intelligent as well. • Creativity Tests – • Open-ended questions; scoring is based upon the number and originality of a person’s answers • Torrance Test – Individuals explain a picture, its origins, and consequences • Mednick’s Remote Association Test (RAT) – given three words – you come up with a fourth word that the other three can be combined with e.g. hand, lone, win (answer = some)