Psychology: From inquiry to understanding. chapter 9

intelligence test

diagnostic tool designed to measure overall thinking ability. developed by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon. measure reasoning judgement and understanding.

Sir Francis Galton

Intelligence directly related to sensory capacity. (research disproved)

abstract thinking

capacity to understand hypothetical concepts

g (general intelligence)

hypothetical factor that accounts for overall differences in intellect among people. Charles Spearman

s (specific abilities)

particular ability level in a narrow domain

fluid intelligence

capacity to learn new ways of solving problems

crystallized intelligence

accumulated knowledge of the world acquired over time. Raymond B. Cattell.

multiple intelligences

idea that people vary in their ability levels across different domains of intellectual skill. Frames of Mind Howard Gardner. (2)

triarchic model

model of intelligence proposed by Robert Sternberg positing three distinct types of intelligence: analytical, practical, and creative.

Biological Inteligence

very intelligent children have thin cerebral cortex. Studies show intelligence comes from prefrontal cortex and parietal lobe.

double curse of incompetence

lower cognitive skill overestimate their abilities.

Stanford-Binet IQ test

intelligence test based on the measure developed by Binet and Simon, adapted by Lewis Terman of Stanford University

intelligence quotient (IQ)

systematic means of quantifying differences among people in their intelligence. developed by William Stern. Mental age divided by chronological age.

mental age

age corresponding to the average individual's performance on an intelligence test

deviation IQ

expression of a person's IQ relative to his or her same-aged peers

eugenics

movement in the early twentieth century to improve a population's genetic stock by encouraging those with good genes to reproduce, preventing those with bad genes from reproducing, or both.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

most widely used intelligence test for adults today, consisting of 15 subtests to assess different types of mental abilities. rely heavily on language.

culture-fair IQ test

abstract reasoning measure that doesn't depend on language and is often believed to be less influenced by cultural factors than other IQ tests

IQ reliability and test-retest reliability

consistently measures IQ and when same test yields similar results.

validity

measures outcome intended to measure.

threshold effect

correlation between IQ and life achievement to a certain point.

genetic influences and environmental influences

40 and 70 percent affected by genetics. studied with family studies, twin studies and adoption studies. (7)

mental retardation

condition characterized by an onset prior to adulthood, an IQ below about 70, and an inability to engage in adequate daily functioning

bell curve

distribution of scores in which the bulk of the scores fall toward the middle, with progressively fewer scores toward the "tails" or extremes. 95 between 70 and 130.

Flynn effect

finding that average IQ scores have been rising at a rate of approximately three points per decade

within-group heritability

extent to which the variability of a trait within a group is genetically influenced

between-group heritability

extent to which differences in a trait between groups is genetically influenced

test bias

tendency of a test to predict outcomes better in one group than another

stereotype threat

fear that we may confirm a negative group stereotype

divergent thinking

capacity to generate many different solutions to a problem

convergent thinking

capacity to generate the single best solution to a problem

emotional intelligence

ability to understand our own emotions and those of others, and to apply this information to our daily lives

wisdom

application of intelligence toward a common good

ideological immune system

our psychological defenses against evidence that contradicts our views

sense of omniscience

smarter people think they know everything