INTELLIGENCE  What is it? Difficult to define.  Associated with problem-solving ability, speed of processing, large number of items in working memory, learning capacity, logic.  One or many?

INTELLIGENCE Psychometric approach  Early attempts at quantification  Simon and Binet, France (children)  Concept of intelligence quotient: mental age divided by chronological age x 100.  Adapted for adults in U.S., army selection: Stanford-Binet. Instead of individual testing, group testing.  Fuelled the philosophical current that intelligence is innate. Misuses.

INTELLIGENCE  Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS): Verbal and Performance Scales Biases: educational level educational level SES SES culture and subculture culture and subculture

INTELLIGENCE Factors affecting test performance: health health exercise, fitness exercise, fitness anxiety anxiety motivation motivation experience with tests experience with tests vision and hearing vision and hearing Probably inappropriate for older adults.

INTELLIGENCE Issues in adult intelligence: One or many? One or many? Increment, decrement or no change? Increment, decrement or no change? How much interindividual variability? How much interindividual variability? Can it be improved? Can it be improved? Theories of adult intelligence: Spearman’s g (factor analysis) Spearman’s g (factor analysis) Thurstone: PMAs (primary mental abilities) Thurstone: PMAs (primary mental abilities) Cattell and Horn: fluid and crystallized Cattell and Horn: fluid and crystallized

INTELLIGENCE Theories of adult intelligence (Cont’d): Gardner: multiple intelligences Gardner: multiple intelligences Sternberg: triarchic Sternberg: triarchic Baltes: dual process Baltes: dual process Piaget: organismic Piaget: organismic Perlmutter: three tier Perlmutter: three tier

INTELLIGENCE Gardner’s Theory: Seven different abilities or talents linguistic linguistic logical-mathematical logical-mathematical musical musical spatial spatial bodily-kinesthetic bodily-kinesthetic interpersonal interpersonal intrapersonal intrapersonal

INTELLIGENCE STERNBERG’S TRIARCHIC THEORY: 1. Componential element: efficiency in information processing, analytic capacity. 2. Experiential element: approach to tasks, new or old, originality of thinking. Old tasks automatic, leaves more working memory for new tasks. 3. Contextual element: relationship to environment, social skills, “street smarts”. Knowledge of “unwritten rules”, ability to pick up “what’s going on”. The last two are not measured by classical IQ tests. The last two are not measured by classical IQ tests.

INTELLIGENCE Psychometric Approach to Intelligence Primary Mental Abilities: intelligence is composed of several independent abilities (Thurstone): number number word fluency word fluency verbal meaning verbal meaning associative memory associative memory reasoning reasoning spatial orientation spatial orientation perceptual speed perceptual speed

INTELLIGENCE Secondary Mental Abilities: relationships amongst primary abilities: crystallized intelligence crystallized intelligence fluid intelligence fluid intelligence visual organization visual organization auditory organization auditory organization short-term acquisition and retrieval short-term acquisition and retrieval long-term storage and retrieval long-term storage and retrieval

INTELLIGENCE Cattell and Horn: Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence Fluid intelligence: encompasses the abilities needed to solve problems, e.g. abstract thinking, inductive reasoning. It is high in early adolescence and decreases with age. Thought to be biologically determined. Fluid intelligence: encompasses the abilities needed to solve problems, e.g. abstract thinking, inductive reasoning. It is high in early adolescence and decreases with age. Thought to be biologically determined. Crystallized intelligence acquired knowledge, e.g. vocabulary, historical facts. It starts low, but increases with age. Considered culturally determined. Crystallized intelligence acquired knowledge, e.g. vocabulary, historical facts. It starts low, but increases with age. Considered culturally determined.

Crystallized Fluid Performance 1260 Age

INTELLIGENCE Cohort differences: education Declines accounted for by: perceptual speed perceptual speed working memory working memory inability to inhibit actions and thoughts (interference) inability to inhibit actions and thoughts (interference) These three items are correlated

INTELLIGENCE Several factors correlate with intellectual ability in old age: high standard of living (SES): above average education and income high standard of living (SES): above average education and income lack of chronic diseases lack of chronic diseases engaging in reading, travel, cultural events, educational clubs and professional associations engaging in reading, travel, cultural events, educational clubs and professional associations willingness to change willingness to change having a smart spouse having a smart spouse

INTELLIGENCE Several factors correlate with intellectual ability in old age (Cont’d): ability to grasp new ideas quickly ability to grasp new ideas quickly satisfaction with accomplishments satisfaction with accomplishments internal locus of control: belief that what people do makes a difference in their lives internal locus of control: belief that what people do makes a difference in their lives Even when mental activity shows losses due to disuse, it can be reclaimed through training

INTELLIGENCE Importance of education: seems to increase number and strength of synaptic connections Regular exercise improves blood flow to the brain and maintains good lung function to oxygenate the brain adequately. Brain plasticity: learning and relearning can take place at any age.

INTELLECTUAL PERFORMANCE AND AGE EXCELLENT HEALTH ILL-HEALTH TERMINAL DROP HIGH PERFORMANCE LOW YOUNGAGEOLD CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA LONGITUDINAL DATA

INTELLIGENCE FORMAL OPERATIONS (Piaget) Similar to scientific method: logical structure logical structure hypothesis formulation hypothesis formulation systematic testing systematic testing acceptance or rejection of hypothesis acceptance or rejection of hypothesis aim is to find one unambiguous solution aim is to find one unambiguous solution Not all adults attain formal operations. Depends on area of expertise.

INTELLIGENCE Post-formal thought: there is no absolute truth there is no absolute truth right answer varies with situational factors right answer varies with situational factors solutions must be realistic solutions must be realistic ambiguity and contradiction are the rule ambiguity and contradiction are the rule emotion and subjectivity influence our reasoning emotion and subjectivity influence our reasoning

INTELLIGENCE Reflective judgment: several stages several stages only the last two are true reflective judgment only the last two are true reflective judgment used for world problems e.g. religion, current affairs, science and ethics. used for world problems e.g. religion, current affairs, science and ethics. Absolutist thinking: there is only one right solution

INTELLIGENCE Relativistic thinking: many sides to an issue, right solution depends on situation Dialectical thinking: sees merits in various proposed solutions and synthesizes them into one. This type of thinking is necessary for true conflict resolution.

INTELLIGENCE Gender differences: According to some researchers, women “know” differently from men: silent: passive acceptance of others’ knowledge silent: passive acceptance of others’ knowledge received: accepting authority’s ideas, rigid (good/bad) received: accepting authority’s ideas, rigid (good/bad) subjective: personal, private intuitions subjective: personal, private intuitions procedural: two ways: procedural: two ways: 1. Justice and fairness concepts from society (Kohlberg) 2. Interdependence and caring will lead to the truth constructed: one’s own point of view, respecting others, accepting contradiction and ambiguity constructed: one’s own point of view, respecting others, accepting contradiction and ambiguity