Chapter #8: Thinking and Intelligence

Contrast achievement tests versus aptitude tests.

ACHIEVEMENT TESTS: A psychometric test that is designed to test what knowledge and skills person has learned. APTITDE TESTS: A psychometric test that is designed t test a persons ability to learn. (The persons future performance) -Achievement tests are used to measured what people already know, while a aptitude test shows ones future ability to learn.

Contrast analogical and symbolic representations

ANALOGICAL REPRESENTATIONS: Mental representations that have some of the physical characteristics of objects. SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATIONS: Abstract mental representations that consist of words or ideas.

Describe behavioral genetics and environmental factors related to intelligence

-Genetics have a direct ability to effect ones intelligence. -Environmental factors are various factors that influence our development.

Describe emotional intelligence.

1. Managing our own emotions. 2. Using our emotions to guide our thoughts and actions. 3. Recognizing other peoples emotions. 4. Understanding emotional language.

Describe the defining attribute, prototype, exemplar models, and stereotypes

DEFINING ATTRIBUTE: A category is characterized by a list of features that determine if an object is a member of the category. PROTOTYPE: Within each category, there is a best example -prototype- for that category. EXAMPLAR: All concepts in a category are examples (exemplars); together, they form the category. STEREOTYPES: Cognitive schemes that allow for easy, fast processing of information about people, events, or groups, based on their membership in certain groups.

Describe framing and the paradox of choice.

FRAMING: How information is presented affects how that information is perceived and influences decisions. PARADOX OF CHOICE: Too much choice can be frustrating and unsatisfying, and ultimently it can impair our thinking.

Describe general, fluid, and crystallized intelligence.

GENERAL INTELLIGENCE: If someone is good with a specific topic they tend to be good with all other mental challenges. FlUID INTELLIGENCE: Intelligence that reflects the ability to process information, particularly in novel or complex circumstances. CRYSTALLIZED INTELLIGENCE: Intelligence that reflects both the knowledge a person acquires through experiences and the ability to use that knowledge.

Describe heuristics such as the availability and representativeness heuristics and the base rate.

HEURISTICS: A shortcut used to reduce the amount of thinking that is needed to make decisions. AVAILABILITY HEURISTIC: The tendency to make a decision based on information that comes most easily to mind. REPRESENTATIVENESS HEURISTIC: The tendency to place people or objects in a category if they are similar to the concept that is the prototype. BASE RATE: How frequently an event occurs.

Describe what an IQ score comes from and what it is

IQ SCORE COMES FROM: a measurement of certain categories such as math, writing, problem solving, and drawing abilities. IQ SCORE IS: A score that depicts one overall intelligence.

Describe mental maps and schemas

MENTAL MAPS: A visual map that we have stored away in our brain. SCHEMAS: Our prior knowledge and experience with information.

Describe different types of intelligence in Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence.

MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE: Enables some people to discriminate subtle variations in pitch or in timbre and therefore to have above average musical abilities. BODILY-KINESTHETIC INTELLIGENCE: The ability that athletes have to control their motions with exquisite skill. SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE: Thinking in terms of images and pictures. MATHEMATICAL/LOGICAL: The ability to calculate and think sequentially. INTRAPERSONAL: Self-understanding.

Contrast reliability and validity related to IQ tests & cultural bias.

RELIABILITY: How consistently a psychometric test produces similar results each time it is used. VALIDITY: How well a psychometric test measures what it is intended to measure.

Describe how restructuring, overcoming mental sets, and functional fixedness can help solve problems.

RESTRUCTURING: Thinking about a problem in a new way in order to solve it. OVERCOMING MENTAL SETS: Overcoming the tendency to approach a problem in the same way that it has worked in the past. FUNCTIONAL FIXEDNESS: Tendency to think of things based on their usual functions. (Matchbox, tacks, and matches)

Describe how subgoals, working backward, analogies, and sudden insights can help in problem solving.

SUBGOALS: Breaks task into smaller goals that appear more achievable. WORKING BACKWARD: Working from the goal state to the initial state. ANALOGIES: Finding an appropriate analogy for a problem can help us achieve our goals. SUDDEN INSIGHTS: A lightbulb that goes off in your head providing you with a solution.

Describe biological and environmental factors which contribute to group IQ differences and define a stereotype threat

Some believe that a difference in race as well as where one grew up and was brought up can determine ones intelligence. STEREOPTYPE THREAT: One may perform poorly on a IQ test because their performance may reflect negatively on their race.

Describe the triarchic theory of intelligence.

TRIARCHIC THEAORY: Intelligence can take three forms: analytical, practical, and creative.