Intelligence and Academic Achievement

what is general intelligence (g)

• a single trait

• tasks on intelligence tests positively correlated

• overall scores correlate w/school grades, info-processing speed, knowl of non-studied subjects

what are some Primary Mental Abilities

• world fluency 

• verbal meaning 

• reasoning 

• spatial visualization 

• numbering (math. reasoning) 

• memory 

• perceptual speed 

what are the 2 types of intelligence 

1. Crystallized intelligence → factual knowledge

2. Fluid intelligence → ability to think on the spot

crystallized intelligence

• factual knowledge (word meaning) 

• increases across life span 

fluid intelligence

• ability to think on the spot 

  • how to overcome an obstacle

  • create and solve problems (solve novel puzzles)

• peaks early in adulthood

factors influencing stability of intelligence

• age 5 correlations of IQ tests = strong (shows stability)

• scores not consistent for individuals OT

• stability increases when:

  • child believes academic performance is valuable

  • child’s parent take interest in their success

  • child’s parents use firm but modest discipline

stability increases when what 3 things 

1. child believes academic performance is valuable 

• inc stability, motiv/effort, more consistent

2. child’s parent take interest in their success

• providing additional support

3. child’s parents use firm but modest discipline

• parenting styles

factors influencing intelligence 

1. Genotype-Environment Interaction 

2. Immediate environment 

3. school 

4. society 

5. cultural differences 

Geneotype-Environment Interaction (influence on intelligence) 

• children overlap w/parents interests (passive effects) 

• children influence others’ behav (evocative effects) 

• children choose things they enjoy (active effects) 

examples of passive effects (Gene-Environ Interaction) 

children overlap w/parents interests

• scenario where parents expose child to their own interests (maybe shared interest) and child models the behaviour 

• drawn to it because their parent is interested and has made it avail 

examples of evocative effects (Gene-Environ Interaction) 

children influence others’ behav 

• go out of the way to help child continue their interest in smt (buying books even if parents don’t read) 

• child produces change in parent because of their interest in it 

examples of active effects (Gene-Environ Interaction)

children choose things they enjoy

• children pursue things based on own individual enjoyment 

how does the immediate environment (family) influence intelligence 

• emotional and verbal responsiveness of primary caregiver 

• if demandingness is too extreme, avoidance of excessive restrictions and punishments 

• provisions of appropriate play material 

• opportunities for variety of daily stimulation 

how does school influence intelligence 

• more schooling correlated w/inc IQ scores 

  • shows how sensitive measures of intelli are 

• IQ scores inc during school year, decrease during summer break 

  • fluctuation, suggest unstable constructs 

how does society (poverty) influence intelligence 

• nutrition - hunger influences sleep, need lots of sleep 

• reduced healthcare 

• greater gap in wealth in country, greater difference in IQ scores 

  • availability of resources (to provide support)  

how do cultural differences influence intelligence 

• time spent on subject matter in schooling 

• approach to instruction/style 

• emphasis on mastery of concepts rather than memorization of procedures 

risk factors related to IQ scores

exposed to 1-2 + risk factors, intelligence decreases 

goal of intervention programs

increase focus on self-esteem, motivation, positive classroom behav, parenting skills, ability to communicate w/teachers

what are the 2 theorists and their theories of intelligence 

1. Gardner → multiple intelligence theory

2. Sternberg → theory of successful intelligence

Garnder’s theory of multiple intelligences

intellect based on the view that ppl possess at least 8 types of intelligence  

→ linguistic, logical-math, spatial, musical, naturalistic, body-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal 

• children learn best through instruction that allows them to build on their strengths 

linguistic intelligence (description + job)

sensitivity to meanings & sounds of words, mastery of syntax, appreciation of way language can be used

→ poet, politician, teacher 

logical-mathematical intelligence (description + job)

understanding of objects & symbols, action that can be performed on them and relation btwn actions, ability for abstraction & identify problems + seek explanations 

→ mathematician, scientist 

spatial intelligence (description + job)

capacity to perceive visual world accurately, perform transformations upon perceptions and to recreate aspects of visual experience in the absence of physical stimuli; sensitivity to tension, balance, and composition; ability to detect similar patterns 

→ artist, engineer, chess master 

musical intelligence (description + job)

sensitivity to individual tones and phrases of music; an understanding of ways to combine tones and phrases into larger musical rhythms and structures; awareness of emotional aspects of music 

