Module 31: Introduction to Intelligence Unit 6: Testing &
Individual Differences
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What is Intelligence? IQ: Intelligence quotient Intelligence:
mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience,
solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations.
Intelligence is a concept, not a thing Intelligence is whatever
attributes enables success within a culture.
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What is Intelligence? Reification: viewing an abstract concept
as if it was a concrete thing To reify is to invent a concept, give
it a name, and convince us that it exists. We treat IQ as a thing
that someone has rather than a score someone attains on a
test.
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What is Intelligence? In the end, intelligence is whatever
intelligence tests measure! Two controversies: 1. Is intelligence a
single overall ability or several abilities? 2. Can we locate and
measure intelligence within the brain?
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What is Intelligence? Clusters: Groups of skills that comprise
an intelligence factor. Ex. Verbal, mathematical, spatial General
Intelligence (g): a general intelligence factor that is in every
specific mental ability. (Spearman) Spearmans g was a single
intelligence score!
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What is Intelligence? Thurstone identified 7 clusters of
primary mental abilities: Word fluency Verbal comprehension Spatial
ability Perceptual speed Numerical ability Inductive reasoning
Memory Multiple abilities!
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What is Intelligence? Savant Syndrome: a person with one
exceptional ability, but limited mental ability in the others.
Found in some people living with autism. This led Howard Gardner to
conclude that we do not have a single intelligence, but that we
have multiple intelligences.
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Gardners Theory Theory of Multiple Intelligences: 1. Linguistic
2. Logical-mathematical 3. Musical 4. Spatial 5. Bodily-kinesthetic
6. Intrapersonal (Self) 7. Interpersonal (Others) 8. Naturalist 9.
Existential
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What is Intelligence? Robert Sternbergs Three Aspects of
Intelligence: Analytical: academic problem solving. Measured on IQ
tests. Creative: generating new ideas Practical: street smarts,
required for everyday tasks where multiple solutions exist. Agreed
with Gardner, but a simplified version.
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Theories on Intelligence Summary: Spearman g (general
intelligence). Thurstone Primary mental abilities (7
factors/clusters). Gardner 9 independent intelligences. Sternberg 3
areas that predict success.
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Emotional Intelligence Emotional Intelligence: the ability to
perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions. Perceive: recognize
emotions in faces, music, and stories. Understand: to predict them
& how they change and blend. Manage: to express them in
situations. Use: to enable them.
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Results Research has indicated that high scale scores on EI
tests are associated with: Greater optimism Less depression Less
impulsivity Scores were unrelated to cognitive ability. EI does not
correlate to IQ.
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Emotional Intelligence People with a low score on emotional
intelligence may have a difficult time interpreting, understanding,
and acting on emotions. They often have difficulty expressing their
own emotions and feel uncomfortable around the emotional displays
of other people.
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Emotional Intelligence In some cases, those who score low may
experience low self-esteem, poor self-confidence, and may have
difficulty feeling empathy and showing love for others. Emotionally
intelligent people enjoy better relationships with people of both
sexes and avoid depression, anxiety, or anger. Often succeed in
career, marriage, and parenting.
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Intelligence Research says: Intelligence tests do predict both
occupational status and job performance. Intelligence gets you the
job, other things (emotional intelligence) helps you keep the job
and be successful.
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Creativity Creativity: The ability to produce novel (new) and
valuable ideas. Ex. How many ways can you use a brick? People who
do well on intelligence tests do well on creativity tests.
Creativity led to technology: iPods, Post-it notes, etc.
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Creativity Five Components of Creativity: 1. Expertise:
well-developed base of knowledge. 2. Imaginative thinking skills:
to see things in new ways. 3. Venturesome personality: tolerates
ambiguity and risk. Seeks new experiences rather than follow old.
4. Intrinsic motivation: internally driven. 5. Creative
environment: places, peers
Slide 20
Intelligence & the Brain Does brain size and intelligence
correlate? Some geniuses had small brains, while some dumb
criminals had large brains. There is, however, a +.4 correlation
between brain size and intelligence. Learning produces bigger
brains (mice in enriched environment).
