1. INTELLIGENCE ACROSS CULTURES

2. LECTURE OUTLINE I Background and objectives I Background and objectives II Intelligence and its measurement II Intelligence and its measurement Generalized mental ability (g) Generalized mental ability (g) Intelligence tests Intelligence tests IQ IQ Lay notions of intelligence Lay notions of intelligence

3. LECTURE OUTLINE (cont) III Intelligence in cultural context III Intelligence in cultural context Cultural variations in notions of intelligence Cultural variations in notions of intelligence Intelligence as adaptation to the environment Intelligence as adaptation to the environment Intelligence and schooling Intelligence and schooling Successful intelligence Successful intelligence IV Testing intelligence across cultures IV Testing intelligence across cultures V Conclusions V Conclusions

4. I Objectives To consider the nature of intelligence and its meaning across cultures To consider the nature of intelligence and its meaning across cultures To explore the assessment of intelligence across cultures To explore the assessment of intelligence across cultures

5. II Intelligence and its measurement Generalized versus specific abilities Generalized versus specific abilities G (generalized intelligence; Spearman, 1927) G (generalized intelligence; Spearman, 1927) Specific factors: Verbal, memory, reasoning, spatial (Thurstone, 1938) Specific factors: Verbal, memory, reasoning, spatial (Thurstone, 1938) Fluid and crystallized intelligence Fluid and crystallized intelligence

6. INTELLIGENCE TESTS Binet Binet Stanford-Binet Stanford-Binet Raven’s Progressive Matrices Raven’s Progressive Matrices Wechsler Wechsler WAIS (for adults) WAIS (for adults) WISC (for children) WISC (for children)

7. WECHSLER VerbalNonverbal Information Information Digit span Digit span Vocabulary Vocabulary Arithmetic Arithmetic Comprehension Comprehension Similarities Similarities Picture completion Picture arrangement Block design Digit symbol Object assembly

8. WECHSLER Picture completion

9. WECHSLER Picture arrangement

10. WECHSLER

11. Cultural Differences in IQ Median IQ in : Chinese in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan Chinese in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and China110 Japanese in Japan103 Japanese in Japan103 East Asians in North America103 East Asians in North America103 Japanese(abstract) 104.5 Japanese(abstract) 104.5 (spatial)114 American and British (abstract)100 American and British (abstract)100 (spatial)100

12. Cultural Differences in IQ Median IQ in Hong Kong (Chan) Chinese 110 white100 Median IQ on Raven’s Progressive Matrices: Study of 9 year olds (Lynn) Hong Kong113 Japan110 British100

13. Intelligent across cultures??

14. Lay notions of intelligence encompass practical problem solving, verbal and social competence abilities. Law of cultural differentiation: Cultural factors prescribe what shall be learned and at what age; consequently different cultural environments lead to the development of different patterns of ability. (Ferguson, 1956, p. 121)

15. CULTURAL CONCEPTIONS OF INTELLIGENCE Luo of Kenya (Grigorenko et al., 1999) Luo of Kenya (Grigorenko et al., 1999) rieko (knowledge and skills) luoro (respect) winjo (understanding social roles) paro (initiative) paro (initiative)

16. CULTURAL CONCEPTIONS OF INTELLIGENCE Baganda (Wober) Baganda (Wober) intelligence as socially oriented behaviour to benefit the collective intelligence as socially oriented behaviour to benefit the collective Shona (Irvine) Shona (Irvine) Ungwaru (dispositional intelligence) Ungwaru (dispositional intelligence) Uchenjeri (social intelligence) Uchenjeri (social intelligence)

17. CULTURAL CONCEPTIONS OF INTELLIGENCE Taiwanese (Yang & Sternberg) Taiwanese (Yang & Sternberg) intelligence includes a cognitive factor, interpersonal and intrapersonal factors, intellectual self assertion and intellectual self enhancement intelligence includes a cognitive factor, interpersonal and intrapersonal factors, intellectual self assertion and intellectual self enhancement

18. CULTURAL CONCEPTIONS OF INTELLIGENCE Comparative studies by Keats Comparative studies by Keats Australians place more emphasis on academic skills, reading, writing, speaking Australians place more emphasis on academic skills, reading, writing, speaking Malays place more emphasis on social and practical skills Malays place more emphasis on social and practical skills Chinese place more emphasis on rote memory Chinese place more emphasis on rote memory

19. INTELLIGENCE AS ADAPTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT Mathematics in Brazilian street children Mathematics in Brazilian street children (Carraher et al., 1985) (Carraher et al., 1985) Nzelu and “intelligence” in Zimbabwe (Serpell, 1979) Nzelu and “intelligence” in Zimbabwe (Serpell, 1979) Tacit knowledge and “intelligence” in Kenyan children (Sternberg et al., 2001) Tacit knowledge and “intelligence” in Kenyan children (Sternberg et al., 2001)

20. Practical intelligence does not relate to “formal” intelligence or academic performance

21. What constitutes the components of intelligence is universal. The content that constitutes the application of these components is shaped by environmental and cultural factors.

22. SUCCESSFUL INTELLIGENCE Intelligence is defined in terms of the ability to achieve success in life Intelligence is defined in terms of the ability to achieve success in life Ability to achieve success depends on capitalizing on one’s strengths and compensating for weaknesses Ability to achieve success depends on capitalizing on one’s strengths and compensating for weaknesses Success is attained through the balance of analytical, practical and creative abilities Success is attained through the balance of analytical, practical and creative abilities Balance of abilities is achieved in order to adapt to and shape the environment Balance of abilities is achieved in order to adapt to and shape the environment

23. MEASURING INTELLIGENCE Catalogue activities that should be mastered Catalogue activities that should be mastered Sample important tasks as a subset of activities Sample important tasks as a subset of activities Seek tasks that discriminate individuals Seek tasks that discriminate individuals Turn selected tasks into test items Turn selected tasks into test items

24. Because intelligence is embedded in culture, there can never be a culture- fair intelligence test. Activities that are functional and adaptive, i.e., intelligent, vary across cultures. Cole

25. QUESTIONS QUESTIONS Do we need a common definition of intelligence? Do we need a common definition of intelligence? Will modernization make the concept of intelligence more similar across cultures? Will modernization make the concept of intelligence more similar across cultures?