Chapter 8: Intelligence

Information-processing model

an approach to the study of intelligence that focuses on mental operations, such as attention and memory, that underlie intelligent behavior

Intellectual development disorder

defined in DSM-5 as an IQ at or below 70, starting in childhood, and affecting a person's ability to function as compared to other people of the same age

Norms

descriptions of the frequency at which particular scores occur, allowing scores to be compared statistically

Fluid intelligence

the basic power of reasoning and problem solving

Statistical validity

the degree to which test scores are interpreted correctly and used appropriately

Psychometrics

the scientific study and measurement of knowledge, abilities, attitudes, personality, and other psychological characteristics

Crystallized intelligence

the specific knowledge gained as a result of applying fluid intelligence

Charles Spearman

- a statistician who wrote about the nature of intelligence in the early twentieth century - created terms: fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence

Test

- a systematic procedure for observing behavior in a standard situation and describing it with the help of a numerical scale or a category system - they are standardized to ensure that test results will not be significantly affected by factors such as who gives and scores the test

Intelligence quotient (IQ)

- an index of intelligence that reflects the degree to which a person's score on an intelligence test deviates from the average score of others in the same age group - today, IQ is calculated by adding up all the points you got correct on the test and comparing it to scores earned by other people - not a test of how "smart" a person is - while "summarizing" a person with a score on an IQ test does run the risk of oversimplifying reality and making errors, they can also prevent errors (like disprove inaccurate stereotypes)

Psychosocial intellectual disability

- cases of mild cognitive disability for which there is no obvious genetic or environmental cause - refers to the 30-40% of (usually mild) cases of intellectual disability that have no obvious genetic or environmental cause - usually people whose IQs are lower than about 70 and fail to demonstrate certain social skills - people with this disability differ from others in 3 ways: 1. they perform mental tasks more slowly 2. they know fewer facts about the world 3. they are not very good at using certain mental strategies that may be important in learning and problem-solving

Alfred Binet

- father of modern intelligence tests - France 1904 - assumed that children's abilities increase with age

Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences

- focuses on how people learn and use symbol system such as language, mathematics, and music - asks "Do these systems require the same abilities and processes, the same 'intelligence'?" - answer is no, according to Gardner --> all people possess a number of intellectual potentials, or intelligences, each of which involves a somewhat different set of skills - specific intelligences: 1. linguistic intelligence (good vocab and reading comprehension) 2. logical-mathematical intelligence (skill at arithmetic and certain kinds of reasoning) 3. spacial intelligence (ability to visualize relationships among objects in the environment) 4. musical intelligence (abilities with rhythm, tempo, and sound indentification) 5. body-kinesthetic intelligence (skill in dancing, athletics, and hand-eye coordination) 6. intrapersonal intelligence (displaying self-understanding) 7. interpersonal intelligence (ability to understand and interact with others) 8. naturalistic intelligence (ability to see patterns in nature)

David Wechsler

- late 1930s - developed new tests designed to improve on the earlier ones in 3 different ways: 1. new tests included verbal and nonverbal subtests 2. the tests were designed so that success depended on having formal schooling 3. each subtest was scored separately, resulting in a profile that described an individual's performance on all subtests - different tests were created for adults (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, WAIS) and for children (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, WISC)

Intelligence

- personal attributed that center around skill at information processing, problem solving, and adapting to new or changing environments - includes 3 main characteristics: 1. abstract thinking or reasoning capabilities 2. problem-solving abilities 3. the capacity to acquire knowledge

Robert Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence

- proposes 3 different types of intelligence: 1. analytic intelligence, the kind that is measured by traditional intelligence tests, would help you solve a physics problem 2. creative intelligence is what you would use to compose music 3. practical intelligence is drawn on to figure out what to do if you were stranded on a lonely road during a blizzard - theory is important because it extends the concept of intelligence into areas that most psychologists have traditionally not examined and because it emphasizes what intelligence means in everyday life - though the theory is so broad that some areas are hard to test

Statistical reliability

- the degree to which a test can be repeated with the same results - the results must be repeatable or stable

g

a general intelligence factor that Charles Spearman postulated as accounting for positive correlations between people's scores on all sorts of cognitive ability tests

s

a group of special abilities that Charles Spearman saw as accompanying general intelligence (g)

Mental age

a score corresponding to the age level of the most-advanced items a child could answer correctly on Alfred Binet's first intelligence test

Standford-Binet Intelligence Scale

a test for determining a person's intelligence quotient, or IQ

Psychometric approach

a way of studying intelligence that emphasizes analysis of the products of intelligence, especially scores on intelligence tests