AP Psych: Intelligence

Hyperthymesia

A condition characterized by an exceptional ability to remember past events in great detail.

Infantile amnesia

The inability of adults to retrieve accurate memories of their early childhood, particularly memories before the age of three.

Confabulation

The production of fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted memories about oneself or the world, without the intention to deceive.

Mandela effect

A phenomenon where a large group of people remember an event differently than it occurred.

Imagination inflation

The increased confidence in the accuracy of a memory due to the act of imagining the event.

Constructive memory

The process of combining memory with imagination to create the image of an event that may never have happened.

Gaslighting

A form of psychological manipulation in which the victim is made to doubt their own memory, perception, or sanity.

Memory palace

A mnemonic device that relies on visualization of familiar spatial environments to enhance the recollection of information.

Method of loci

A technique for memory enhancement which uses visualization of familiar spatial locations to recall information.

Mensa IQ Test

An intelligence test administered by Mensa, designed to identify individuals with high IQs.

Galton

A pioneer in the field of psychometrics, who was interested in the measurement of intelligence.

Binet

Created the world’s first intelligence test to identify students needing educational assistance.

Terman

Translated Binet’s intelligence test into the Stanford-Binet test and expanded its scope to include adults.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

A measure of intelligence that compares an individual's performance to a statistical average.

Self fulfilling prophecy

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment, such as children believing they are geniuses and ceasing to strive for improvement.

Crystalized intelligence

The accumulation of knowledge and skills that increases with age.

Fluid intelligence

The capacity to think logically and solve novel problems independent of acquired knowledge; it typically decreases with age.

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory

A model that defines intelligence as having three aspects: analytical, creative, and practical.

Practical intelligence

The ability to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.

Analytical intelligence

The ability to analyze, evaluate, judge, and compare information.

Creative intelligence

The ability to generate novel ideas and solve problems creatively.

G factor theory

The theory proposed by Spearman that a single general intelligence factor underlies multiple specific abilities.

Gardner’s theory

Suggests multiple intelligences exist beyond traditional IQ measures, including verbal, mathematical, musical, and interpersonal intelligences.

Emotional intelligence (EQ)

The ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions and the emotions of others.

Perceiving emotions

The ability to recognize emotions in faces, music, and stories.

Understanding emotions

The ability to comprehend emotional signals and predict how they may develop.

Managing emotions

The ability to control and express emotions appropriately.

Using emotions

The ability to leverage emotions to facilitate thought and problem-solving.

Achievement test

A test that measures knowledge or skills in a specific area, reflecting what one has learned.

Aptitude test

A test designed to predict a person's ability to succeed in a particular area or field.

Wechsler’s W.I.S.C.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, measuring the intelligence of children.

Wechsler’s W.A.I.S.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, measuring the intelligence of adults.

Standardization

The process of making a test uniform in terms of administration and scoring to ensure comparability.

Reliability

The consistency of results obtained from a test over repeated applications.

Validity

The degree to which a test accurately measures what it is designed to measure.

Test-retest reliability

A measure of reliability obtained by administering the same test twice and comparing the scores.

Split-half reliability

A measure of reliability achieved by dividing the test into two halves and correlating the scores.

Face validity

The extent to which a test appears to measure what it is supposed to measure based on its surface characteristics.

Construct validity

How well a test or tool measures the psychological concept it is intended to measure.

Predictive validity

The extent to which a score on a scale or test predicts scores on some criterion measure.

Flynn effect

The observed rise in IQ scores over time observed in many populations.

Culture-fair tests

Tests designed to minimize cultural and social factors that could bias results.

Stereotype threat

The risk of confirming negative stereotypes about one’s social group, which can adversely affect performance.

Stereotype lift

An increase in test performance due to being part of a positively stereotyped group.

Fixed mindset

The belief that personal qualities, such as intelligence, are static and unchangeable.

Growth mindset

The belief that abilities can be developed through dedication, hard work, and learning.

Longitudinal study

A research study that follows the same subjects over a prolonged period to observe changes.

Cross sectional study

A study that compares different subjects at one point in time to draw conclusions.

Grit

The passion and perseverance for long-term goals; a critical component for achieving success.