Untitled Flashcards Set

Intelligence: The ability to learn from experience, adapt to new situations, understand complex ideas, and apply knowledge to manipulate the environment.

General Intelligence (g): A theory proposed by Charles Spearman, which suggests that intelligence is a single, general factor that underlies all cognitive abilities. People who perform well in one area of intelligence (e.g., math) tend to perform well in other areas (e.g., verbal ability).

Factor Analysis: A statistical method used to identify clusters of related items (or factors) on a test. It helps in identifying underlying dimensions of intelligence.

Fluid Intelligence (Gf): The ability to reason and solve novel problems, independent of previously acquired knowledge. It tends to decrease with age.

Crystallized Intelligence (Gc): The ability to use learned knowledge and experience. It tends to remain stable or even improve with age.

Cattell-Horn-Carroll Theory (CHC): A comprehensive theory of intelligence that combines Raymond Cattell's concepts of fluid and crystallized intelligence with John Horn's further subdivisions and John Carroll's three-stratum model of cognitive abilities.

Multiple Intelligences: Howard Gardner's theory that proposes there are eight distinct types of intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.

Savant Syndrome: A condition in which a person with a developmental disorder (such as autism) exhibits exceptional skills or talents in a specific area, such as music or mathematics, despite having below-average cognitive abilities in other areas.

Grit: A personality trait characterized by perseverance and passion for long-term goals. It involves the ability to overcome challenges and maintain effort despite setbacks.

Emotional Intelligence: The ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions in oneself and others effectively. It includes skills such as empathy, self-regulation, and social awareness.

Intelligence Test: A standardized assessment used to measure a person's general cognitive abilities and intellectual potential, often expressed as an Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

Achievement Test: A test designed to measure a person's knowledge or proficiency in a specific subject or area, such as math, language, or science.

Aptitude Test: A test designed to assess a person's potential to learn new skills or abilities in the future. It predicts a person's future performance or success in a particular field.

Stanford-Binet: A widely used intelligence test, originally developed by Alfred Binet and later revised by Lewis Terman at Stanford University. It measures intelligence through a series of tasks of varying difficulty, with scores typically expressed as an Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

Intelligence Quotient (IQ): A numerical score derived from standardized intelligence tests, designed to measure a person's intellectual abilities relative to others. A score of 100 is typically considered average.

Mental Age: A measure of a child's intellectual development, determined by the age at which they perform on an intelligence test. If a child has a mental age of 10, they perform as well as the average 10-year-old.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS): A widely used intelligence test for adults, developed by David Wechsler. It measures various aspects of intelligence, including verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.

Psychometrics: The field of psychology that specializes in the theory and technique of psychological measurement, including the development and refinement of tests for intelligence, personality, and other psychological traits.

Standardization: The process of establishing uniform procedures for administering and scoring a test, ensuring that the test is consistent and comparable across different individuals or groups.

Normal Curve: A bell-shaped curve that represents the distribution of scores on many psychological tests, including intelligence tests. Most scores cluster around the mean, with fewer scores found at the extremes.

Validity: The degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure. Validity is essential for the accuracy and meaningfulness of test scores.

Content Validity: The extent to which a test represents all aspects of the construct it is intended to measure. For example, an achievement test should cover all relevant content areas rather than focusing on just a few topics.

Construct Validity: The degree to which a test accurately measures the psychological concept or construct it is intended to assess, such as intelligence, anxiety, or creativity.

Predictive Validity: The extent to which a test predicts future performance or behavior, such as a college entrance exam predicting academic success.

Reliability: The consistency of a test's results over time. A reliable test produces stable and consistent results under similar conditions.

Test-Retest Reliability: The consistency of test scores when the same test is administered to the same group of individuals at two different points in time.

Split-Half Reliability: A method of testing reliability by dividing a test into two equal halves and comparing the scores on each half to determine consistency.

Flynn Effect: The observed phenomenon that scores on intelligence tests have increased over time across generations, likely due to improvements in nutrition, education, and environmental factors.