Psychology Chapter 1: Variations in Psychological Attributes

Flashcards covering Psychology Chapter 1: Variations in Psychological Attributes, including theories of intelligence, aptitude testing, personality, and creativity.

What is meant by individual differences according to the notes?

Individual differences mean variations among people's behaviour patterns and the distinctiveness and characteristics of individuals.

How is intelligence defined?

Intelligence is the global capacity to understand the world think rationally and use resources effictively when faced with challenges.

What does aptitude refer to?

Aptitude refers to an individual's underlying potential for acquiring a specific skill or knowledge with training.

What are interests?

Interests are a preference for particular activities, representing the liking or attraction an individual has for specific tasks.

How is personality defined?

Personality refers to relatively enduring characteristics that make an individual distinct from others.

What is a trait?

A trait is a specific characteristic or quality of an individual that is relatively stable across time and situations.

What is the formula for Intelligence Quotient (IQ)?

$$IQ = \frac{\text{mental age}}{\text{chronocial age}} \times 100$$

What is emotional intelligence?

The ability to monitor one's own and others emotions to discriminate among them and use this information to guide thinking and action.

What is meant by creativity?

Creativity refers to the ability to produce ideas or objects that are both novel (original) and appropriate (useful for particular goal).

Define giftedness based on the lecture notes.

Giftedness is exceptional general ability shown in a wide variety of areas, usually marked in superior performances in an variety of areas with an IQ of 130 and above.

What do individual differences include, and what are some examples?

Individual differences include variations in physical and psychological traits. Examples include differences in height/weight (physical) and IQ/personality (psychological).

What is the key difference between intelligence and aptitude?

Intelligence is the general mental ability to learn and solve problems, while aptitude is the specialized potential in a specific field (e.g. mechanical or musical aptitude).

According to Spearman's two factor theory, what are the two components of intelligence?

Intelligence consists of a g-factor (general), which is common to all performances, and s-factors (specific), which are unique to specific tasks.

What does the g-factor represent in Charles Spearman's theory?

The g-factor represents the mental energy required for all cognitive tasks.

What are examples of g-factor and s-factor activities?

An example of a g-factor is reasoning, while an example of an s-factor is playing piano.

What did Louis Thurstone propose in his theory of primary mental abilities?

Thurstone proposed that intelligence consists of seven independent primary mental abilities rather than a single general factor.

List the seven primary mental abilities identified by Thurstone.

Verbal comprehension, numerical ability, spatial relations, perceptual speed, word fluency, memory, and inductive reasoning.

How many distinct types of intelligence did Howard Gardner propose in his theory?

Gardner proposed that intelligence exists as eight distinct types that function independently.

List the eight types of intelligence according to Howard Gardener's theory of multiple intelligence.

Linguistic, Logical - Mathematical, Spatial, Musical, Bodily - Kinesthetic, Interpersonal (understanding others), Intrapersonal (understanding oneself), and Naturalistic.

What are the three types of intelligence identified in Robert Sternberg's triarchic theory?

1. Componential (analytical) 2. Experential (Creative) 3. Contextual (practial).

In Sternberg's theory, what does 'Contextual (practial)' intelligence involve?

Commonly called STREET SMARTZ, it is the ability to adapt to daily life demands.

Distinguish between independent and multiple aptitude batteries.

Independent (specialized) A.T. measure a single specific ability (e.g. mechanical or clerical), while Multiple Aptitude Batteries consist of a series of tests measuring varied aptitudes at once to provide a broad profile.

What is a famous example of a Multiple Aptitude Battery used for vocational guidance?

The Differential A.T. (DAT).

What determines where an individual falls within their biological range of intellectual potential?

The environment (nutrition, schooling, family support) determines where an individual falls within the range provided by heredity (Nature).

What are the four characteristics of individuals with high emotional intelligence (EI)?

Self-aware, motivation, regulate their emotions, show high level of empathy, and strong social skills.

Identify the three dimensions of J.P. Guilford's structure of intellect model.

Operations, Contents, and Products.

What six activities are included in the 'Operations' dimension of Guilford's model?

Cognition, Memory Recording, Memory Retention, Divergent Production, Convergent production, and evaluation.

In Guilford's model, what are the five types of 'Contents' information?

Visual, auditory, symbolic, semantic, and behavioural.

According to Guilford, how are 'Products' classified?

Units, classes, relations, systems, transformations, implications.

What are the key assumptions of the psychometric approach to personality?

It views personality as a bundle of traits, assumes personality can be represented by numerical scores on a scale, and uses standardized psychological tests like inventories.

Which researcher is associated with identifying cardinal, central, and secondary traits?

Allport.

What are the four characteristics of creativity mentioned in the notes?

Fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration.

What was Terman's finding regarding the relationship between intelligence and creativity?

All creative people are generally intelligent, but not all intelligent people are necessarily creative; a minimum level of intelligence is required for creativity.

What does intelligence predict compared to what interest predicts?

Intelligence predicts how well a person can adapt to new environments and learn diverse concepts, while Interest predicts job satisfaction and engagement in a field.