Psychometric Theories
type of personality theory
= based on a model that portrays intelligence as a composite of abilities measured by mental tests. This model can be quantified.
ex. performance on a number-series test might represent a weighted composite of number, reasoning, and memory abilities for a complex series
Cognitive Theories
type of personality theory
= characterized by their focus on the idea that:
how and what people think leads to → the arousal of emotions
and
certain thoughts and beliefs lead to → disturbed emotions and behaviors
while other thoughts lead to → healthy emotions and adaptive behavior
Intelligence
the capacity to understand the world, think rationally, and use resources effectively
ability to learn from experience
ability to adapt to environment by reasoning, solving problems, and planning ahead
ability to evaluate your thinking (metacognitive skills)
Individualistic Culture
a type of culture
= focus on gathering resources for yourself
ex. “I took the exam, I earned the grade”
Collectivist Culture
a type of culture
= focus on working well within a group
ex. my family helped me get here, so WE earned the grade together
g
symbol for general intelligence
factor analysis
a statistical technique that finds relationships between items
used to analyze g (general intelligence) into groups
ex. people who do well on vocabulary do well on paragraph comprehension (so these two are clustered in the verbal intelligence group)
g-factor theory
a type of psychometric theory
= Spearman thought that if you’re good in 1 type of intelligence, then you’re probably good in other, related types of intelligence
divided intelligence into 2 categories:
general = average intelligence (IQ)
specific = a specific skill
Triarchic Theory
a type of cognitive personality theory
= Sternberg divided intelligence into 3 categories arranged in a triangle
Analytical Intelligence
Creative Intelligence
Practical Intelligence
Analytical Intelligence
one aspect of Sternberg’s triarchic theory
= abstract/deductive reasoning
Creative Intelligence
one aspect of Sternberg’s triarchic theory
= ability to generate new ideas and solve new problems
Practical Intelligence
one aspect of Sternberg’s triarchic theory
= ability to make quick decisions for navigating everyday life and solving real-world problems
AKA “common sense” and “street smarts”
Multiple Intelligence Theory
a type of cognitive personality theory
= Gardner divided intelligence into 9 categories
Musical
Spatial
Verbal
Mathematical
Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
Existential
Musical
one aspect of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
= sensitivity towards sounds, pitch, rhythm
Spatial
one aspect of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
= ability to perceive, understand and reconstruct objects
ex. architects
Verbal
one aspect of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
= ability to use words articulately
ex. journalists, poets, comics
Mathematical-Logical
one aspect of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
= understand numbers to solve problems
Kinesthetic
one aspect of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
= move body and recognize other’s body positions in space
ex. dancers, athletes, etc.
Interpersonal
one aspect of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
= understand/empathize with others
ex. politicians, marketers
Intrapersonal
one aspect of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
= look inward, understand own feelings/motivations
ex. psychologists, philosophers
Naturalistic
one aspect of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
= understand/categorize elements of natural world
ex. farmers, archeologists
Existential
one aspect of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
= tackle deeper questions of existence
ex. philosophers, religious leaders
Emotional Intelligence
= Interpersonal + Intrapersonal skills
a type of intelligence characterized by 4 abilities:
Perceive Emotion
Understand Emotion
Manage Emotion
Use Emotion
Perceive Emotion
one component of Emotional Intelligence
= ability to recognize emotions in faces, music, and stories
Understand Emotion
one component of Emotional Intelligence
= ability to predict emotions, how they change and blend
Manage Emotion
one component of Emotional Intelligence
= ability to express emotions in different situations
Use Emotion
one component of Emotional Intelligence
= ability to utilize emotions to adapt or be creative
7 Primary Mental Abilities Theory
a type of psychometric personality theory
= Thurstone suggested that intelligence is a composite of seven distinct primary mental abilities (PMA):
although he was a critic of spearman’s g-theory his work ended up supporting/being similar to it
verbal comprehension
word fluency
number facility
spatial visualization
associative memory
perceptual speed
reasoning
fluid and crystallized intelligence theory
a type of psychometric personality theory
= Cattell believed general intelligence (g) is subdivided into gf and gc and that there was a speed-accuracy trade-off
Fluid Intelligence (gf)
a type of general intelligence (g)
= youth, speed, processing large amounts of into
is biologically influenced; teen brain is great at flexibility and this type of intelligence
Crystalized Intelligence (gc)
a type of general intelligence (g)
= experience, using heuristics (shortcuts)
is use it or lose it (the more you use your brain, the more active it is)
synaptic genesis = brain grows new neurons
is learning-based intelligence (makes sense, because the older you get, the more life experience and time you have to develop heuristics in life)
This combats the myth of ageism; although elders get older, they also get smarter!
Speed-Accuracy Trade-off (SAT)
= refers to the finding that when people focus being fast, they tend to make more errors during a task; when they focus on being accurate, they tend to perform more slowly.