Chapter 10 Intelligence Test 2

CH 10: Intelligence

Overview

  • Definitions and debates surrounding intelligence.
  • Intelligence tests are used to measure intelligence.
  • Both genetic and environmental factors influence intelligence.

What is Intelligence?

  • Intelligence is defined as having knowledge and being able to use it effectively.
  • Intelligence is a socially constructed concept, meaning its definition varies across cultures and societies.

One General Ability or Several Specific Abilities?

  • General Intelligence: The idea that intelligence is one general ability.
  • Multiple Intelligences:
    • Gardner's Multiple Intelligences proposes that there are several independent intelligences.
    • Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Intelligence includes analytical, creative, and practical intelligences.
    • Emotional Intelligence is also recognized as a key aspect of overall intelligence.

Testing Intelligence

  • Binet-Simon Scale:
    • Developed for children.
    • Introduced the concept of mental age.
  • Stanford-Binet:
    • Developed by Louis Terman.
    • Extended the Binet-Simon Scale to include adult intelligence.
    • Introduced the intelligence quotient (IQ), calculated as (MA/CA)X100(MA/CA) X 100, where MA is mental age and CA is chronological age.
    • Potential for cultural bias in early IQ tests.

IQ Tests Today

  • Stanford-Binet
  • Wechsler Scales:
    • WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) for adults.
    • WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) for children ages 6-16.
    • WPPSI (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence) for children below age 6.
  • Provide an overall score plus sub-scores to identify specific strengths and weaknesses.
  • Standardized tests, meaning they are administered and scored in a consistent manner.

Principles of Test Construction

  • Calculating IQ
  • Representative samples: Tests are administered to a diverse group of people to establish norms.
  • Norms: Standards against which individual scores are compared.
  • Normal distribution: IQ scores typically follow a normal distribution, also known as a bell-shaped curve.
  • Average IQ: The average IQ score is 100.

The Distribution of IQ Scores in the Population

  • The distribution of IQ scores forms a bell curve.
  • About 95% of people score within 30 points of 100.
  • Sixty-eight percent of people score within 15 points above or below 100.
  • Very few people (0.1%) score below 55 or above 145.

Extremes of IQ

  • Giftedness: Significantly above-average intelligence.
  • Intellectual disability: Significantly below-average intelligence, along with deficits in adaptive functioning.
  • IQ and adaptive functioning are distinct concepts.
  • Intellectual disability is not the same as a learning disability (or learning difference).

Principles of Test Construction

  • Reliability: The consistency of a test's results.
    • IQ scores can change with age, particularly during childhood.
  • Validity: The extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure.
    • Content validity: The test covers the full range of the subject matter.
    • Predictive validity: The test accurately predicts future performance.

Genetic & Environmental Influences

  • Both genetic and environmental factors play a significant role in intelligence.
  • There is an interaction between heredity and environment.
  • Poverty can have a negative impact on cognitive development and intelligence.

Overall…

  • Success depends on various factors, not just IQ.
  • IQ is not a measure of personal worth.