→ musician, composer 

naturalistic intelligence (description + job)

sensitivity/understanding of plants, animals, other aspects of nature 

→ biologist 

body-kinesthetic intelligence (description + job)

use of body in highly skills ways for expressive/goal-directed purposes

→ dancer, athlete, actor 

intrapersonal intelligence (description + job)

access to one’s own feeling life, ability to draw on one’s emotions to guide and understand one’s behav 

→ novelist, therapist 

interpersonal intelligence (description + job)

ability to notice and make distinctions among moods, temperaments, motivations, intentions of other ppl and act on this knowl 

→ leader, parent, teacher, therapist 

Sternberg’s theory of successful intelligence

• based on view that intelligence is the ability to achieve success in life 

• success depends on three types of abilities, which tgt give rise to or increase the ability to be successful 

  • analytical, practical, creative 

sternberg’s theory of successful intelligence 3 types of abilities

1. analytical → traditional intelligence test measures 

2. practical → reasoning abt everyday problems 

3. creative → reasoning in novel circumstances 

what are some analytical abilities (sternberg)

language, math, spatial

what are some practical abilities (sternberg)

conflict resolution, navigate social relationships 

→ less fluid intelligence 

what are some creative abilities (sternberg)

creating “clean-up” a fun game, come up w/creative solutions to problems 

→ more fluid intelligence 

how many stages are there in Jeanne Chall’s stages of reading development and what ages 

0. Birth until beginning of first grade 

1. first and second grades 

2. second and third grades 

3. fourth to eighth grades 

4. eighth to twelfth grades

stage 0 of reading development (events)

acquire key prerequisites for reading, incl knowing letters of alphabet and gaining phonemic awareness → ability to identify component sounds within spoken words 

what are prereading skills (before school)

children learn names of letters of the alphabet before they enter school 

• no relationship btwn the two 

what is phonemic awareness

• correlated with later reading achievement and a cause of it (directly related to reading) 

• learned from natural environment (nursery rhymes) 

how do children learn phonemic awareness

through the natural environment → nursery rhymes

stage 1 of reading development (events)

acquire phonological recoding skills → ability translate letters into sounds and blend the sounds into words (sounding out) 

phonological recoding skills 

sounding out each letter of the words while reading 

→ very effortful 

stage 2 of reading development (events)

gain fluency in reading simple material

→ don’t rely on sounding it out, words become more familiar 

words can be identified in what two ways  

• phonological recoding (unfam word) 

• visually based retrieval (popcorn) 

children flip btwn these two based on gut

what is crucial to reading comprehension and enjoyment of reading 

effortless identification of words  

phonological recoding

engage in when words are unfamiliar 

→ degree of mastery contributes to retrieval skills 

visually based retrieval

like popcorn words, not needing to sound it out

stage 3 of reading development (events)

become able to acquire new information through print

→ read based off visual system, increase amount of information they can get from reading 

stage 4 of reading development (events)

develop the skill of coordinating multiple perspectives 

→ theory of mind, follow social interactions 

dyslexia

• inability to read well despite normal intelligence

• 5-10% children in NA

• driven by challenges with phonological processing

  • weakness in ability to discriminate and remember sounds within words

• teaching strategies that enhance their phonological recoding skills help 

teaching strategies that enhance children’s  ___ ____ ____ help overcoming dyslexia 

phonological recoding skills 

what is the hidden classroom

things that happen in background that can impact psychology of child or how a child performs 

→ messages about performance, come in form of teacher expectations, student expectations, posters

4 examples of the hidden classroom

• beliefs about effort

• stereotypes about ability 

• culture of success/achievements vs ‘being cool’ 

• reward for risk taking 

2 factors of the hidden classroom (beliefs about effort examples) 

beliefs about effort 

Dweck’s Entity theory 

intelligence is fixed, unchangeable, intrinsic 

“you’re rly smart”, “you’re a natural” 

Dweck’s Incremental theory 

intelligence can change with experience (effort you put in) 

→ effort is driving factor in success “you worked v hard on that” 

which belief/Dweck theory rewards the process more than the result 

Incremental theory 

do beliefs about effort matter?

yes! students who think success is natural actually do worse

the hidden classroom stereotypes about ability

• gender stereotypes abt reading/writing/engl performance

• gender & racial stereotypes abt math/science perform

  • by 4 yrs children are aware of gender & racial stereotypes

research shows that thinking about stereotypes can ____ or _____ academic performance dep on the stereotype

help or hinder performance!

→ boost performance if relating to you positively