Unit 5 Test: Cognitive Psychology - Intelligence

intelligence

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

general intelligence or "g" factor

underlies all mental abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test

factor analysis

a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called factors) on a test

What is the purpose of factor analysis?

to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a person's total score

emotional intelligence

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

achievement test

exams covering a specific subject matter

aptitude test

exams assessing / predicting ability

Binet intelligence test

measuring mental age - mental aptitude, like athletic aptitude, is a general capacity that shows up in various ways

mental age

the level of performance typically associated with a certain chronological age

Stanford-Binet test (as refined and revised by Lewis Terman)

the revision of Binet's original intelligence test for use as a numerical measure of inherited intelligence

IQ

intelligence quotient - the ratio of mental age (ma) to chronological age (ca), multiplied by 100

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

the most widely used intelligence test; contains verbal and performance (nonverbal) subtests

Flynn Effect

the worldwide phenomenon that intelligence test performance has improved

Split-Half

a measure of reliability in which a test is split into two parts and an individual's scores on both halves are compared

Alternate Form

a measure of reliability in which varying versions of a test are given and results are compared

Test-Retest

a measure of reliability in which a test is re-administered and results are compared

Content Validity

the extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest

Predictive Validity

the success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict

crystallized intelligence

our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age

fluid intelligence

our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease with age, especially during late adulthood

longitudinal studies

follow the same group of people for an extended period of time

cross-sectional studies

compare people of different ages at the same point in time

heritability

the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes