5.4.1: Defining and measuring intelligence

difficulties in defining intelligence

• jensen

• mackintosh

• plomin et al

gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences

• gardner

• mackintosh

intelligence, ideology and power

• henderson

• middle class have power to establish definitions of intelligence

  • abilities that middle class already have

measuring intelligence

• IQ tests

• some suggest IQ tests are not a valid measure of intelligence

• specifically not suitable for different social groups

validity of IQ tests

• saunders

• klineberg and vernon

• klineberg

• don’t measure pure ability = inappropriate for non western people

• vernon

genes, the environment and intelligence

• due to both genetic and environmental factors

  • partly inherited

  • partly environmental

• jensen, herrnstein, murray, eysenck - argue intelligence is largely inherited

  • differences in IQ scores due to genetic differences

  • 60 - 80% of intelligence is genetically based

• saunders

  • critics: argue genes largely determines intelligence is an ideology

    • benefits rich and powerful by justifying inequality is inevitable

genes, intelligence and the cognitive elite

• herrnstein and murray

• critics:

  • overestimate the extent to which intelligence is determined by genetic factors

  • some suggest no more than 40% of intelligence is inherited

  • various forms of intelligence

  • innate abilities cannot be separated easily from the effects of environment or socialisation

  • don’t take account of effects of inherited wealth, high incomes, cultural and social resoirces, and process of socialisation in bolstering intelligence test results

  • existence of elite is neither natural nor inevitable

the environment and intelligence

• argue it’s not possible to estimate the degree to which intelligence is determined by genetic and environmental factors

• wide range of environmental factors can affect performance in IQ tests

• klineberg

• other critics: argue IQ scores can be raised with tuition and practice and social factors

approaches to the heredity and environment debate

henderson