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Intelligence. Christine Bui Bennet Engelhardt Jai Dahyabhai. Intelligence: what is it, who has it and how do we measure it?. Two camps of research: Psychometricians - look at the statistics and biology of IQ and try to determine how much of intelligence is innate.
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Intelligence Christine Bui Bennet Engelhardt Jai Dahyabhai
Intelligence: what is it, who has it and how do we measure it? Two camps of research: • Psychometricians- look at the statistics and biology of IQ and try to determine how much of intelligence is innate. • Cultural Ecologists- focus on environment and point out the mutability of intelligence and the unfairness of IQ tests • “At the very least, intelligence can be defined as the ability for complex thinking and reasoning.” "IQ Intelligence: The Surprising Truth", Ceci, Stephen, 2001
IQ correlates with some simple abilities • Levels of IQ does not affect simple tasks • However, IQ is modestly related to the speed at which simple activities are performed "IQ Intelligence: The Surprising Truth", Ceci, Stephen, 2001
IQ is Related to Breast-feeding • There appears to be a gain of 3 to 8 IQ points for breast-fed children by age three • There may some nutrients in a mother’s milk that prevent children from getting diseases that deplete energy and impair early learning "IQ Intelligence: The Surprising Truth", Ceci, Stephen, 2001
IQ Evens Out with Age • If two siblings are adopted by two different middle class families, their IQ’s will be more similar when they are older and more independent • They share approximately 50% of their segregating genes, so they will become more alike because they are propelled to seek similar types of environments "IQ Intelligence: The Surprising Truth", Ceci, Stephen, 2001
Intelligence is Plural, Not Singular • Independent mental abilities exist • Spatial, verbal, analytical and practical intelligence • There may even be seven or eight different kinds of intelligence • Interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, motoric and musical "IQ Intelligence: The Surprising Truth", Ceci, Stephen, 2001
IQ is Correlated with Head Size • “modern neuroimaging techniques demonstrate that cranial volume is correlated with IQ.” "IQ Intelligence: The Surprising Truth", Ceci, Stephen, 2001
Intelligence Scores are Predictive of Real-World Outcomes • People who have completed more school tend to earn more • Statistics show that people with lower IQ’s earn less than those with higher IQ levels "IQ Intelligence: The Surprising Truth", Ceci, Stephen, 2001
Intelligence is Context-dependent • The setting in which intelligence is measured matters • Experts are always better at reasoning complexly than non-experts, regardless of IQ scores "IQ Intelligence: The Surprising Truth", Ceci, Stephen, 2001
IQ is on the rise • IQ has risen approximately 20 points with every generation. Known as the “Flynn Effect” • May be attributed to factors such as better nutrition, more schooling, better-educated parents and more spatial environments "IQ Intelligence: The Surprising Truth", Ceci, Stephen, 2001
IQ may be influenced by the school cafeteria menu • Study was done in New York City school system • “researchers examined IQ scores before and after preservatives, dyes, colorings and artificial flavors were removed from lunch offerings. They found 14% improvement after the removal.” • Improvement greatest in children with weakest scores "IQ Intelligence: The Surprising Truth", Ceci, Stephen, 2001
Critical Comments • IQ may be influenced by the school cafeteria menu. He doesn’t say why some of the preservatives would be bad for you and it is not like smart people do not eat junk food. • Children born within the last few months of the year usually have lower IQ levels compared to their classmates "IQ Intelligence: The Surprising Truth", Ceci, Stephen, 2001