Psych Chapter 9

operational definition

The operations (actions of procedures) used to measure a concept

Dove Counterbalance Intelligence Test

very unfair intelligence test written in 1971 as "a half serious attempt to show that we're just not talking the same language." Dove tried to slant his test as much in favor of urban, African American culture as he believes the typi- cal intelligence test is biased toward a European American, middle-class background

What percentage of the population has an IQ between 120 and 129? What percentage of the population has an IQ over 130?

6.7% // 2.2%

aptitude

A capacity for learning certain abilities

g-factor

A general ability factor proposed to underly intelligence; the core of general intellectual ability that involves reasoning, problem-solving ability, knowledge and memory

Down's syndrome

A genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra chromosome; results in intellectual disability

What is the Flynn effect and what does it say about the role of environment on IQ?

A particularly dramatic environmental effect is the fact that 14 nations have shown average IQ gains of from 5 to 25 points during the last 30 years. Referred to as the Flynn effect, after New Zealand psychologist James Flynn, these IQ boosts, averaging 15 points, occurred in far too short a time to be explained by genetics. It is more likely that the gains reflect environmental forces, such as improved education, nutrition, and living in a technologically complex society.

Compare the characteristics of modern video games such as Call to Duty and The Sims with early video games such as Pong and PacMan. What are the implications of these observations?

For example, early video games, such as Pong or PacMan, offered simple, repetitive visual experiences. In contrast, today's best- selling games, such as Call of Duty or The Sims, offer rich, complicated experiences that can take 40 or more hours of intense problem-solving to complete. Furthermore, players must usually figure out the rules by themselves. Instructions for completing popular games, which have been created by fans, are typically much longer than chapters in this textbook. Only a complex and engaging game would prompt players to use such instructions, much less write them for others to use

How do IQ scores relate to success in school, jobs, and other endeavors?

IQ differences of a few points tell us little about a person. But if we look at a broader ranges of scores, the differences do become meaningful. For example, a person with an IQ of 100 would probably struggle with college, whereas one with an IQ of 120 would do just fine. The correlation between IQ and school grades is at least .50—a sizable association. If grades depended solely on IQ, the connection would be even stronger. However, motivation, special talents, off-campus educational opportunities, and many other factors influence grades and school success.

How old does a person have to be for his intelligence quotient (IQ) score becomes stable?

IQ scores are not very dependable until about age 6

Do males and females differ in intelligence?

IQ scores cannot answer this question because test items were selected to be equally difficult for both sexes. However, whereas males and females do not appear to differ in overall intelligence, general intel- ligence tests allow us to compare the intellectual strengths and weaknesses of men and women (Hyde, 2007). For decades, women, as a group, performed best on items that require verbal ability, vocabulary, and rote learning. Men, in contrast, were best at items that require spatial visualization and math (Clements et al., 2006; Calvin et al., 2010). Today, such male-female differences have almost disappeared among children and young adults. The small differences that remain appear to be based on a tendency for par- ents and educators to encourage males, more than females, to learn math and spatial skills

Why do psychologists compare the results of fraternal twins with identical twins when examining the influence of heredity on behavior?

Identical twins develop from a single egg and have identical genes.

What is the role of age in fluid intelligence and crystalized intelligence?

Intellectual skills involved in fluid intelligence—solving novel problems involving perceptual speed or rapid insight—decline rapidly after middle age. By way of compensation, crystallized intelligence—solving problems using already acquired knowledge —can actually increase or, at least, decline very little until advanced age.

intelligence

Intelligence is the global capacity to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with the environment

Describe the characteristics Kim Peek, the individual with savant syndrome (from Meet the Rain Man).

Kim began memorizing books at 18 months of age. By the time of his death in 2009, he could recite from memory more than 9,000 books. He knew all the ZIP codes and area codes in the United States and could give accurate travel directions be- tween any two major U.S. cities. He could also discuss hundreds of pieces of classical music in detail and could play most of it quite well. Amazingly, though, for someone with such skills, Kim had difficulty with ab- stract thinking and tests of general intelli- gence. He was poorly coordinated and couldn't button his own clothes

Describe five misconceptions about gifted children.