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Intelligence & the Brain Highly intelligent people differ
in neural plasticity. Neural plasticity: ability during childhood
to adapt and grow neural connections. Higher intelligence linked to
more gray matter (neural bodies) in brains. Otherwise, slight
correlation between size and intelligence.
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Intelligence & the Brain Highly intelligent people perceive
information more quickly. (Quick witted) They also have faster
neurological speed. (Process it quicker.) So highly intelligent
people see and process information quicker than others.
Slide 23
Environmental Influences Infants who suffer from extreme
malnutrition during infancy average 20 I.Q. points lower than other
children (Stock and Smythe, 1963) Toxins in the environment such as
lead found in some paints are associated with reduced I.Q.
(Needleman, 1990)
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Environmental Influences Intelligence declines with family
size; the fewer children there are the smarter you are likely to be
(Zajonc, 1975) Intelligence declines with birth order; first-borns
tend to be brighter (Zajonc, 1975) I.Q. is negatively correlated
with family risk factors, such as social class or absence of father
figure (1989)
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Module 32: Assessing Intelligence Unit 6: Testing and
Individual Differences
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Assessing Intelligence Intelligence is whatever an intelligence
test measures. Intelligence Test: A method for assessing an
individuals mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of
others, using scores.
Slide 27
Origins of Intelligence Testing When laws for mandatory
schooling began, testing was needed to separate those who needed
extra attention and those who didnt. Testing was a way to minimize
bias. Alfred Binet: French psychologist who invented the first
practical intelligence test to identify students who needed special
help.
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Origins of Intelligence Testing Alfred Binet (below) and
Theodore Simon developed questions that would predict childrens
future progress in the Paris school system. The Binet-Simon Scale
measured a childs mental age.
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Origins of Intelligence Testing Mental age: the age that most
typically corresponds to a given level of performance. A child who
does as well as the average 8 year old has a mental age of 8. A
child can have a mental age smaller or larger than their
chronological age. Mental age of 8, chronological age of 6.
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Origins of Intelligence Testing Lewis Terman: Stanford
professor who adapted Binets test for American school children. The
Stanford-Binet test is still used today.
Slide 31
A child with a mental age of 10 and a chronological age of 8:
The average IQ is 100. Origins of Intelligence Testing William
Stern: German psychologist who created the IQ. IQ = Mental age
Chronological age x 100 IQ = 10 8 x 100 = 125
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Origins of Intelligence Testing Terman believed in eugenics and
testing was a way to curb the production of feeble-minded children.
Eugenics: 19 th century movement that proposed measuring human
traits and using the results to encourage only smart and fit people
to reproduce.
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Origins of Intelligence Testing The U.S. government curbed
immigration using IQ tests to stop those less intelligent from
coming to America. Thus one major drawback of testing is labeling
children as inferior, slow, or unfit. Prejudice can come from not
just skin color, but from intelligence.
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Modern Tests of Intelligence Aptitude: the capacity to learn.
Aptitude tests: a test designed to predict a persons future
performance. Ex. ACT (college readiness), drivers test (driving
ability), Selective enrollment test (HS), etc. Scores on the SAT
and IQ tests has a +.82 correlation.
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SAT and IQ Correlation
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Modern Tests of Intelligence Achievement tests: a test designed
to assess what a person has learned. Ex. Tests, quizzes, AP Exam,
etc. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS): most widely used
intelligence test today. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
(WISC): intelligence test for children.
Slide 37
Test Construction Psychological tests must meet 3 criteria to
be accepted: standardized, reliable, and valid. Standardization:
give test to a representative sample AND assure that the test is
both administered and scored the same for everyone. It defines what
the score you get means!
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Test Construction Normal Curve: a bell shaped curve in which
most scores fall near the average and fewer scores are at the
extremes.
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Test Construction Reliability: the extent to which a test
yields consistent results. Repeat the test to see if, over time,
you get the same results. Methods of measurement include
test-retest(use same test), split-half (odd-even halves), and
alternate form(different forms of same test).
