Intelligence Test

Intelligence

the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations

General intelligence (g)

according to Spearman and others, it underlies all mental abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test

Factor analysis

a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called factors) on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a person’s total score

Fluid intelligence (Gf)

our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease with age

Crystallized intelligence (Gc)

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

Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory

the theory that our intelligence is based on g as well as specific abilities, bridged by Gf and Gc

Savant syndrome

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

Grit

passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals

Emotional intelligence

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

Intelligence test

a method for assessing an individual’s mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others, using numerical scores

Achievement test

a test designed to assess what a person has learned

Aptitude test

a test designed to predict a person’s future performance (aptitude = the capacity to learn)

Mental age

designed by Binet; the level of performance typically associated with children of a certain chronological age

Stanford-Binet

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

Intelligence quotient (IQ)

the ratio of mental age (ma) to chronological age (ca) multiplied by 100 (IQ = ma/ca x100)

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

the most widely used intelligence test containing verbal and performance (nonverbal) subtests

Psychometrics

the scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, aptitudes, and traits

Standardization

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

Normal curve

the bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes; most scores fall near the average (middle) and fewer scores lie near the extreme (ends)

Flynn effect

the rise in intelligence test performance over time and across cultures

Reliability

the extent to which a test yields consistent results on alternative forms of the test, or on retesting

Validity

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

Content validity

the extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest

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

Cross-sectional study

research that compares people of different ages at the same point in time

Longitudinal study

research that follows and retests the same people over time

Cohort

a group of people sharing a common characteristic

Growth mindset

a focus on learning and growing rather than viewing abilities as fixed

Fixed mindset

the view that intelligences, abilities, and talents are unchangeable, even with effort

Stereotype threat

a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype