AP Psych - 5. Intelligence, Intelligence Testing & Statistics

Unit 5 (two packets)

Intelligence

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

Charles Spearman and the G Factor (general Intelligence)

hought humans have generalized intelligence,  underlying mental ability measured by every task on a cognitive ability test

Howard Gardner and the Multiple Intelligence Theory

• didn’t agree that one intelligence could fit all, “G” is too narrow 

• 8 different intelligences

Creative Intelligence

divergent thinking, the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas

Cognitive Ability Test

measures IQ convergent thinking

Emotional Intelligence

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

Fixed Mindset

abilities are innate and unchangeable, avoids challenges

Growth Mindset

abilities can be developed through effort and practice, motivated by challenges

Longitudinal Study

one group is followed and tested over a long period of time

Cross Sectional Study

researchers test and compare intelligence scores of people of various ages, age groups are called cohorts

Fylnn Effect

substantial and long-sustained increase in test scores from 1930 to the present day, studies the change in test scores

Crystalized Intelligence

accumulated knowledge and verbal skills, increases with age

Fluid Intelligence

the ability to reason speedily and abstractly, decreases with age

Achievement Test

designed to asses what you have learned over a period of time, subject specific content (AP Exam)

Aptitude Test

designed to predict future performance, cognitive ability (ACT, SAT, MCAT)

Psychometrics and Standardized Tests

focus on measuring human abilities, attitudes, and traits

Psychometric Properties

(statistics) are used to develop and study data from standardized tests

Standardized

• given in a “standard,” objective fashion

• same conditions

• graded

• normed

Reliability

• consistency, extent to which a test yields consistent results

• check by altering tests/retesting

• scores correlate

Split-Half Reliability 

divide a test into even and odd numbers, testers are each given half the test and scores are compared (should be highly correlated)

Test-Retest Reliability

test is given and same test given again later, scores are compared (results should be similar), (+1) for both means the test is reliable

Validity

extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to

Construct Validity

extent to which a test measures what it claims to be measuring

Predictive Validity

the test score accurately predicts performance, as we age aptitude tests lose this

Intelligent Quotient (IQ) Formula

• IQ= Mental Age/Chronological Age x100

• after age of 14, calculations decrease

• no longer used, instead we use cognitive ability tests

Socio-Cultural Bias (Francis Galton)

• contributed survey and correlation to research

• nature vs. nurture

• thought intelligence was genetic, eugenics (smart people to breed)

Scoio-Cultural Bias (Binet-Simon, Mental Age)

• test was to find a child’s mental age for school placement

• social darwinism - theory that different groups of people are subject to Darwin's laws of natural selection

• led to racism, sexism, classism, ethnocentrism

Socio-Cultural Bias (Lewis Terman)

• stanford professor

• fount that Binet-Simon test didn’t work fro california

• intelligence is cultural

• adapted a test for US kids and extended the age range (Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test)

Then

• non-white immigrants performed poorly on tests

• increased racist, sexist classiest attitudes

• discriminated against non-whites and non-males

• limited access to jobs, military ranks, education, and immigration ti the US

Today

• intelligence tests are still geared toward white, middle-higher class individuals

• culturally fair tests in attempts to decrease bias

• non-verbal assesments

• results must be kept confidential

Gender Differences in Intelligence Testing

• results of evolution?

• boys outnumber girls at both the high and low extremes of the bell curves

Achievement Gap

• disparity in academic achievement between minority and disadvantaged students and white counter-parts

• explained by cultural bias

• perdictive validity 

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

a prediction causes itself to become true

Stereotype Treat

happens when people feel themselves to be at risk of conforming to stereotypes about their social group in a test setting, recognized among minority groups

Stereotype Lift

a boost in performance for non-stereotyped groups when compared to stereotyped group scores