Intelligence

Origins of Intelligence Testing Origins are with French Psychologist Alfred Binet Began assessing intellectual abilities Developed test that assessed mental age Predicted a child’s future progress

IQ Test Lewis Terman believed intelligence was inherited William Stern derived the Intelligence Quotient test: IQ test Person’s mental age divided by chronological age x’s 100 Many of these test in early 20th used to show “inferiority” of certain groups and races

Nature of Intelligence People have specific abilities Verbal and math aptitudes Debate Whether General Intelligence (g) factor runs through Factor Analysis Identified several clusters of mental abilities There are instances of people who excel in multiple clusters

Different Intelligences There is academic intelligence (math, science, etc.) and there is emotional intelligence Ability to perceive, express, understand, and regulate emotions Often succeed in careers, marriages, and parenting

Creativity and Intelligence People with high intelligence scores do well on creativity tests Beyond a score of 120 the correlation disappears Five Components of Creativity Expertise Imaginative thinking skills Venturesome personality Intrinsic motivation Creative environment

Aptitude vs. Achievement Test Aptitude refers to ability to learn Aptitude test measures person’s future performance Achievement test measures what a person has learned Wechler Adult Intelligence test Revised (WAIS) Most widely used intelligence test Scored on verbal and non verbal Provides clues to cognitive strengths

Standardization Test scores form a normal distribution Bell shaped that forms normal curve Creation of that curve Pretest subjects create the standards Must represent those who will be test in the future Thus the controversy because do they really represent the whole based on the few?

Reliability vs. Validity Reliability refers to extent in which a test yields consistent scores Validity refers to the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to Content validity whether a test truly samples behavior that is of interest Predictive validity is the correlation between test scores and criterion What the test aims to assess

Stability of testing Stability of intelligence test scores increase with age Predicatability at 4yrs Stability at 7 yrs Normal distribution is 70 Mental retardation means a child must have both low test scores and difficulty adapting to normal demands of living INDEPENDENTLY

Gifted Gifted children are NOT maladjusted Nor should they be segregated into “Gifted” classes They do need to be challenged and educators are responsible to meet the demands of both standard, below standard, and above standard children

Genetics and Intelligence Studies show a remarkable inheritability of intelligence Adopted children scores more resemble those of biological than adoptive parents Life experiences also determine intelligence scores Neglect and enrichment are reflected

Group Differences African Americans on average score 10 pts below whites on intelligence tests and Asian out score North Americans on math tests What facts can cause this?

Intelligence testing and cultural bias They are biased because of sensitivity to cultural experiences The stereotype threat does exist, but the aim and results are not factors that go into intelligence tests