Individual Differences: Intelligence, Personality, and Assessment

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering theories of intelligence, psychometric testing, the Big Five personality traits, innovation, and socio-cognitive constructs from the lecture on Individual Differences.

General intelligence ($g$)

An innate ability to carry out various mental operations—such as manipulating data, solving problems, and interpreting information—first designated as 'g' by Charles Spearman (1927).

Practical intelligence

The ability to solve real-life problems using information not necessarily contained within a problem statement, allowing for multiple workable solutions rather than a single correct answer.

Incremental validity

The capacity of a test (such as a practical intelligence assessment) to explain or predict variance in an outcome beyond what is accounted for by existing measures like traditional IQ tests.

Crystallised intelligence

Taught or acquired knowledge that, alongside pure underlying cognitive ability, is often measured by conventional intelligence tests.

Standardized test administration

The practice of administering cognitive and intelligence tests under identical conditions so that all test-takers have an equal opportunity to answer questions.

AH5 Test

A standardized cognitive ability and intelligence test developed by A. W. Heim (1968) featuring questions assessing numerical series, verbal analogies, and category classifications.

Test-taking motivation

An assumed state of being alert, motivated, and fully focused during an assessment, which may hold in high-stakes testing but often drops in lower-stakes settings.

Systems models of intelligence

Models that expand the concept of intelligence beyond traditional cognitive abilities to incorporate contextual, developmental, and personality-based factors.

Triarchic theory of intelligence

Robert Sternberg's (1985) model asserting that intelligence consists of three sub-theories or facets: analytical (componential), creative (experiential), and practical (contextual).

Analytical sub-theory (Componential)

The facet of Sternberg's triarchic theory involving academic problem-solving abilities and explaining how an individual processes information in their internal world.

Meta-components

Executive cognitive functions within Sternberg's model that control, monitor, and evaluate information processing, organizing strategies for performance and knowledge acquisition.

Creative sub-theory (Experiential)

The facet of Sternberg's triarchic theory that describes insights, the ability to synthesise new ideas, and the capacity to respond to novel situations and stimuli.

Practical sub-theory (Contextual)

The facet of Sternberg's triarchic theory that encompasses the ability to understand and deal effectively with everyday, real-world tasks.

Three-stratum theory of cognitive ability

John Carroll's (1993) hierarchical framework derived from factor analysis of over 450 datasets, classifying abilities into narrow (Stratum I), broad (Stratum II), and general (Stratum III) levels.

Stratum III

The apex level of John Carroll's three-stratum model, representing a single overarching factor of general intelligence ($g$).

Stratum II

The intermediate layer of Carroll's model containing broad abilities, including fluid intelligence, crystallised intelligence, general memory, and visual perception.

Stratum I

The lowest tier in Carroll's hierarchical model, consisting of specific and narrow cognitive abilities such as picture recognition and word fluency.

PPIK theory

Ackerman's (1996) developmental theory of adult intelligence proposing that intellectual growth occurs via Process (P), Personality (P), Interests (I), and Knowledge (K).

Cascading model of emotional intelligence

Dana Joseph and Daniel Newman's (2010) model based on Mayer and Salovey's ability framework, linking emotion perception, emotion understanding, and emotion regulation to explain job performance.

Openness to experience

A Big Five personality factor characterized by active imagination, aesthetic sensitivity, intellectual curiosity, and a readiness to re-examine values and try new ideas.

Conscientiousness

A Big Five personality trait involving self-discipline, preference for order, dutifulness, achievement striving, deliberation, and a thorough approach to tasks.

Extroversion

A Big Five personality factor marked by warmth, gregariousness, assertiveness, high activity levels, excitement-seeking, and frequent positive emotional experiences.

Agreeableness

A Big Five personality dimension marked by altruism, trust, compliance, straightforwardness, modesty, and tendermindedness, leading to cooperative interpersonal behavior.

Neuroticism

A Big Five personality factor defined by vulnerability to stress, anxiety, hostility, depression, impulsiveness, self-consciousness, and persistent worry.

Validity (Psychometrics)

The degree to which an assessment tool or psychometric questionnaire accurately measures the specific construct it is intended to measure.

Reliability (Psychometrics)

The consistency, stability, and precision of measurement yielded by an assessment instrument over repeated administrations or across items.

Creativity

The cognitive capability focused specifically on generating entirely original and novel ideas.

Innovation

A broad organizational concept that encompasses both generating novel ideas and applying or implementing them to create useful products, processes, or procedures.

Role innovation

The proactive adaptation and redesign of work procedures and tasks by individuals when formal, clearly defined job descriptions are absent.

Neurodiversity

A movement originating in the 1990s asserting that variations in cognitive functioning represent natural differences in how individuals perceive and process information.

Neurodivergent conditions

Conditions impacting cognitive functions such as thinking, attention, memory, and impulse control, including ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and Tourette's Syndrome.

Self-leadership

The practice of utilizing motivational, cognitive, and behavioural strategies—such as internal coaching and setting self-rewards—to direct oneself through unrewarding tasks.