1. Exam 3
• Mean: 35.2
• Median: 36 Intelligence
• Mode: 38
• SD = 6.8 Chapter 10
• Top Score: 49 Psy 12000.003
Spring 2010
• Top Cumulative Score to date: 146
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What is Intelligence?
My Brilliant Brain
Intelligence (in all cultures) is the ability to learn
• Susan Polgar, Chess Champion from experience, solve problems, and use our
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VlGGM5WYZo knowledge to adapt to new situations.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95eYyyg1g5s
In research studies, intelligence is whatever the
intelligence test measures. This tends to be “school
smarts.”
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2. Conceptual Difficulties Controversies About Intelligence
Psychologists believe that intelligence is a concept Despite general agreement among psychologists
and not a thing. about the nature of intelligence, at least three
controversies remain:
When we think of intelligence as a trait (thing) we  Is intelligence a single overall ability or is it several specific
make an error called reification — viewing an abilities?
 With modern neuroscience techniques, can we locate and measure
abstract immaterial concept as if it were a concrete intelligence within the brain?
thing.  Do between group differences in IQ scores (and distributions around
the mean for each group) reflect real group differences in
intelligence or are they artifacts of the testing instrument and
procedure?
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Intelligence: Ability or Abilities? General Intelligence
Have you ever thought that because people’s mental The idea that general intelligence (g) exists comes
abilities are so diverse, it may not be justifiable to from the work of Charles Spearman (1863-1945)
label those abilities with only one word, who helped develop the factor analysis approach in
intelligence? statistics.
You may speculate that diverse abilities represent
different kinds of intelligences. How can you test this
idea?
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3. General Intelligence General Intelligence
Spearman proposed that general intelligence (g) is L. L. Thurstone, a critic of Spearman, analyzed his
linked to many clusters that can be analyzed by subjects NOT on a single scale of general
factor analysis. intelligence, but on seven clusters of primary mental
abilities, including:
Spearman, using an earlier approach to factor
analysis, found that scores on all mental tests  Word Fluency
(regardless of the domain or how it was tested) tend  Verbal Comprehension
to load on one major factor. Spearman suggested  Spatial Ability
that these disparate scores are fueled by a common  Perceptual Speed
metaphorical “pool” of mental energy. He named this  Numerical Ability
pool the general factor, or g (Spearman, 1904).  Inductive Reasoning
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 Memory 10
General Intelligence Contemporary Intelligence Theories
Later psychologists re-analyzed Thurstone’s data and Howard Gardner (1983, 1999) supports Thurstone’s
found a weak relationship between these clusters, idea that intelligence comes in multiple forms.
suggesting some evidence of a g factor. Gardner notes that brain damage may diminish one
type of ability but not others.
People with savant syndrome excel in abilities
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unrelated to general intelligence.
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4. Howard Gardner
Savants Gardner proposes eight types of intelligences and
speculates about a ninth one — existential
intelligence. Existential intelligence is the ability to
think about the question of life, death and existence.
Daniel Tammet,
“Brainman”
Brainman:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKk96kOAnLg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vs6R5YZQ3c
On Letterman:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXG-1YLGAS0&feature=related
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Robert Sternberg Emotional Intelligence
Sternberg (1985, 1999, 2003) Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive,
also agrees with Gardner, understand, and use emotions (Salovey and
but suggests three intelligences colleagues, 2005). The test of emotional intelligence
rather than eight. measures overall emotional intelligence and its four
components.
 Analytical Intelligence: Intelligence that is assessed by
intelligence tests.
 Creative Intelligence: Intelligence that makes us adapt to
novel situations, generating novel ideas.
 Practical Intelligence: Intelligence that is required for
everyday tasks (e.g. street smarts).
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5. Emotional Intelligence: Components Emotional Intelligence: Criticism
Component Description Gardner and others criticize the idea of emotional
Recognize emotions in faces, music intelligence and question whether we stretch this idea of
Perceive emotion
and stories intelligence too far when we apply it to our emotions.
Predict emotions, how they change
Understand emotion
and blend
Express emotions in different
Manage emotion
situations
Utilize emotions to adapt or be
Use emotion
creative
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Is Intelligence Neurologically
Intelligence and Creativity Measurable?
Creativity is the ability to produce ideas that are both Recent Studies indicate some correlation (about +.40)
novel and valuable. It correlates somewhat with between brain size and intelligence. As brain size
intelligence. decreases with age, scores on verbal intelligence tests
also decrease.
 Factors associated with creativity:
 Expertise: A well-developed knowledge base.
 Imaginative Thinking: The ability to see things in novel ways.
 Adventuresome Personality: A personality that seeks new
experiences rather than following the pack.
 Intrinsic Motivation: A motivation to be creative from within.
 A Creative Environment: A creative and supportive environment
allows creativity to bloom.
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Gray matter concentration in people with high intelligence.
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6. Get ready…
Long side on left or right?
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Brain Function Assessing Intelligence
Studies of brain functions show that people who score Psychologists define intelligence testing as a method for
high on intelligence tests perceive stimuli faster, retrieve assessing an individual’s mental aptitudes and comparing
information from memory quicker, and show faster brain them with others using numerical scores.
response times.
People with higher intelligence respond correctly and quickly to 23 24
the above question.