Misconception: The gifted tend to be peculiar, socially backward people. Fact: On the contrary, Terman's gifted subjects, and gifted people in general, are socially skilled and above average in leadership. Misconception: Early ripe means later rot; the gifted tend to fizzle out as adults. Fact: This is false. When they were retested as adults, Terman's subjects again scored in the upper IQ ranges. Misconception: The very bright are physically inferior "eggheads," "nerds," or weaklings. Fact: As a group, the gifted were above average in height, weight, and physical appearance. Misconception: Highly intelligent persons are more susceptible to mental illness ("Genius is next to insanity"). Fact: Terman demonstrated conclusively that the gifted enjoy better than average mental health and a greater resistance to mental illness. In general, the highly gifted tend to be very well adjusted psychologically Misconception: Intelligence has little to do with success, especially in practical matters. Fact: The success of Terman's subjects was striking. Far more of them than average completed college, earned advanced degrees, and held pro- fessional positions. As a group, the gifted produced dozens of books, thou- sands of scientific articles, and hundreds of short stories and other publications (Shurkin, 1992; Terman & Oden, 1959). As noted earlier, IQ scores are not generally good predictors of real-world success. However, when scores are in the gifted range, the likelihood of outstanding achievement does seem to be higher.

What percentage of adult intelligence is thought to be hereditary?

Psychologists who emphasize genetics believe figures like these show that differences in adult intelligence are roughly 50 percent hereditary...If this environmental similarity is taken into account, intelligence would seem to be less than 50 percent hereditary

Discuss the results and implications of studies of the relationship between a mother's IQ and the IQ of her biological child and adopted child.

Studies show that children reared by the same mother resemble her in IQ to the same degree. It doesn't matter whether they share her genes

working memory

The Working Memory part of the SB5 measures the ability to use short-term memory.

reliability

The ability of a test to yield the same score, or nearly the same score, each time it is given to the same person

psychometric measure

any specific measurement of a person's mental functions

What are the similarities and differences between the Stanford-Binet Intelligence scales and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence scales?

Whereas the original Stanford-Binet was better suited for children and adolescents, the first Wechsler test was specifically designed to test adult intelligence. Like the Stanford-Binet, the Wechsler tests yield a single overall intelligence score. In addition, these tests also separate scores for performance (nonverbal) intelligence and verbal (language- or symbol-oriented) intelligence.

normal curve

a bell-shaped curve characterized by a large number of scores in a middle area, tapering to very few extremely high and low scores

hydrocephaly

a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid within brain cavities

microcephaly

a disorder in which the head and brain are abnormally small

phenylketonuria (PKU)

a genetic disease that allows phenylpyruvic acid to accumulate in the body

fragile x syndrome

a genetic form of intellectual disability caused by a defect in the X chromosome

Define intelligence quotient (IQ) in terms of chronological age and mental age.

although mental age is a good measure of actual ability, it says nothing about whether overall intelligence is high or low, compared with other people of the same age. Thus, to estimate a child's intelligence, we also need to know her chronological age (age in years). Then, we can relate mental age to chronological age. This yields an IQ, or intelligence quotient. A quotient results from dividing one number into another. When the Stanford-Binet was first used, IQ was defined as mental age (MA) divided by chronological age (CA) and multiplied by 100.

deviation IQ

an IQ obtained statistically from a person's relative standing in his or her age group; that is, how far above or below average the person's score was relative to other scores

metacognition skills

an ability to manage one's own thinking and problem solving efforts

intelligence quotient (IQ)

an index of intelligence defined as mental age divided by chronological age and multiplied by 100

test standardization

establishing standards for administering a test and interpreting scores

What are the five cognitive factors that make up general intelligence?

fluid reasoning, knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial processing, and working memory.

Compare the correlations of identical twins raised together and raised apart. What does this tell us about environmental influences on IQ?

identical twins who grow up in the same family have highly correlated IQs. This is what we would expect with identical heredity and very similar environments. Now, let's consider what happens when identical twins are reared apart. As you can see, the correlation drops, but only from .86 to .72.

performance intelligence

intelligence measured by solving puzzles, assembling objects, completing pictures and other nonverbal tasks

eugenics

selective breeding for desirable characteristics

cretinism

stunted growth and intellectual disability caused by an insufficient supply of thyroid hormone

validity

the ability of a test to measure what it purports to measure

fluid intelligence

the ability to solve novel problems involving perceptual speed or rapid insight

crystalized intelligence

the ability to solve problems using already acquired knowledge