Intelligence

 What is Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences?  How is an intellectual disability defined?  What have past and recent studies demonstrated about the lives of gifted students?  Why is it virtually impossible to make a culturally unbiased test?

 Intelligence is the ability to understand the world, think rationally or logically, and use resources effectively when faced with challenges or problems.  Another way psychologists measure intelligence is through the “g factor,” which is the ability to reason and solve problems and the “s” factor, the ability to excel in certain areas, like business or art.

 Sternberg proposed three types of intelligence.  Analytical intelligence is the ability to break problems down into parts for problem solving. This type of intelligence is measured by intelligence and academic achievement tests.  Creative intelligence is the ability to deal with new and different concepts and come up with new ways of solving problems.  Practical intelligence is the ability to use information to get along in life.

 Howard Gardner, a Harvard psychologist, proposed that what we considered “intelligence” to be was too limited.  To account for the wide range of talents and abilities different people possess, he formulated the theory of “Multiple Intelligences” and how people are intelligent in very unique ways.  Gardner proposed eight different types of intelligence, ranging from verbal, linguistic, and mathematical to interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence.

 Intellectual disability is a condition in which the person’s IQ falls below 70, and adaptive behavior is severely deficient for a person of a particular chronological age.  Intellectual disability occurs in about 3 percent of the population.  The diagnosis of intellectual disability is not only based on IQ scores, but also how the person learns social norms and adapts to the society.

 Developmental delays occur when a person’s behavioral and cognitive skills appear at a later developmental stage than normal.  Developmental delays occur because of:  -Unhealthy living conditions that affect the brain.  -Poor nutrition, resulting in inadequate brain development.  -A lack of mental stimulation during infancy and childhood.

 Gifted persons are defined as those having IQ scores at the upper end of the normal curve (130 or above).  Psychologist Lewis Terman conducted a longitudinal study that demonstrated that gifted children usually grow up to be successful adults.  Recent studies have found that gifted children who are pushed too hard to achieve often grow up to be disappointed, somewhat unhappy adults.

 People reared in different cultures, or even a different economic situation, from that of the IQ test designer are not likely to perform well.  It is very difficult to design an intelligence that is completely free of cultural bias.  Cultural bias is the tendency of tests to reflect, in language, dialect, and content, the culture of the test designers.  Since a culturally free test is impossible to make, test-makers must make tests culturally fair.