Ch. 8 Intelligence and Mental Abililty

1
Ch. 8 Intelligence and Mental Abililty

• Definition of Intelligence
  A general term referring to the
  abilities involved in learning an adaptive
  behavior.

2
1. Formal Theories of Intelligence

• A. Early Theories
• Spearman
• Believed intelligence is general
• Thurstone
• Spatial ability, perceptual speed, numerical
  ability, verbal meaning, memory word fluency,
  reasoning
• Cattell
• Crystallized intelligence
• Fluid intelligence

3

• B. Contemporary Theories
• Robert Sternberg - Triarchic Theory of
  Intelligence
• Componential intelligence
• Acquire new knowledge and solve problems
• Experiential intelligence
• Adapt creatively, insight
• Contextual intelligence
• Select contexts shape environment

4

• Howard Gardner
• Logical-mathematical intelligence
• Linguistic intelligence
• Spatial intelligence
• Musical intelligence
• Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
• Interpersonal intelligence
• Intrapersonal intelligence
• Naturalist (newest one)

5

• Goleman
• Emotional Intelligence
• Understanding yourself and others
• C. Comparing the Theories
• Spearmans view of general intelligence is the
  simplest theory
• Thurstone and Cattell attempted to identify the
  structure of mental abilities in more detail
• Sternberg and Gardner both emphasized practical
  abilities

6
2. Intelligence Tests

• A. The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
• First test of intelligence
• Used to determine mental age in children
• Movie
• B. The Wechsler Intelligence Scales
• Verbal abilities
• Performance abilities

7
The best-known Binet adaptation, created by
Stanford University's L. M. Terman in 1916, is
the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. Terman
introduced the term intelligence quotient (IQ),
which is a numerical value given to scores on an
intelligence test (a score of 100 corresponds to
average intelligence).
8

• C. Group Tests
• SAT and GRE, for example
• D. Performance Tests and Culture-Fair Tests
• Some intelligence tests may discriminate against
  members of certain cultural or ethnic groups
• Performance test do not involve language and
  reduce cultural bias

9
3. What Makes a Good Test?

• A. Reliability
• Consistent, repeatability
• B. Validity
• True measure
• Content validity
• Is it measuring the skills and knowledge it is
  designed to measure?
• Criterion-related validity
• Relationship between test scores and independent
  measure

10

• C. Criticisms of IQ Tests
• Test content and scores
• Measures ability to take test
• Use of IQ scores
• Permanent labeling
• IQ and success
• Does exist but may be self-fulfilling prophecy

11
4. What Determines Intelligence?

• A. Heredity
• Genetics
• B. Environment
• Social and biological environment
• C. The IQ Debate A Continuing Controversy
• Most people agree that both heredity and
  environment affect IQ scores. The debate is about
  the relative proportions.

12
The correlation between the IQs of all identical
twins is usually very high, indicating that their
identical genetic inheritance is a more powerful
determinant of intelligence than their
experiences. But critics of this research make
several strong points (1) It is difficult to
find identical twins who have been separated
since birth, so that there are only a few such
studies (2) identical twins tend to be placed in
households similar in socioeconomic background to
those of their biological parents and (3) even
twins separated at birth would have had nearly
identical prenatal experiences.
13
5. Mental Abilities and Human Diversity

• A. Gender
• Overall, women and men do not differ
  significantly in general intelligence
• Women may show slight advantage in mathematical
  computation skills
• Men a slight advantage in spatial ability

14

• B. 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 cultural attitudes toward
  ability and effort

15
6. Extremes of Intelligence

• A. Mental Retardation
• Mild IQ of 50-70
• Moderate IQ of 35-50
• Severe IQ 20-35
• Profound IQ below 20-25
• Click here to view the Mental Retardation table
• B. Giftedness
• Top 2 percent

16
7. Creativity

• Creativity and intelligence
• Produce something new and unique that is socially
  valued
• Creativity Tests
• Open-ended questions are used

17
End of Chapter