Class Exercise on Intelligence: group discussionsbrainstorming

1

• Class Exercise on Intelligence (group
  discussions/brainstorming)
• Components/definitions of intelligence
• Ability to manipulate environment (broadly
  defined) to our benefit (in a beneficial way)
• Ability to accomplish something (related to
  everyday functioning)
• Emotional intelligence, empathy?communication
• Information processing taking in information,
  using it, communicating it
• Adaptability coping, management of resources
  (broadly defined), problem-solving
• Ability to learn quickly and efficiently
• Creativity in arts, music, life skills
• Physical ability, body awareness, athletic
  smarts

2

• Brainstorming exercise continued
• How to measure these aspects of intelligence?
• Set up specific challenges to test adaptability
• Test problem-solving on specific tasks
• Use a booklet to pick a path (from among
  multiple options) to determine how person would
  solve a problem
• Timed tests of abilities (how quick to learn new
  skill) e.g., dance, team work, improvisation,
  theatre sports
• Exercises to assess level of compassion
  self-report
• MRI to examine brain efficiency (e.g., during
  certain tasks)
• Note these two slides contain points made during
  the class discussion and are useful to illustrate
  the many ways in which we conceptualize
  intelligence, and how difficult it is to define
  it and to measure it (these do not represent
  either right or wrong ways to view
  intelligence).

3
Models of Intelligence

• Factor Models (Spearman, Thurstone, Guilford)
• Hierarchical Models (Cattell)
• Information Processing Models (Gardner,
  Sternberg)

4

• Factor Models
• Spearman Two factor model of intelligence
•   Earliest model of intelligence (1927)
•   Felt that all intellectual activities share a
  single common factor called g (General factor)
•   The more highly correlated two measured
  aspects of intelligence, the more they represent
  g
•   Specific factors (s) are unique aspects in the
  performance of any given task (the more a test
  represents s, the less it represents g

5
Thurstones (1938) Primary mental abilities

• a number of primary abilities with less overlap
  that still represented Spearmans g
• Included spatial, perceptual, numerical, memory,
  verbal, word, reasoning, deduction, and induction
  abilities
• Developed a measure of intelligence based on his
  theory

6

• Guilford (1956) Structure of intellect model
• Three independent axes contents, operations, and
  products
• Content nature of information or task (visual,
  semantic, behavioral
• Operations activity of the task (memory
  retention, evaluation, cognition)
• Products form of information processed
  (relations among variables, transformation of
  information, implications)
• Total of 180 different factors

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• Hierarchical Models
• Proposes a smaller number of main factors with
  larger numbers of subfactors
• Raymond Cattell (1963) two general factors
• fluid intelligence (Gf) ability to solve novel
  problems, ones innate intellectual potential
• crystallized intelligence (Gc) learning from
  life and education

8

• Information Processing Models
• Gardners (1983) Theory of Multiple
  Intelligences
• Focuses on use of symbolic mental systems to
  process information
• Includes linguistic, musical, logical-mathematica
  l, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal,
  interpersonal, naturalist, spiritual,
  existential, and moral intelligence

9

• Sternberg (1980) Triarchic theory of
  intelligence
• Also focuses on ways of processing information
  and solving problems
• Involves three interrelated elements
• Componential planning, problem-solving,
  knowledge acquisition
• Experiential influence of task novelty on
  process of problem-solving
• Contextual adaptation to or changing the
  environment

10

• Testing in Clinical Psychology
• a test is a "systematic procedure for observing
  and describing a person's behaviour in a standard
  situation"
• usually involves use of norms obtained from other
  people taking the test under standardized
  conditions
• Four basic categories of tests
• a) intellectual functioning (most common)
• b) personality characteristics
• c) attitudes, interests, preferences, and values
• d) abilities

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• Test Construction
• analytic technique  deductive approach, relies
  on content validity
• empirical approach  large group of people
  tested items examined to see if differences
  between groups appear (e.g., MMPI)
• rational or sequential approach combined
  approach
• items are chosen analytically, examined
  statistically, then test validity is assessed
  empirically

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• Intellectual testing
• Binet scales Alfred Binet (1905) assessment of
  children's intelligence, revised in 1908
• Stanford-Binet (1916) (Lewis Terman, Stanford)
• categories of intelligence very superior,
  superior, high average, average, low average,
  borderline, mentally retarded
• 5th edition of the Stanford-binet (2003)
• 15 subtests, each with items arranged in order of
  increasing difficulty FSIQ score factor scores
• 4 major areas of functioning verbal reasoning,
  abstract/visual reasoning, quantitative
  reasoning, and short-term memory
• ages 2 to 85 years

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• Wechsler scales (David Wechsler)
• Wechsler-Bellevue (W-B) Intelligence Scale (1939)
  for adults 17 years of age
• WAIS (1955) -- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
• WAIS-R (1981) all had six verbal and five
  performance scales VIQ, PIQ, FIQ
• WAIS-III (1997) Canadian version 2001
• Ages 16-89 years
• VIQ, PIQ, FIQ plus 4 index scores  Verbal
  Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, Working
  Memory, and Processing Speed