1. Chapter 10: Intelligence & Testing
Cognitive Abilities
Chapter 10: Intelligence & Testing

2. Cognitive Ability
The capacity to perform higher mental processes (such as reasoning & problem solving)
Cognitive Ability
Robert Sternberg’s Characteristics
Possession of knowledge
Efficiently use knowledge
Employ reasoning in different environments
Intelligence

3. The History of Measuring Intelligence
French psychologist
Identified & studied children performing poorly in schools.
Alfred Binet
Chronological Age compared w/ Mental Age
Aged-Graded Test Items
English Language Version of the Binet Exam
Stanford-Binet Test

4. History of IQ Tests Mental Age/Chronological Age x 100=IQ
Intelligence Quotient
Rank individuals according to IQ.
Pinpoint who did/did not have “sustainable” intelligence.
Argument at this time was intelligence is inherited.
Purpose & Intent
Many argued intelligence is not simply inherited.
Later theories suggested intelligence develops w/education & experience.
Group tests proved to be culturally biased.
Controversial

5. History of IQ Tests Developed tests to improve upon earlier ones.
David Wechsler
Included VERBAL & NON-VERBAL subtests
Constructed so that success was less dependent having a on formal education
Subtests were scored separately
3 Key Differences
WAIS: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
WISC: Wechlser Intelligence Scale for Children
Special Versions

6. Today’s Tests of Intelligence
Verbal Scale-7 Subsets
Performance Scale-7 Subsets
Raw score of individual is compared to the raw score of others in same age group
Wechsler Tests
Ten Subsets
Include Fluid Reasoning & Knowledge
Stanford-Binet (5th Edition)
Points are added up for every correct answer
Total score compared to others
100 is the average: Score (IQ) reflects relative standing w/in your age population
IQ Scoring

7. The Normal Distribution of IQ Scores
When the IQ scores in the overall population are plotted on a graph, a bell shaped curve appears. The average IQ score of any given age group is Half of the scores are higher than 100 and half are lower than Approximately 68% of the IQ scores of any age group fall between 84 and 116; about 16% fall below 84, and about 16 % fall above 116.

8. Stevenson Mental Inventory Scale
17-20 (# correct)
IQ:
13-16
IQ:
9-12
IQ:
8 or less
IQ: 82 or less

9. Types of Tests
Measures a person’s capacity to learn certain things/perform certain tasks.
ACT/GRE/SAT
Aptitude Tests
Measure what a person has accomplished or learned in a particular area.
Classroom Tests
Achievement Tests

10. Measuring Quality of Tests
Procedure for observing behavior in a standard situation.
Standardized
Objective
Norms
Tests
Degree to which a test can be repeated w/ same results
Calculate correlation coefficient (b/w 2 sets of scores on same test by the same person)
Test/Retest Reliability Method; Alternate Form Method; Split-Half Method
Reliability
Degree to which test scores are interpreted correctly & used appropriately
Content validity; Criterion Validity; Predictive Validity; Construct Validity
Validity