Intelligence

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Intelligence

• What makes us smart?
• Or not so smart?

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Intelligence is maybe

• The ability to learn from experience, solve
  problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new
  situations.

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Theories of Intelligence

• Not one true definitionwhy?
• Fluid versus Crystallized Intelligence
• 4 main theoretical concepts of intelligence.

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Is intelligence one thing or several different
abilities?

• To find out scientists use FACTOR ANALYSIS
• A statistical procedure that identifies clusters
  of related items on a test.
• Charles Spearman used FA to discovery his g or
  (general intelligence) and s factor
  (mathematical).

He saw using FA that doing well in one area of a
test predicted that you will do well in another
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Howard Gardner and Multiple Intelligences

• Gardner believed that there exists at least 7
  different types of intelligences (not one single
  G factor.
• Linguistic
• Logical-mathematical
• Spatial
• Musical
• Body-kinesthetic
• Intrapersonal
• Interpersonal
• Naturalist

Which ones are most valued in schools?
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Howard GARDNER
Multiple Intelligences - continued The
existence of savants, prodigies and other
exceptional individuals supports Gardners theory
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Robert Sternberg and his Triarchic Theory

• Most commonly accepted theory today.
• Three types of intelligence
• Analytical
• Creative
• Practical

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Goleman and his EQ

• Emotional Intelligence
• Interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences.
• Maybe EQ is a better predictor for future success
  than IQ.

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Brain Size and IntelligenceIs there a link?

• Small .15 correlation between head size and
  intelligence scores (relative to body size).
• Using an MRI we found .44 correlation with brain
  size and IQ score.

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Brain Function and Intelligence

• Higher performing brains are less active than
  lower performing brains (use less glucose).
• Neurological speed is also a bit quicker.

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How do we Assess Intelligence?

• Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon set out to figure
  out a concept called a mental age (what a person
  of a particular age should know).
• They discovered that by discovering someones
  mental age they can predict future performance.
• Hoped they could use test to help children, not
  label them.

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Terman and his IQ Test

• Used Binets research to construct the modern day
  IQ test called the Stanford-Binet Test.
• IQMental age/Chronological age X 100.

• A 8 year old has a mental age of 10, what is her
  IQ?
• A 12 year old has the mental age of 9, what is
  his IQ?
• A boy has the mental age of 10 and an IQ of 200,
  how old is he?

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Problems with the IQ Formula

• It does not really work well on adults, why?

If a 60 year old man
does as well as an average 35 year old
then his IQ would be 50!!!!!!
That makes no sense!!!!!
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Wechsler Tests

• More common way to give IQ tests.does not use
  the formula but uses the same scoring system.
• WAIS
• WISC
• WPPSI

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Normal Distribution
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How do we construct an Intelligence Test?

• Standardized the questions have been piloted on
  similar populations and the scores fall on a
  normal distribution.
• Reliable Do you get similar results every time
  the test is administered?
• Validity Does the test measure what it is
  supposed to?

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Validity

• The extent to which a test measures what it is
  supposed to measure.
• Content Validity is it measuring what it is
  supposed to be measuring?
• Predictive Validity does the test predict future
  behavior?

Does the SAT predict performance in college?
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Types of Tests

• Aptitude

• Achievement

• Measure ability or potential.

• Tests that measure what you have learned.

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Does Intelligence Change Over Time?

• By age 3, a childs IQ can predict adolescent IQ
  scores.
• Depends on the type of intelligence, crystallized
  or fluid.

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Extremes of Intelligence

• Akrit Jaswal

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Low Extreme of Intelligence

• Mental Retardation condition of limited mental
  ability, indicated by an intelligence score of
  below 70 and difficulty adapting to the demands
  of life.

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Degrees of Mental Retardation
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Heritability This is tough!

• Percentage of variation within a group
  (population) that is due to heredity
• Scientists estimate that 50 of the difference in
  IQ scores in a population is due to genetic
  factors
• Scale of 0 1
• 0.0 Genes DO NOT account for ANY DIFFERENCES
• 1.0 Genes account for ALL DIFFERENCES
• Sowould any differences in intelligence between
  identical twins raised in the same household be
  high (closer to 1) or low (closer to 0) on the
  heritability scale?

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Is Intelligence Genetic or Environmental?

• Influenced by both, but the most genetically
  similar have the most similar scores.

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Genetic Influences

• With age, genetic influences become more
  apparent.
• Adopted childrens intelligence scores become
  more like their biological parents, and identical
  twins similarities continue to increase as they
  age.
• Still hard to tell what percentage of
  intelligence comes from genes to account for
  differences between people (heritability).

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Genetic Influences
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Group Differences in Intelligence Scores Are
Probably Mostly Attributed to the Environment
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The Flynn Effect
What accounts for this?
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Stereotype Threat IQ Scores

• Expectations that YOU think other people might
  hold about your performance
• Women who are reminded before taking a test that
  they generally score lower on advanced
  mathematics (gender identity) tend to score lower
  than would be expected (Good others, 2008)

• On the other hand, Asians that are reminded
  before taking a test that they generally score
  high on mathematics (cultural identity) tends to
  IMPROVE their performance this is called
  stereotype lift (Shih others, 1999, 2006)