Intelligence and what it means

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Intelligence and what it means

• Schroeder
• PSY/SPED 572

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What is intelligence?

• The ability to carry out abstract thinking."
  (Terman, 1921)
• "The capacity to learn or to profit by
  experience." (Dearborn, 1921)
• "The capacity to acquire capacity." (Woodrow,
  1921)
• "Intelligence is what is measured by intelligence
  tests." (Boring, 1923)
• "A global concept that involves an individual's
  ability to act purposefully, think rationally,
  and deal effectively with the environment."
  (Wechsler, 1958)
• "Intelligence is a general factor that runs
  through all types of performance." (Jensen)
• "A person possesses intelligence insofar as he
  had learned, or can learn, to adjust himself to
  his environment." (Colvin, cited in Sternberg,
  1982, p.30)
• "Intelligence is adaptation to the environment."
  (unknown)
• "Intelligence is what you do when you don't know
  what to do." (unknown)
• "Intelligence is a hypothetical idea which we
  have defined as being reflected by certain types
  of behavior." (unknown)

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Meaning of Intelligence

• Intelligence vs. IQ
• Different definitions of IQ
• Depends on layperson vs.professionals,
  theoretical orientation
• Depends on test used to define it
• Description of individuals level of ability on a
  composite of multiple abilities, at a given point
  in time, as compared to same-age peers
• Should be used to describe strengths and
  weaknesses, not label
• The Bell Curve (Herrnstein Murray, 1995)
• Why do we measure intelligence?

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Early thoughts on intelligence

• Galton
• First one to discuss heritability of intelligence
• Equated intelligence to sensory abilities
• Abilities distinct from one another
• Binet
• No explicit definition of intelligence but did
  consider it to be composed of reasoning,
  judgment, memory and abstraction
• Abilities interact to form intelligence

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Early thoughts on intelligence

• Wechsler
• Global capacity of individual to act
  purposefully, think rationally, and deal
  effectively with environment
• Abilities not entirely independent but
  differentiable
• Must take into account personality factors
• Such as???

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Factor Analysis of Intelligence

• Tries to determine composition of intelligence
• Simplify data by combining multiple factors into
  a few
• e.g., performance IQ, verbal IQ
• Identifies common factors among tests by looking
  at subtests
• vocabulary ? verbal IQ,
• arithmetic problems ? performance IQ
• Factors are then interpreted and renamed

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Theories of Intelligence

• Two-factor theory (Spearman)
• Multiple-factor theories (Thurstone)

• g general factor
• s specific factors
• Initially, no g
• Multiple primary mental abilities
• After research admitted to existence of g

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Theories of Intelligence

• Multiple Intelligence (Gardner)
• Hierarchical Theories

• Musical, logical-mathematical, interpersonal,
  intrapersonal, bodily-kinesthetic
• g, major and minor group factors, specific
  factors
• Brings together single- and multiple-factor
  theories

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Heritability of Intelligence

• Heritability estimates
• How much of intelligence is determined by
  heredity?
• Nature vs. Nurture debate
• Nature Galton, Dugdale, Goddard
• Traced family lineages
• Nuture Goddard
• Interactionism inherit certain intellectual
  potential
• Twin studies
• Estimates useful for populations, not individuals

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Changes in Intelligence

• Can intelligence change or is it determined at
  birth (i.e., nature)?
• Longitudinal studies of children
• Stability of IQ
• Instability of IQ
• Termites

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Motivation Intelligence

• Cannot separate aptitude and personality
• Individual characteristics play a part in
  learning
• i.e., interest, attitudes, self-concept, time on
  task, success rate
• Atkinson

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Early Childhood

• Definition of early childhood intelligence
• Predictive validity
• Implications for intervention programs

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Intelligence in Adults

• Definition of adult intelligence
• Age decrement
• Seattle Longitudinal Study (SLS)
• Individual differences and age

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Population changes in IQ test performance

• Rising scores/Flynn Effect
• Declining scores
• Difficulties in assessing population changes

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Cultural Diversity

• Cultural Psychology
• Cultural Differences vs. Cultural Handicap
• Culture-free vs. Culture-fair tests
• Language in testing
• Testing Situation

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Discussion Questions

• What are some reasons to explain why a 10 yr. old
  child obtains different IQs when tested within a
  few days on two different IQ tests?
• Why do infant and preschool tests of intelligence
  have poor predictive validity?
• Describe some of the difficulties inherent in
  making a test culture-fair.