Ch.10 - Theories of Intelligence and the Binet Scales

deviation IQ

standard score with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 16 (today 15)

factor analysis

statistical technique developed by Spearman for reducing a set of variable/scores to a smaller number of hypothetical variables

intelligence quotient (IQ)

IQ= MA/CA x 100 MA= mental age CA= chronological age

Thurstone's multidimensional model

sees intelligence as comprising independent factors, or "primary mental abilities"

The 2003 Fifth Edition

- equally weighted nonverbal and verbal measures -> Get overall score reflecting "g" as well as scores related to each specific content area - Integrates age-scale and point-scale formats - First do a verbal & nonverbal routing test to estimate verbal & nonverbal levels of ability -> Tasks of different content are grouped together on the basis of difficulty -> Fig. 10.8; 10.9; 10.11

3 research traditions to measure intelligence (Taylor)

1. Psychometric approach 2. Information-processing approach 3. Cognitive approach

1905 Binet-Simon scale

30 items with different difficulty, purpose was identifying mentally disabled children in Paris -> Fig. 10.2

The 1937 scale

Increased maximum mental age, introduced scoring standards, decreased emphasis on verbal skills, bigger standardization sample, alternate equivalent form (Forms L and M were designed to be equivalent in difficulty and content) -> Problems: Reliability coefficients were higher for older subjects than for younger ones, higher reliability in the lower IQ ranges, scores most unstable for young children in high IQ groups, each age group had own standard deviation --> Fig. 10.5

gf-gc theory

Two basic types of intelligence: - fluid (f) intelligence - crystallized (c) intelligence

age differentiation

differentiation of older children from younger children by the former's greater capabilities

fluid intelligence

ability to reason, think, learn

Binet's principles of test construction

age differentiation & general mental ability

intelligence (Binet)

capacity to: 1) find and maintain a definite direction or purpose 2) make necessary adaptations to achieve that purpose 3) engage in self-criticism so that necessary adjustments in strategy can be made

ceiling

certain number of incorrect responses that indicate the items are too difficult

start point

estimated level of ability

psychometric approach

examines the elemental structure of a test, correlates & underlying dimensions

information - processing approach

examines the processes that underlie how we learn and solve problems

cognitive approach

focuses on how humans adapt to the environment

The Modern Binet Scale

fourth and fifth edition of Binet are based on a hierarchical model, with "g" on the top level, and on the next level "crystallized abilities", "fluid-analytic abilities" and "short-term memory"

age scale

items are grouped according to age level rather that simply one set of items of increasing difficulty

basal

level at which a minimum criterion number of correct responses is obtained

mental age

performance compared with the average performance of individuals in a specific chronological age group

Spearman's g

perspective that intelligence consists of one general factor (plus a large number of specific factors) -> Fig. 10.1

positive manifold

phenomenon that when a set of diverse ability tests are administered to large unbiased samples of the population, almost all of the correlations are positive

general mental ability

product of the various separate and distinct elements of intelligence

1916 Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale

retained age differentiation, general mental ability, age scale & mental age -> Increased size of standardization sample -> First application of the now outdated concept of IQ (used mental age/chronological age to determine IQ) -> developed by Terman -> Fig. 10.4

The 1908 scale

retained principle of age differentiation; use of age scale (items were grouped according to age level), concept of mental age -> Fig. 10.3

The 1960 Stanford-Binet Revision and Deviation

tasks were better ordered, had better instructions for scoring and administration, solved differential variation in IQs by the deviation IQ concept -> Fig. 10.6

crystallized intelligence

what we have learned