Ch 8 Intelligence and Creativity

Fluid Intelligence

The ability to use your mind actively to solve new problems without applying prior knowledge.

Crystallized Intelligence

the use of knowledge acquired through schooling and other life experiences, long term knowledge gathered from life up until now.

Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale (Psychometric approach)

Forerunner of the IQ test used to calculate a child’s mental age, forms normal distribution

Intelligence quotient (IQ)

IQ = MentalAge/ChronologicalAge × 100

Wechsler Scales (Normed assessment)

For all ages, yields a verbal IQ score based on items measuring vocabulary, general knowledge, arithmetic reasoning and performance iq score based on problem solving. 100 as a score is defined as average, forms normal distribution.

Intellectual disability

Significantly below- average intellectual functioning, 70 or below on an IQ test, deficits in self care and social skills before 18 yrs

Giftedness

IQ score of 130 or higher or they show special abilities in areas valued in society, such as mathematics, the performing and visual arts, leadership.

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences

There are many intelligences, most of which have been ignored by the developers of standardized intelligence tests, intelligence should be determined by measuring the strengths and weaknesses of ppl by assessing 8 or 9 intellectual abilities 

Cattel-Horn-Carroll (CHC )Theory

Intelligence is a hierarchal structure, general abilities influence how well people do on a range of tasks

Limits of psychometric approach

emotional intelligence is not covered, artistic giftedness not included

Savant Syndrome

The phenomenon in which extraordinary talent in a particular area is displayed by a person otherwise intellectually challenged

Prodigies

Children who display ability levels comparable to adult professionals

Steinberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

○ Establish and achieve reasonable goals

○ Optimize your strengths and minimize weaknesses

○ Adapt to the environment

○ Use all three components of intelligence:

Practical → street smarts, used to solve problems in everyday life
Creative → to deal w novel problems, creating and inventing

Analytic → Critical thinking, planning evaluating

Creativity

the ability to produce novel/unique responses appropriate in context and valued by other creating products both original and meaningful

Why can’t iq tests be used to measure creativity?

Bc creativity uses divergent thinking, while iq tests use convergent thinking.

convergent thinking involves piecing together info to get to a correct answer whereas divergent thinking comes up with a variety of solutions that may not be a correct answer (preschool children display high levels of this)

Ideational fluency

number different and novel ideas someone can generate

Componetial model of creativity

creativity is made up of expertise, creative thinking skills and motivation

Sternberg’s investment theory

Creativity is a decision, ppl decide to be creative, making ideas that “defy the crowd” (buying low), then persuade many people (sell high)

creativity is affected by

• Intellectual ability

• environment

• motivation

• knowledge

• styles of thinking

• personality

Infant

How to measure intelligence?

• Bayley scales (BSID)

  • Cognitive, language and motor scale

Test result compared to performance of a large norm group of infants and toddlers

• Merrill Palmer Revised Scales of Development (MPR), assesses these idea domains

  • Cognitive

  • Language/communication

  • Motor (fine and gross)

  • Social emotional development

  • Self help/adaptive

Child

around age 4, iq has a fairly strong relationship with later iq.

iq scores are influenced by

• Motivation

• Testing procedures

• Intelligence

children who live in unstable low ses environments fluctuate in iq the most, gainers of iq points gain more bc parents converse more with them, expose them to more vocab, and offer more encouragement. Drops are result of poverty, unsafe env, bad health care, lack of cognitive stimulation

Cumulative deficit hypothesis

 impoverished environments inhibit

intellectual growth

Negative effects caused accumulate over time

Originality

Ability to produce original ideas, sharp decline starting in sixth grade

Adolescent

Intellectual growth continues rapid pace,
Flynn effect → Phenomenon over the 20th century: average IQ scores have increased in all countries studied, probably because:

■ Children today are better educated

■ Improved nutrition and living conditions

■ Increased familiarity with standardized testing

■ Healthier environment

Reverse Flynn effect → Decreasing iq scores
Possible rationales
○ Poorer environment
■ Increased air pollution
○ Worsening nutrition and health standards
○ Less intelligently stimulating environment
■ electronics (TV, internet, social media)

Iq predicts school achievement but not very well for college grades, motivation plays a big role

Adolescent creativity

Idea elaboration ability increases in middle school

Creativity can be fostered through play, by parents and school system to help develop talent and nurture creative endeavors

Adult Intelligence

Iq remains stable into older adulthood

Terminal drop

• Poor health

  ○ Diseases

  ○ Unstimulating lifestyle

• Strongest predictor of iq in old age is their iq at 11

• Professional and technical workers

  score higher on IQ tests than white-

  collar workers

• Hi iq, hi occupational success and healthier

Adult creativity

Creative production increases from 20-40, then declines, peak times vary

Creativity is possible throughout life

Factors that influence iq across lifespan

• Genes and env → iq is heritable, environment gene interaction, mother iq associated w offspring iq

• Race and ethnicity, differences exist bc:

  • Bias in tests

  • Motivational factors

  • Gene diffs

  • Environmental diffs among groups

  • Stereotype threat