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7. Alfred Binet Lewis Terman
In the US, Lewis Terman
Alfred Binet and his adapted Binet’s test for
colleague Théodore Simon American school children
practiced a more modern and named the test the
form of intelligence testing Stanford-Binet Test. The
by developing questions following is the formula of
that would predict Intelligence Quotient (IQ),
children’s future progress in introduced by William
the Paris school system. Stern:
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Aptitude and Achievement Tests David Wechsler
Aptitude tests are intended to predict your ability to learn Wechsler developed the
a new skill and achievement tests are intended to reflect Wechsler Adult Intelligence
what you have already learned. Scale (WAIS) and later the
Wechsler Intelligence Scale
for Children (WISC), an
intelligence test for
preschoolers.
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8. WAIS Principles of Test Construction
WAIS measures overall intelligence and 11 other
aspects related to intelligence that are designed to For a psychological test to be acceptable it must fulfill
assess clinical and educational problems. the following three criteria:
 Standardization
 Reliability
 Validity
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Standardization Normal Curve
Standardizing a test involves administering the test to a Standardized tests establish a normal distribution of
representative sample of future test takers in order to scores on a tested population in a bell-shaped pattern
establish a basis for meaningful comparison. called the normal curve.
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9. Reliability Validity
A test is reliable when it yields consistent results. To Reliability of a test does not ensure validity. Validity of a
establish reliability researchers establish different test refers to what the test is supposed to measure or
procedures: predict.
 Split-half Reliability: Dividing the test into two equal
halves and assessing how consistent the scores are.  Content Validity: Refers to the extent a test measures a
 Reliability using different tests: Using different forms of particular behavior or trait.
the test to measure consistency between them.  Isomorphism
 Test-Retest Reliability: Using the same test on two  Predictive Validity: Refers to the function of a test in
occasions to measure consistency. predicting a particular behavior or trait.
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The Dynamics of Intelligence Stability or Change?
Does intelligence remain stable over a lifetime or does Intelligence scores become stable after about seven years
it change? Are individuals on the two extremes of the of age. In numerous studies, stability of intelligence
intelligence scale really that different? scores have been determined (Angoff, 1988; Deary et al.,
2004).
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10. Extremes of Intelligence Mental Retardation
A valid intelligence test divides two groups of people
Mentally retarded individuals required constant
into two extremes: the mentally retarded (IQ 70) and
supervision a few decades ago, but with a supportive
individuals with high intelligence (IQ 135). These two
family environment and special education they can now
groups are significantly different.
care for themselves.
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Genetic and Environmental Influences
High Intelligence on Intelligence
Contrary to popular belief, people with high intelligence No other topic in psychology is so passionately followed
test scores tend to be healthy, well adjusted, and as the one that asks the question, “Is intelligence due to
unusually successful academically. genetics or environment?”
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11. Genetic Influences Adoption Studies
Studies of twins, family members, and adopted children Adopted children show a marginal correlation in verbal
together support the idea that there is a significant ability to their adopted parents.
genetic contribution to intelligence.
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Environmental Influences Early Intervention Effects
Studies of twins and adopted children also show the Early neglect from caregivers leads children to develop a
following: lack of personal control over the environment, and it
 Fraternal twins raised together tend to show impoverishes their intelligence.
similarity in intelligence scores.
 Identical twins raised apart show slightly less
similarity in their intelligence scores.
Romanian orphans with minimal
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human interaction are delayed in their development.
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12. Group Differences in Intelligence Test
Schooling Effects Scores
Schooling is an experience that pays dividends, which is Why do groups differ in intelligence? How can we make
reflected in intelligence scores. Increased schooling sense of these differences?
correlates with higher intelligence scores.
To increase readiness for schoolwork,
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projects like Head Start facilitate leaning.
Ethnic Similarities and Differences Racial (Group) Differences
To discuss this issue we begin with two disturbing but If we look at racial differences, white Americans score
agreed upon facts: higher in average intelligence than black Americans
(Avery and others, 1994). European New Zealanders
 Racial groups differ in their average intelligence score higher than native New Zealanders (Braden, 1994).
scores.
 High-scoring people (and groups) are more
likely to attain high levels of education and White-Americans Black-Americans
income. Average IQ = 100 Average IQ = 85
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Hispanic Americans 48
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13. Reasons Why Environment Affects
Environmental Effects Intelligence
Differences in intelligence among these groups are  Races are remarkably alike genetically.
largely environmental, as if one environment is more  Race is a social category.
fertile in developing these abilities than another.  Asian students outperform North American students on
math achievement and aptitude tests.
 Today’s better prepared populations would outperform
populations of the 1930s on intelligence tests.
 White and black infants tend to score equally well on
tests predicting future intelligence.
 Different ethnic groups have experienced periods of
remarkable achievement in different eras.
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Gender Similarities and Differences The Question of Bias
There are seven ways in which males and females differ
in various abilities. Aptitude tests are necessarily biased in the sense that
1. Girls are better spellers
they are sensitive to performance differences caused by
cultural differences.
2. Girls are verbally fluent and have large vocabularies
3. Girls are better at locating objects
4. Girls are more sensitive to touch, taste, and color However, aptitude tests are not biased in the sense that
5. Boys outnumber girls in counts of underachievement they accurately predict performance of one group over
the other.
6. Boys outperform girls at math problem solving, but under
perform at math computation
7. Women detect emotions more easily than men do
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14. Stereotype Threat
A stereotype threat is a self-confirming concern that
one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype.
This phenomenon appears in some instances in
intelligence testing among African-Americans and
among women of all colors.
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