AP Psychology: Unit 8 Topic 4

Assessing Intelligence and the Dynamics of Intelligence

intelligence

mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new

situations

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

defined originally as the ratio of mental age to chronological age multiplied by 100. On contemporary intelligence tests, the average performance for a given age is assigned a score of 100, with scores assigned to relative performance above or below average

mental age

the chronological age that most typically corresponds to a given level of performance

Stanford-Binet

the widely used American revision of Binet’s original intelligence test.

general intelligence (g)

a general intelligence factor that underlies specific mental abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test

savant syndrome

a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill

emotional intelligence

the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions

aptitude test

a test designed to predict a person’s future performance

achievement test

a test designed to assess what a person has learned

standardization

defining uniform testing procedures and meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested group

normal curve

the symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes. Most scores fall near the average, and fewer and fewer scores lie near the extremes

reliability

the extent to which a test yields consistent results, as assessed by the consistency of scores on two halves of the test, on alternate forms of the test, or on retesting

validity

the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to

construct validity

the degree to which a test or tool accurately measures the specific, abstract, and non-observable theoretical concept it is intended to measure

predictive validity

the success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict; it is assessed by computing the correlation between test scores and the criterion behavior

stereotype threat

a psychological phenomenon where individuals feel at risk of confirming negative stereotypes about their social group, leading to anxiety, reduced cognitive focus, and underperformance

Flynn Effect

the observed, long-term, and substantial increase in average IQ test scores across generations, averaging about 3 points per decade

growth mindset

the belief that abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed through dedication, effort, and learning from failure

fixed mindset

the belief that intelligence, talent, and abilities are innate, static traits that cannot be improved

fluid intelligence

our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood

crystalized intelligence

our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age