Comprehensive Guide to Intelligence Theories, Testing, and Emotional Aspects

Psychologists define intelligence

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

Purpose of intelligence tests

To assess people's mental abilities through a series of questions and exercises that generate a numerical score for comparison.

Spearman's general intelligence factor

A general mental ability (g) that underlies multiple specific skills, suggesting that individuals who excel in one area tend to excel in others.

Gardner's theories of multiple intelligences

Theories proposing that different people have varying intelligences in independent areas, although some correlation may exist among them.

three types of intelligence in Sternberg's Triarchic Theory

Analytical intelligence (solving well-defined problems), creative intelligence (generating new ideas), and practical intelligence (managing everyday tasks).

Emotional Intelligence

The ability to process and manage the emotional component of social situations, including one's own emotions.

Four abilities that comprise emotional intelligence

1. Perceiving emotions, 2. Understanding emotions, 3. Managing emotions, 4. Using emotions.

Delayed Gratification

The ability to resist the temptation for an immediate reward and wait for a later reward, often associated with high emotional intelligence.

Binet's goal in establishing a child's mental age

To determine which students would need additional support in their education.

How is the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) calculated in the Stanford-Binet test?

IQ = (mental age / chronological age) x 100.

Aptitude test

One predicts the predicts future performance (ex:SAT),

Achievement test.

predicts assesses what a person has learned. (ex: driving test)

Four performance areas assessed by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

1. Similarities and differences, 2. Timed math problems, 3. Vocabulary knowledge, 4. Resequencing and recall of letters and numbers.

Psychological test meet for clinical use has these

The test must be standardized, reliable, and valid.

process of standardization in testing

It involves comparing an individual's score to the performance of others who have previously taken the test.

Normal curve in intelligence testing

A bell-shaped distribution of scores, where the average IQ score is set at 100.

Reliability

refers to the consistency of results

Split-half reliability: two halves of the test yield the same results.

Test-retest reliability: the test gives the same result if administered again

Validity in psychological testing

refers to how accurately a test measures what it is supposed to measure

Content validity: the test correlates well with the actual trait being measured.

Predictive validity: the test accurately predicts future performance.

What is the difference between fluid and crystallized intelligence?

Fluid intelligence is the ability to think quickly and abstractly, while crystallized intelligence is accumulated knowledge and expertise.

What is the heritability of intelligence?

The extent to which variation in intelligence can be attributed to genetic factors, not indicating the proportion of intelligence due to genes for any individual.

How does the heritability of intelligence change if environments become more equal?

It would likely increase.

What does evidence suggest about environmental influences on intelligence?

Environment has a significant impact on intelligence, especially under extreme conditions like abuse, neglect, or poverty.