Transcript Intelligence

chapter 7
I. What is intelligence?
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Defining intelligence
Intelligence
The ability to profit from experience, acquire
knowledge, think abstractly, act purposefully, or
adapt to changes in the environment [p238]
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Psychometrics
The
traditional approach to intelligence that
measures mental abilities, traits, and
processes [p238]
Aptitude tests attempt to measure potential
for success in a given area
Achievement tests measure the skills and
knowledge one already has
Sources of bias
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Validity: The extent to which a test
measures or predicts what it is
supposed to
Cultural bias: Favoring one cultural
group over another
Raven progressive
matrices
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Can IQ tests be culture
free? [p240-241]
Culture-fair tests attempt to be culturally nonbiased
Culture affects a person’s. . .
Attitude toward exams
Comfort in settings required for testing
Motivation
Rapport with test provider
Competitiveness
Ease of independent problem solving
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Expectations and IQ
Scores are affected by expectations for
performance
Expectations are shaped by stereotypes
Stereotype threat
Burden of doubt one feels about his/her performance due to negative
stereotypes about his/her group [p241]
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Beliefs about intelligence
[p249]
Asian parents, teachers, and
students are more likely to
believe that math ability
comes from studying.
Americans are more likely to
believe that math ability is
innate.
American parents tend to
have lower academic
standards for kids.
American children tend to
value education less.
A brief history of
intelligence tests
Sir Francis Galton
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Hand Dynamometer
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The invention of
intelligence tests
Alfred Binet: First intelligence
test (1904) measured memory,
vocabulary, and perceptual
discrimination.
Mental Age (MA): an individual’s
level of mental development
relative to others [p239]
William Stern and IQ
(1912)
Mental age was divided by
chronological age and
multiplied by 100 to get an
intelligence quotient. [p239]
Now IQ scores are derived from
norms provided for
standardized intelligence tests.
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Current Interpretation of
IQ scores [p239]
IQ scores distributed
normally
Bell-shaped curve
Very high and very low
scores are rare.
68% of people have IQ scores
between 85 and 115.
99.7% between 55 and 145
Extremes of intelligence
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Mental retardation: IQ below 70 and
difficulty adapting to everyday life
Giftedness: IQ of 120 or higher
and/or superior talent in one or more
areas
The use and misuse of
intelligence tests
Alfred Binet (1904)
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The French school board used the
results of the test to identify weak
areas and offer extra help
The US later used the test to
categorize people in school and in the
military
Arthur Jensen (1969)
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Heredity influences intelligence by
80%
People should breed for intelligence
Repository for germinal
choice (1980-1999)
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AKA: Nobel prize sperm bank
Environment can raise IQ
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Programs like Head Start
Motivation level determines success
Environmental factors
associated with low IQ
[p247]
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Poor prenatal care
Malnutrition
Exposure to toxins
Stressful family
circumstances
The Environment and IQ
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Statistics indicate that scores on IQ
tests have been increasing rapidly
worldwide, perhaps due to an
increase in:
– availability of information
– exposure to information
– access to education
IQ test scores…
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…are currently
the best indicator
we have for how
someone will
perform in school
Limitations of Intelligence
Tests
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Their effectiveness depends on the
skill of the test giver
They are best used in conjunction with
other information about the individual
Limitations of Intelligence
Tests
•
Scores can lead to:
• Stereotyping
• Labeling
• Expectations of ability
IV. The Cognitive Approach:
Multiple intelligences
How many uses can you
think of for a newspaper?
Creativity
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The ability to produce
novel and valuable ideas
Creative productivity
depends on many
factors:
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Level of motivation
Personality
Intelligence
Training
Mentoring
Good luck
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Emotional intelligence
The ability to perceive, express, understand,
and regulate emotions. [p243]
Appears to be biologically based
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Howard Gardner’s multiple
intelligences theory
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Body smarts
Space smarts
Music smarts
Word smarts
Number smarts
Self smarts
People smarts
Nature smarts
Each of Howard Gardner’s
types of intelligences…
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…relies on cognitive skills that can be
destroyed by brain damage
…can show up in gifted people or in
people with mental retardation
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Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory
[pp242-243]
Componential (analytic)
Comparing, analyzing, and evaluating
This type of process correlates best with IQ
Experiential (creative)
Inventing solution to new problems
Transfer skills to new situations
Contextual (practical)
Applying the things you know to everyday contexts
Evaluating the multiple
intelligences approaches
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They encourage us to think more
broadly about what intelligence is
They have motivated educators to
provide instruction in different
domains
They may not address all areas of
intelligence
They lack empirical evidence