Intelligence and Its History

Flashcards on Intelligence and Its History

Intelligence

Involves a range of cognitive abilities that are functional in nature and directed at solving problems or accomplishing tasks.

Commonly Used Terms in Defining Intelligence

The ability to learn quickly, think abstractly, and solve problems.

Definition of Intelligence by Leading Researchers

A very general mental capacity that involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience.

Practical Intelligence

The ability to deal effectively with the demands of daily life.

Francis Galton

The first to try to systematically measure intelligence.

Alfred Binet

Developed a test to identify school children at risk of falling behind in their studies.

Mental Age

Compared a child’s test score to the average scores of children of different ages.

Binet-Simon Scale

The first standardised intelligence test.

Lewis Terman

Developed the Standford-Binet Intelligence Scale.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

Numerical measure of intelligence.

Johnson Reed Act (1924)

Established quotas for immigration based on national origin.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

One of the most widely used measures of cognitive abilities.

Elements of Intelligence (according to Wechsler)

Verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.

Verbal Comprehension

Understanding and using language effectively.

Perceptual Reasoning

Individual’s ability to analyse and solve visual and spatial problems.

Working Memory

Ability to retain and manipulate information in the short-term memory.

Processing Speed

The speed at which an individual can process and respond to visual information.

Normal Distribution (Bell Curve)

A symmetrical distribution but the majority of scores are concentrated around the average and the scores taper off toward the extremes.