1. Intelligence and intelligence assessment
Psychology
Lecture by Jolanta Babiak
Winter 2017/2018

2. Intelligence testing
Alfred Binet and Theofile Simon 1905 – first intelligence test
Test of intellectual performance to classify and separate developmentally disabled and normal schoolchildren
To quantify intellectual performance Binet designed age appropriate problems
Average score for normal children at each age was computed
Individual child’s performance was compared with the average of other children of her age
Results expressed in terms of average age normal children achieved a particualr score – measure of mental age regardless of chronological age

3. Beginings of IQ testing
In the USA Lewis Terman, Edward Thorndike, Robert Yerkes developed non-verbal, group administered tests of mental ability and used them around the time of the I World’s War
Public accepted the idea that intelligence tests could differentiate people who could benefit from education and leadership programs in military from those who could not
IQ – intelligence quotient – numerical, standardized measure of intelligence

4. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (1916)
Lewis Terman’s Stanford Revision of the Binet Tests
IQ=mental age / chronological age x 100
Clinical psychology, psychiatry, counseling had benefited greatly from this new test
It contains a series of subtests, each for particular mental age
Many revisions, updated norms, extensions of application (very young children to gifted adults)

5. Wechsler Intelligence Scales
David Wechsler has corrected the dependence of testing on verbal items
Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale (1939) /Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (1955)
WAIS-III, WAIS-IV – 16 subtests span verbal and performance aspects of IQ and fluid intelligence
WAIS-III, ISC-IV, WPPSI-III – family of intelligence test that yield a verbal IQ, a performance IQ, and a full scale IQ at all age levels.
Currently an individual’s scores are added up and compared with the scores of other people her age

6. Intellectual disabilities
When people younger that 18 obtain valid IQ score lower that 75 they are considered mentally retarded (preferred term intellectually disabled)
Demonstrate limitations skills to challenge every day life tasks
Confusion in the choice of terms: mental handicap, learning disability, learning disorders; now in use - intellectual disabilities [AAIDD American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 2011]
ID can be brought about by genetic and environmental factors (especially prenatal environment)

7. Learning disorders and giftedness
When IQ scores and performance don’t match up, people might be diagnosed with learning disorder if other factors such as low motivation, mediocre teaching or physical problems (e.g. vision) are ruled out
Giftedness: IQ score above 130
Jospeh Renzulli (2005) proposition: giftedness along the dimensions of ability, creativity, task commitment, but not across academic spectrum
Lewis Terman began a long-term study in 1921 of 1500 boys and girls and followed them to their 80’: good social adjustment, introverted, largely successful in life

8. Psychometric theories of intelligence
Examine statistical relationships between different measures of ability and then make inferences about the nature of human intelligence
Factor analysis – detects smaller number of dimensions within larger number of independent variables
Psychologists explain and defend interpretations about revealed statistical regularities

9. Charles Spearman (1927)
Charles Spearman – individual’s performance in each of the variety of intelligence tests is highly intercorrelated
g – factor of general intelligence underlies all intelligent performance
Each individual domain has specific skills called s
e.g. person’s performance on vocabulary or mathematics depends both on general intelligence and domain-specific abilities

10. Raymond Cattell (1963)
Proposed that general intelligence can be broken down to two relatively independent components
Crystallized intelligence
A knowledge a person has acquired
Ability to access that knowledge
Measured by tests of vocabulary, arithmetic and general information
CI helps to cope with life’s recurring concrete challenges
Fluid intelligence
Ability to recognize complex relationships
Ability to solve problems
Measure by test of block designs and spatial visualization
FI allows to solve novel, abstract issues

11. Joy Paul Guilford (1961)
Structure of intellect model – three features of intelligence-related tasks
Content – type of information
Product – form in which information is represented
Operation – type of mental activity performed
Content – visual, auditory, symbolic, semantic, behavioral
Products – units, classes, relations, systems, transformations, implications
Operations – evaluation, convergent production, divergent production, memory and cognition
Each task can be identified according to content, product and operation

12. Theories that go beyond IQ
Robert Sternberg (1999) - triarchic theory of intelligence
Analytical – information processing skills applied to many familiar tasks
Creative – ability to deal with two extremes: novel vs routine problems
Practical – management the day-to-day tasks; is bound to particular contexts
Howard Gardner (1983, 1999) – multiple intelligences (8) that cover a range of human experience
Logical (math)
linguistic
Naturalist
spatial
musical
kinaesthetic
interpersonal
intrapersonal

13. Emotional Intelligence Peter Salovey & John D. Mayer (1990)
The Ability to perceive, appraise and express emotions accurately and appropriately
The ability to access feelings and use emotions to facilitate thinking
The ability to understand and analyze emotions and to use emotional knowledge effectively
The ability to regulate emotions to promote emotional development

14. Heritability estimate of IQ
Heritability estimate of a trait (intelligence, personality, motivation) is based on the proportion of the variability of test scores on that trait that can be accounted for by genetic factors
Researchers conclude that about 50% of variance in IQ scores is due to genetic make-up
Counterintuitive finding: heritability increases across lifespan!!!
Explanation: it is possible that our genetics make us chose particular environments thereby emphasize our natural tendencies to behave in a particular way

15. Environmental estimate of IQ
Genetic inheritance is not the only factor responsible for IQ
Environments are made up of many components in dynamic relationship
Environments change over time
Researchers have focused on more global factor: the socioeconomic status of the family

16. Usefulness of IQ score IQ scores are valid predictors of
Academic performance from elementary school through college
Occupational status
Many types of jobs
Intelligence, as measured by IQ, directly predicts success
IQ tests are valid for mainstream uses

17. Is creativity linked to intelligence?
ability to generate ideas or products that are novel and compatible with the circumstances in which they were generated
Divergent thinking – ability to generate a variety of unusual solutions to a problem e.g. name all things you can think of that are square; what can brick be used for
Dimensions: fluency , uniqueness, unusualness
Correlation of divergent thinking with IQ is weak to moderate up to 120 IQ level; over IQ creativity decreases
Extremes of creativity
Pattern of risk taking, preparation and intrinsic motivation

18. Bibliography
Gerrig R.J. (2012). Psychology and Life, London, Pearson Education, Ltd. – chapter 9