Unit 5 - Intelligence and Testing

Achievement

mastery of content and academic performance

Achievement Tests

measure knowledge and skills acquired in specific areas; ex: finals

Analytical Intelligence

problem-solving abilities; part of the Triarchic Theory

Aptitude Tests

predict future performance and potentials; ex: SAT for college readiness

Chronological Age

a person’s actual age in years

Construct Validity

measures the intended concept (eg. intelligence)

Content Validity

covers all aspects of the topics it’s supposed to measure

Convergent Thinking

a problem-solving strategy that involves finding a single, correct answer to a problem

Creative Intelligence

ability to create and adapt; part of the Triarchic Theory

Crystallized Intellifence

accumulated knowledge, wisdom, and life experiences; ability to think logically; increases with age and experience

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

understanding and managing one’s emotions and those of others; self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy, and motivation

Fluid Intelligence

problem-solving and adaptability; ability to think creatively; declines with age

Fixed Mindset

belief that intelligence is static

Flynn Effect

worldwide rise in IQ scores over time, linked to improved health, education, and socioeconomic conditions

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

highlights that there are multiple diverse intellectual abilities

g (general intelligence)

proposes one overarching ability that impacts all cognitive tasks

Grit

perseverance and passion for long-term goals

Growth Mindset

belief that intelligence can develop with effort

Intelligence

the ability to learn from experience, understand, reason, and use our knowledge to adapt to new situations; cognitive abilities and potential for learning

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

a score derived from standardized tests designed to assess human intelligence

IQ Formula

IQ = (mental age/chronological age) x 100

Mental Age

the intellectual ability level associated with a specific age group

Multiple Intelligences

proposes that there are different types of intelligence

Normal Distribution/Curve

bell-shaped curve representing a typical spread of scores on a standardized test

Percentile Score

position of a test-taker relative to their peers

Practical Intelligence

streets smarts and ability to apply knowledge; part of the Triarchic Theory

Predictive Validity

effectiveness in forecasting future performance

Reliability

consistency of test results

Split-Half Reliability

tests are split in half to get two scores from the test-takers; measures the internal consistency within the test

Standardization

consistent administration for all test-takers

Stanford-Binet Test

a standardized test used to measure an individual's cognitive abilities and intelligence and adapted from the Intelligence Quotient (IQ); used to identify students that needed educational support

Triarchic Theory

states that intelligence has three parts: analytical intelligence, creative intelligence, and practical intelligence

Spearman’s g Factor

proposes one general intelligence factor (g)

Stereotype Lift

boost in performance due to positive stereotypes

Stereotype Threat

fear of confirming a negative stereotype, impacting performance

Test-Retest Reliability

taking the same type of test at different times; measures stability over time

Validity

accuracy in measuring intended construct

WAIS

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale; type of IQ test used for adults

WISC

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children; type of IQ test used for children

Z-Score

measure of distance from the mean in standard deviation units