Chapter 9 Psychology-Intelligence, Aptitude, and Cognitive Abilities

General Intelligence

a concept that intelligence is a basic cognitive trait comprising the ability to learn, reason, and solve problems regardless of their nature

Crystallized Intelligence

a form of intelligence that relies on extensive experience and knowledge and, therefore, tends to be relatively stable and robust

Disidentification

a long term effect of a stereotype threat where negative experiences involving a stereotype become incorporated into one's self-concept

Intelligence Quotient

a measurement in which the mental age of an individual is divided by the person's chronological age and then multiplied by 100

Multiple Intelligences

a model claiming that eight different forms of intelligence exist, each independent from the others

Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

a model of intelligence that was proposed by Robert Sternberg consisting of three domains: analytical intelligence, practical intelligence, and creative intelligence

Factor Analysis

a statistical technique that reveals similarities among a wide variety of items

Stanford-Binet Test

a test intended to measure innate (genetic) intelligence

Standardized Test

a test that has a set of questions or problems that are administered and scored in a uniform way across large numbers of individuals

Fluid Intelligence

a type of intelligence that is used to adapt to new situations and solve new problems without relying on previous knowledge

Transgenic Animal

an animal who receives a so-called "gene transplant"

Raven's Progressive Matrices

an intelligence test that emphasizes problems that are intended not to be bound to a particular language or culture

Behavioral Genetics

examines how genes, environment, and their interaction influence behavior and cognition

Test-Retest Reliability

focuses on evaluating the reliability of a test by comparing an individual's original score and subsequent scores

Savants

individuals with low mental capacity in most domains but extraordinary abilities in other specific areas such as music, mathematics, or art

Gene Knockout (KO) Studies

involve removing a specific gene thought to be involved in a trait (such as intelligence) and testing the effects of removing the gene by comparing behavior of animals without the gene with those that have it

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

is the most commonly used intelligence test used on adolescents and adults. it provides a single IQ score for each test taken—the full scale IQ—but also breaks intelligence into a general ability index (GAI) and a cognitive proficiency index (CPI)

Standard Deviation

measures variability around a mean

Reproductive Reasoning

one of the two abilities raven believes is key to intelligent behavior: applying information to a new situation

Deductive Reasoning

one of the two abilities raven believes is key to intelligent behavior: identifying and extracting important information

Flynn Effect

refers to the steady population level increases in intelligence test scores over time

Norms

statistics that allow individuals to be evaluated relative to a typical or standard score

Aptitude Tests

tests that are designed to measure an individual's potential to perform well on a specific range of tasks

Achievement Tests

tests that measure knowledge and thinking skills which an individual has acquired

Mental Age

the average or typical test score for a specific chronological age

Incremental Theory

the belief that intelligence can be shaped by experiences, practice, and effort

Entity Theory

the belief that intelligence is a fixed characteristic and relatively difficult (or impossible) to change

Validity

the degree to which a test actually measures that trait or ability it is intended to measure

Predictive Validity

the degree to which a test predicts future performance

Learning Styles

the hypothesis that individuals are fundamentally different in how they best acquire information

Psychometrics

the measurement of psychological traits and abilities—including personality, attitudes, and intelligence

Reliability

the measurement of the degree to which a test produces consistent results

Percentile Rank

the percentage of scores below a certain point

Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI)

the portion of the full scale IQ on the WAIS that is based on the Working Memory and Processing Speed Indexes.

General Ability Index (GAI)

the portion of the full scale IQ on the WAIS that is computed from scores on the Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Reasoning indexes.

Behavioral Genomics

the study of how specific genes, in their interactions with the environment, influence behavior

Creative Intelligence

the type of intelligence in the triarchic theory of intelligence that allows us to create new ideas to solve problems

Practical Intelligence

the type of intelligence in the triarchic theory of intelligence that involves the ability to address real-world problems that are encountered in daily life

Analytical Intelligence

the verbal, mathematical, problem-solving type of intelligence in the triarchic theory of intelligence

Anthropometrics

this was a program of research used by Galton. It is a historical term referring to the method of measuring physical and mental variation in humans

Stereotype Threat

when people are aware of stereotypes about their social group, they may fear being reduced to that stereotype