I. What is Intelligence?
-It is difficult to say
-A better question:
-How do we define intelligence?
-Concept and not a “thing”
-The ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations.
-Different “smarts”
A. Is Intelligence One General Ability or Several Specific Abilities?
-Science, Humanities, Athletics, Art, Music, Dance
-Charles Spearman believed in 1 “general intelligence”
-The “G” factor
-IF someone scored well in one area, THEN they were more likely to score well in other areas
-Obviously, not everyone agreed with Spearman
-L.L. Thurstone identifies 7 clusters of primary mental ability
-Word Fluency, Verbal Comprehension, Spatial Ability, Perceptual Speed, Numerical Ability, Inductive Reasoning, and Memory
-Concluded there was some evidence of a “G” factor
-General intelligence is related with the solving of “novel” problems
-It is NOT related with marrying and parenting, forming friendships, displaying social competence, etc…
i. Theories of Multiple Intelligences
-Searching for different connections
-Looking to debunk the “G” factor
-Different abilities interact with one another
a. Gardner’s Eight Intelligences
-Howard Gardner
-Views intelligence as multiple abilities that are packaged together
-Kim Peek “Rain Man”
-Savant
-Learned 9,000 books
-We don’t posses a singular intelligence, but multiple intelligences
-General intelligence score is like an overall rating (not specific)
-Success is not a one ingredient recipe
-10 years of intense, daily practice
-Linguistic
-Logical-mathematical
-Musical
-Spatial
-Bodily-kinesthetic
-Intrapersonal
-Interpersonal
-Naturalist
b. Sternberg’s Three Intelligences
-Robert Sternberg
-Triarchic Theory of Intelligences
-Analytical Intelligence (Academic Problem Solving)
-Creative Intelligence (Adaptive Reaction in Novel Situations)
-Practical Intelligence (Everyday Problem Solving)
B. Emotional Intelligence
-Perceiving emotions
-Understanding emotions
-Managing emotions
-Using emotions
C. Is Intelligence Neurologically Measurable?
-To what extent is intelligence related to brain anatomy and neural processing speed?
i. Brain Size and Complexity
-Lord Byron
-Beethoven
-Einstein
-Size matters. Kind of.
ii. Brain Function
-Anatomy is only the beginning
-Brains vs computer chips
-Speed of perception
-Neural processing
a. Perceptual Speed
-Correlation between intelligence and speed of taking in perceptual information
-Stimulus image and masking image
-Quick perception leads to a higher score
b. Neurological Speed
-Stimulus are processed with more complexity
-Processing speed and intelligence may correlate
-Not a chicken and egg scenario, but common underlying genetic influence
II. Assessing Intelligence
-Given the difficulty in DEFINING intelligence, how can we go about testing it?
-Credibility?
A. The Origins of Intelligence Testing
-Francis Galton (1822-1911)
-“Natural Ability” and mating
-A cautionary tale…
-Assumptions and attitudes
i. Alfred Binet: Predicting School Achievement
-Commissioned in 1904
-Dull vs Bright
-Wanted to measure “mental age”
-“mental orthopedics”
-“labeling”
ii. Lewis Terman: The Innate IQ
-(1877-1956)
-Stanford-Binet
-IQ (William Stern)
-Proposed mass testing and selective breeding
B. Modern Tests of Mental Abilities
-Achievement Tests and Aptitude Tests
-What you have learned vs what you may learn
-Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
-11 subtests
C. Principles of Test Construction
-In order to be accepted a test must:
-Be standardized
-Be reliable
-Be valid
i. Standardization
-Defining meaningful scores by comparison with a pre-tested group
-The bell curve…
ii. Reliability
-Who cares about the score UNLESS the test you are taking yields “dependably consistent scores”
-What retesting tells us
-Split-Half scoring
-The higher the correlation, the more reliable the test is
iii. Validity
-Does the test deliver what it promises?
-Content validity and a driving test
-Content validity and a final exam
-Predictive validity for young children
-Predictive validity for people as they age
III. The Dynamics of Intelligence
-How stable are intelligence scores over the life span?
-What are the traits of those at the low and high intelligence extremes?
A. Stability or Change?
-Very difficult to test intelligence at a young age…
-4 years of age
-“Early readers”
-After age 7, scores stabilize
B. Extremes of Intelligence
-Testing validity
-Differing extremes
i. The Low Extreme
-70 and below
-Intellectual disability= low score AND difficulty adapting to normal demands of independent living
-1% of the population
-Males outnumber females by 50%
-Mainstreaming
ii. The High Extreme
-Lewis Terman’s study (1921)
-Self-fulfilling prophecy (labeling)
-Appropriate developmental placement
IV. Genetic and Environmental Influences on Intelligence
-Intelligence runs in families…
-WHY?
-Nature vs Nurture
A. Twin and Adoption Studies
-Identical twins reared together: same person taking the same test twice
-Identical twins reared apart: similar enough to estimate “70%” can be attributed to genes
-Brain scans reveal similar gray matter volume
-Pinpointing genes
B. Heritability
-Heredity is credited with 50% of the variation in intelligence among people being studied
-Mark Twain’s barrel boys
-100% heritability
C. Environmental Influences
-Genes obviously factor in
-Different aptitudes
-Experience also matters
-Humans vs rats
-Impoverished brain development
i. Early Environmental Influences
-Iranian orphanage (1982)
-Tutored human enrichment
-Most were adopted
-Schools
-Poverty
-Malnourishment
-“Mozart effect”
ii. Schooling and Intelligence
-Schooling and intelligence interact
-Education boosts chances for success
-Project Head Start (1965)
-Poverty-level preschool
-Small boost in school readiness and in emotional intelligence
-Genes + Experience = Intelligence “fabric”
D. Group Differences in Intelligence Scores
-How and why do gender and racial groups differ in mental ability scores?
i. Gender Similarities and Differences
-Females are better in spelling
-Females excel at verbal fluency and remembering words
-Females are better at remembering and locating objects
-Females are more sensitive to touch, taste, and smell
-Females are better at detecting emotion
-Females are better at math computation
-Males are better at math problem solving
-99% of all chess grandmasters are male
-Males are better with 3-D object manipulation
-Evolutionary psychologists explain away
ii. Ethnic Similarities and Differences
-Racial differences may be accounted for because of economic situation
-“golden age” vs race
E. The Question Bias
-Are intelligence tests inappropriately biased?
-Genetically disposed race differences
-Socially influenced race differences
-Test may be inappropriate or biased
i. Two Meanings of Bias
-Tests are designed
-Who is designing the test matters!!!
ii. Test-Takers’ Expectations
-A self confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype
-Feeling as if you are a minority affects your performance
-Chess play
-Race and stereotype threat
