10. Theories of Intelligence 1

Entity Theory

Intelligence is something an individual either is or isn’t, fixed a birth

Incremental Theory

Intelligence is something that can grow and develop in an individual

Sir Frances Galton’s Ideas

Proposed ideas of differences in intelligence. Highly intelligent individuals can respond to large amounts of information, low intelligence individuals are less responsive.

Alfred Binet’s Ideas

Used associationist to explain intelligence.

Sensory information → information combined → consciousness

Created the first intelligence test - The Binet-Simon Scale (1911) that gave a mental age

Binet-Simon Scale (1916)

Lewis Terman revised the scale and published it for 4-14y/o

Tested a child’s intelligence and compared it to other children

IQ - William Stern

Used ratio of real age to mental age to develop his concept of intelligence quotient (IQ)

Robert Yerkes - Army Alpha Test

There was a need for fast assessment for soldiers, so he designed the army alpha test for literate groups. An oral and written test of cognitive abilities and knowledge base

Army Beta Test

Designed for illiterate or non-English speaking soldiers. Mainly symbols and picture-based tasks

General Intelligence ‘g’

Charles Spearman created the concept of general intelligence.

‘G’ consists of general ability and specific abilities

Measuring ‘g’: The Weschler Tests

Average score for all ages as a comparator, used things like verbal arithmetic, block design and vocabulary to measure general intelligence

Measuring ‘g’: Raven’s Progressive Matrices

More abstract, asks individuals to infer relationships between objects, free from cultural influences

What were Galton’s beliefs on eugenics?

He wanted genetically superior humans through selective marriage, believed in white superiority and genetic breeding out of illness

How was early intelligence testing used in the eugenics movement

Many of the early intelligence psychologists were eugenicists. Intelligence tests were used for sterilisation. Low scores/intelligence resulted in sterilisation by law. Hitler borrowed directly from the U.S. eugenic sterilisation laws.

WW2 effects on intelligence

After the Nuremberg trials, eugenics fell into disrepute. New theories on intelligence emerged and psychologists were forced to explore alternative avenues of intelligence testing

The Bell Curve - Herrnstein & Murray, 1994

Claims that ‘g’ exists and individuals differ, IQ is mostly stable over lifespan, a cognitive elite exists, IQ tests are not biased against social, economic, ethic, or racial groups if properly administered

Results of the bell curve testing

Cognitive elite/top end: high level of education and academic professions

Bottom end/lower IQ: poverty, unemployment, limited schooling, welfare dependant, criminals