UNIT 11: (intelligence)

intellectual disability

-(formerly referred to as mental retardation) a condition of limited mental ability, indicated by an intelligence score of 70 or below and difficulty in adapting to the demands of life; varies from mild to profound. -limitation of conceptual, social, and practical skills

Are intelligence tests inappropriately biased?

-Aptitude tests aim to predict how well a test-taker will perform in a given situation. So they are necessarily "biased" in the sense that they are sensitive to performance differences caused by cultural experience. By "inappropriately biased," psychologists mean that a test predicts less accurately for one group than for another. In this sense, most experts consider the major aptitude tests unbiased. Stereotype threat, a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype, affects performance on all kinds of tests.

Does intelligence stay stable or does it change with age?

-Crystallized intelligence increases with age, while fluid intelligence declines with age, because unreal processing slows. -The stability of intelligence test scores increases with age -We gain worldly knowledge, vocabulary, social reasoning, and wisdom with age. -we lose speedy processing and recall memory with age. We also have less negative emotions distorting decisions.

What does evidence reveal about environmental influences on intelligence?

-Identical twins reared apart have very similar IQ scores, but are less correlated than when twins are reared together. -Children raised in very impoverished environments with minimal social interactions indicate that life experiences can highly influence intelligence test performance -There is no evidence that normal, healthy children can be molded into geniuses by growing up in an enriched environment

Why do intelligent people live longer?

-Intelligence provides better access to resources. -Intelligence encourages healthy lifestyles. -Prenatal events or early childhood illnesses could influence both intelligence and health. -A "well-wired body" as evidenced by fast reaction speeds, may foster both intelligence and longer life.

Schooling and Intelligence

-Preschool and elementary school clearly have at least a temporary impact on intelligence test scores. -College can have a positive impact on intelligence test scores if students have: motivation and incentives. belief that people can improve. study skills, especially the willingness to practice.

How stable are intelligence test scores over the lifespan?

-Scores begin to predict adolescent and adult achievement at age 4 -Scores are very stable and predictive by adolescence

stereotype threat

-a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a given stereotype -ex: women do worse on a test when told that men usually do better. They do better when told that men and women typically score similarly -Self-doubts about your stereotype may hijack working memory and impair performance -telling students that they are not likely to succeed will only erode performance

how and why racial and ethnic groups differ in mental ability scores

-differ in average intelligence test scores -racial group differences in intelligence tests are believed to be largely, maybe entirely, due to environmental differences/culture. -group differences are caused by environment, while individual differences are mainly caused by genetics -different environments can foster differences in intelligence scores

How and why do the genders differ in mental ability scores?

-g is actually very similar on average -girls are better at: spelling, verbal fluency, locating objects, detecting emotions, and more sensitive to touch, talk, taste, and color -boys better at: partial ability and complex math problems -cultures with gender-equality show less of a gender math gap -evolutionary, cultural, and brain-based reasons for gender differences. Also stereotype threat

High scoring intelligence

-high scorers tend to be healthier and live longer. -Tend to be more well-adjusted and better academically -Schools that separate "gifted" children from average or below average students can cause self-fulfilling prophecies

fluid intelligence

-our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood

crystallized intelligence

-our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age

What evidence points to a genetic influence on intelligence?

-twin studies indicate high heritability of intelligence -Identical twins perform almost identically on IQ tests when reared together, and still similarly when reared apart -intelligence is polygenetic -

Heritability

The proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. The heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.

Down Syndrome

a condition of intellectual disability and associated physical disorders caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21.