Intelligence

1
Intelligence

• Who is your prototype of a highly intelligent
  person?
• Who is your prototype of a person of low
  intelligence?
• .Then what is intelligence?

2
Intelligence What is it?

• How do we define intelligence?
• the ability to gather and use information in
  productive ways
• Why is there essentially no definitive definition
  of intelligence in the field of psychology?

3
Intelligence is relative...

• Intelligence is a socially constructed
  concept.thus is can be culturally specific.
• What exactly does this mean?

4
Theories on Intelligence

• Charles Spearman (1863-1945)
• Factor Analysis A statistical procedure that
  identifies clusters of related items on a test.
• G factor, or general intelligence (academic
  smarts)
• If you score high on one factor, or cluster (ie
  verbal intelligence) then you tend to score
  higher than average on other factors
  (correlation between clusters)
• Intelligence refers to a general single ability
• Prediction model for education, vocational levels

5
Theories on Intelligence

• L.L. Thurstone (1887-1955)
• 56 tests / 7 clusters of primary mental abilities
  (early theory of multiple intelligences)
• Word fluency
• Verbal comprehension
• Spatial ability
• Perceptual speed
• Numerical ability
• Inductive reasoning
• memory

6
Theories on Intelligence

• Howard Gardner 1970s-80s)
• Multiple, independent intelligences (Modern
  version of Thurstone) valued within different
  cultures
• Basis of theory
• Brain damage cases
• Savant Syndrome Rain Man
• Mental handicap, (autism, schizophrenia) but
  island of brilliance!
• 6x more common in males
• IQ 40-70
• Examples, p. 9 Myers
• Common component limitless memory

7
Gardners Multiple Intelligences

• Verbal / linguistic (Mark Twain)
• Logical / mathematical (Einstein)
• Visual / spatial (Picasso)
• Bodily / Kinesthetic (Michael Jordan)
• Musical / Rhythmic (Stravinsky)
• Interpersonal (MLK)
• Intrapersonal (Freud)
• Natural (Darwin)

8
Critics of Gardner

• So what is the chief criticism of Gardners
  multiple intelligences theory?
• Simply abilities, talents, skills that do not
  constitute intelligence.

9
Theories on Intelligence.

• Robert Sternberg
• Three major intelligences (Triarchic theory)
• Analytical academic problem-solving
  (intelligence tests)
• Creative reacting to novel situations /
  generating novel ideas
• Practical Intelligence everyday tasks (street
  smarts)

10
Emotional Intelligence

• Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence (1995)
• Originally called social intelligence (Gardners
  theories)
• 4 components of EQ
• Perceive
• Understand
• Manage
• Use
• Whats a better predictor of success, IQ or
• EQ?
• Critics argue that Goleman stretched too far-
  abilities not specifically related to intelligence

11
Creativity and Intelligence

• Creativity The ability to produce novel and
  valuable ideas.
• Small correlation between intelligence and
  creativity
• Above and below score of 120, correlation shrinks

12
Brain Size and Intelligence

• Are people with bigger heads / brains smarter?
• .15 correlation between head size and
  intelligence scores
• .44 correlation between brain size and IQ

13
Developmental Psych and Intelligence

• 2 General Categories of Intelligence
• Fluid Intelligence
• Speedy, abstract reasoning
• Peaks in the 20s
• Crystallized Intelligence
• accumulated knowledge, verbal skills
• Increases with age

14
Assessing Intelligence

• Alfred Binet (1857-1911)
• Turn of century France / Compulsory education
• Vast diversity / problematic
• Binet hired to assess how to meet students needs
• Founded on idea that intelligence increases with
  age (maturation, but at slightly different rates)
• Mental Age
• Average performance level of each age (grade)
• 10 year old with mental age of 7 Means what?
• Used to predict students needs / performance
• Not an intelligence test!! Measure to evaluate
  educational level to facilitate learning

15
Lewis Terman 1877-1956

• Stanford Professor
• Stanford-Binet IQ Test
• Modification of Binets work intelligence
  test
• Intelligence is hereditary
• Immigration / Industrialization / WWI
• Eugenics / Ideology / Racism cloaked by
  objectivity
• 1st mass intelligence testing in history