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Test Construction Validity: what the test is supposed to
measure or predict. Content Validity: measures a particular
behavior or trait. Driving test should measure driving ability.
Predictive Validity: able to predict future achievement. ACT must
be able to predict college readiness or its not valid.
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Extremes of Intelligence No real predictors for intelligence
among babies up to 3 years of age. Beginning at age 4, intelligence
tests begin predicting adult scores. At age 7, intelligence scores
stabilize.
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Extremes of Intelligence A valid test divides people into two
extreme groups: mentally retarded (IQ 135).
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Extremes of Intelligence Mental retardation: low test score and
difficulty living independently.
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Extremes of Intelligence Gifted children makes up 3 5% of the
population. They are sometimes more isolated, introverted, and in
their own worlds, but most thrive and are successful. High scorers
tend to be healthy, well adjusted, and academically
successful.
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Module 33: Genetic & Environmental Influences on
Intelligence Unit 6: Testing & Individual Differences
Slide 46
Genetic Influences Do people with the same genes share
comparable mental abilities? Answer: YES! IQs of identical twins
are similar to those of the same person taking the same test twice.
Fraternal twins (share of their genes) are much less similar.
Identical twins raised separately also have similar scores.
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Genetic Influences Fraternal twins tend to score more alike
than other non-twin siblings. Intelligence scores of adopted
children are more like those of their biological parents.
Sogenetics seem to play a large role in IQ.
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Genetic Influences
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Environmental Influences Environmental influences effect
children of less-educated parents more. Children in poor families
have more similar intelligence scores. Meaning that poor
environmental conditions can override genetic differences. Extreme
poverty trumps genetics!
Slide 50
Environmental Influences Can intelligence be improved with
practice or education? Head Start Program: Government funded
preschool program. Mostly children below poverty level. Over
900,000 children. Quality programs increase school readiness, but
results fade over time Small intelligence boost, but experiences
after Head Start is important.
Slide 51
Head Start Program that provide early childhood education,
health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income
children and their families. Critics point to research that says
that there were very few, if any, long term benefits. You probably
were involved in some way!
Slide 52
Environmental Influences Of courseschooling and intelligence is
correlated. IQ scores rise during school year, but drop during
summer. Flynn Effect: worldwide rise in IQ scores since the 1920s
due to better nutrition and increasing years of schooling. More
school = smarter kids!
Slide 53
Racial & Ethnic Differences Racial groups differ in average
scores on IQ tests. Bell curve: Whites: Average 100 Blacks: Average
85 Hispanics: Average in between whites and blacks. Similar results
appear on aptitude tests like SAT, although gap is getting
smaller.
Slide 54
Racial & Ethnic Differences Environmental factors in racial
gap: Skin color does not differentiate people. Race is no longer
easy to define with more mixed race people. Asians outperform North
Americans on math and aptitude tests. (They also spend 30% more
time in school.)
Slide 55
Racial & Ethnic Differences IQ scores of todays better-fed,
better-educated population exceeds those of the 1930s. (Flynn
Effect) White and black infants score equally well on infant
intelligence measures. Each ethnic group had their glory years:
Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Aztecs, Arabs, etc.
Slide 56
Gender Differences Boys vs. Girls: Spelling: Girls are better
spellers. Verbal: Girls are more verbally fluent and remember words
better. Memory: Girls are better at locating objects. Sensation:
Girls are more sensitive to touch, taste, and odor. Emotion
Detection: Girls!
Slide 57
Gender Differences Boys vs. Girls Continued: Underachievement:
More boys are at the low extremes of intelligence. Math and Spatial
Intelligence: Girls are better at computation, but boys are better
at problem solving. Also more boys at the highest extremes in math
(gifted).
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Bias Bias: Differences in performances caused by cultural
experiences detected on tests. Most psychologists believe that the
major aptitude tests (ACT, SAT, IQ tests) are not biased. Their
predictions applies to both genders and all ethnic and economic
groups.
Slide 59
Bias Stereotype Threat: A self- confirming concern that one
will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype. When one feels
that they wont succeed based on negative stereotypes, they usually
perform poorly. This may account for lower test scores of blacks
and women.