AP Psych 2.8

Intelligence

Mental potential to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations.

General Intelligence (g-factor)

Proposed by Charles Spearman

Charles Spearman

Psychologist who used factor analysis to conclude that general cognition is influenced by an underlying "g-factor".

Factor Analysis

Statistical procedure used to identify clusters of related items (factors) on a test

Thurstone’s Primary Mental Abilities

Thurstone's theory identifying seven distinct clusters of mental abilities, challenging the idea of a single "g-factor".

Crystallized Intelligence (Gc)

Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills (e.g., vocabulary)

Fluid Intelligence (Gf)

Ability to reason speedily and abstractly (e.g., solving logic puzzles)

Cattel-Horn

Gf (Fluid) + Gc (Crystallized) intelligence into a comprehensive understanding of cognitive abilities.

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Intelligence consists of eight relatively independent types of intelligence.

Savant Syndrome

Condition where a person with limited mental ability has an exceptional specific skill

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory

Sternberg's theory identifying three intelligences: Analytical (problem-solving), Creative (adapting), and Practical (everyday tasks).

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions

Achievement Test

Test designed to assess what a person has already learned (e.g., a final exam).

Aptitude Test

Test designed to predict a person’s future performance or capacity to learn (e.g., SAT/ACT).

Francis Galton

"Father of eugenics," intelligence was hereditary + could be bred for, unscientific test

Alfred Binet

Developed the concept of Mental Age to help identify French school children who needed special attention.

Lewis Terman

Stanford professor who adapted Binet’s work to create the Stanford-Binet IQ test for American use.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

(mental age / chronological age) × 100

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

The most widely used intelligence test

Psychometrics

Scientific study of the measurement of human abilities, attitudes, + traits using standardization, reliability, and validity.

Standardization

Defining uniform testing procedures and meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested group.

Normal Curve

Bell-shaped distribution where most scores fall near the average

Reliability

Test yields consistent results (e.g., scores are similar upon retesting).

Validity

Test actually measures or predicts what it is supposed to measure.

Stability of Intelligence

Intelligence is a stable trait

Longitudinal Study

Research that follows and retests the same people over time

Cross-Sectional Study

Research that compares people of different ages at the same time.

William James Sidis

Cited as one of the smartest people in history with an estimated IQ of 250-300, illustrating the extreme high end of the normal curve.

Flynn Effect

The phenomenon of intelligence test scores increasing worldwide over generations, necessitating restandardization of tests.

Growth Mindset

Intelligence is changeable + can be developed through effort (Carol Dweck).