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• Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
• IQ Mental Age____ X 100
• Chronological Age
• Dominant assessment tool of 1900s
• Works well for kids / not adults

17
Intelligence Tests Today

• Mental ability score is assessed relative to the
  average performance of the same age
• Average 100 (average score for age is assigned
  a 100)
• 2/3 of scores fall between 85 and 115

18
Interesting Facts About IQ (Meyers p. 4)

• True or False?
• Your IQ is completely genetic
• Your IQ can change over time.
• Staying in school can elevate your IQ (Keep from
  slipping)
• For each year stayed in school, IQ gain of
  approximately 3.5 points)
• IQ is influenced by birth order.
• IQ is related to breast feeding. (3- 8 points by
  age of 3)
• IQ evens out with age
• Intelligence is plural, not singular.
• (general agreement on spatial, verbal,
  analytical, practical)
• Cranial volume is correlated with IQ
• Intelligence depends on context.
• IQs have steadily risen over the last 80 years

19
Modern Tests

• Aptitude tests (ability to learn)
• Used to predict performance (Example?)
• Achievement tests
• Assess what you have learned (Example?)
• SAT aptitude test?
• .82 correlation with general intelligence scores

20
David Wechsler

• WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
• WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children)
  7-16
• WPPSI (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of
  Intelligence (4!)
• WISC
• 11 subtests separate scores for each area
  (Verbal IQ and Performance IQ)
• Excellent tool for identifying learning disorders

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WISC
22
What does Standardized Test mean?

• Test items have been piloted on similar
  population of people as those who will take the
  test
• Achievement norms have been established
• Psychometrics making / assessing tests

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Standardized tests must have

• Reliability Consistency of test as a means of
  measurement (consistency of scores)
• Test-Retest
• Split-Half Reliability Randomly divide test in
  two ½s- correlate performance on two ½s
• Equivalent Form Reliability different forms of
  test
• Goal is 1

24
Standardized tests must have

• Validity When a test measures what it is
  supposed to measure
• Content validity (Drivers license test, course
  exam)
• Criterion Related Validity
• Concurrent validity measures current skill or
  knowledge
• Predictive validity measure of future
  performance

25
Wechsler Intelligence Score
26
The Flynn Effect

• IQ Tests have consistently risen over last 80
  years
• Over 20 countries (20 point rise per generation)
• Rise highest in the lowest economic countries
• Rising nutrition, educational levels

27
Standardized Tests

• Can a test be reliable if it is not valid?
• Can a test be valid if it is not reliable?

28
Aptitude Tests

• Predictive power is strong from age 6-12
• Weakens in later years
• 6-12 .60
• SAT .50
• GRE .30
• Why?
• Range of students narrow as education / ability
  level increase

29
True or False?

• All tests are exclusive to their objectives.
• Are achievement tests influenced by your
  intelligence?
• Are intelligence tests influenced by your
  educational experience?

30
Dynamics of intelligence

• At what age can we begin predicting intelligence?
• Four-five (to predict adolescent, adult scores)
• At age 7, intelligence scores begin to stabilize
• Rule of thumb consistency of scores increase
  with age

31
Extremes of Intelligence
32
Genetic Influences on Intelligence
33
Genetic Influences on Intelligence

• Genetic influences become more apparent over time

34
Heritability (Review)

• Used to explain extent to which genetics
  influence differences in intelligence (between
  people)
• Never to explain genes influence on intelligence!

35
Nurture and Intelligence

• Environment
• Interaction
• Experiences
• Nutrition
• Education
• Both genes and environment shape intelligence

36
Bias in Testing

• When a test is less valid for some groups than
  for others
• Influential Factors
• Language
• Experiences (cultural and economic)
• Schools
• Stereotype threat when students are made to
  feel stereotype, they score lower

37
One to consider.

• As a parent, your 10 year old child has just
  taken an IQ test. Would you tell him (or her)
  his score? Reflect carefully and explain your
  response.