CHapter 9.1
Who measured intelligence using anthropometry?
→ Sir Francis Galton
What are anthropometrics?
→ Methods of measuring physical characteristics of the human body to study individual differences, originally used to study intelligence.
Who was Alfred Binet?
→ A French psychologist who argued that intelligence involves complex mental processes like memory, attention, and comprehension.
What is mental age?
→ The average intellectual performance level for children of a specific chronological age.
What is the formula for IQ on the Stanford–Binet test?
→ IQ = (Mental Age ÷ Chronological Age) × 100
If a 20-year-old has a mental age of 15, what is their IQ?
→ 75
What is the difference between IQ and deviation IQ?
→ IQ is based on mental age and chronological age and works best for children, while deviation IQ compares an individual’s score to others of the same age and remains stable across adulthood.
What does a deviation IQ score of 100 mean?
→ The person is average compared to others in their age group.
Why doesn’t ratio IQ work well for adults?
→ Mental age does not keep increasing, which would incorrectly suggest that adults become less intelligent as they age.
What does deviation IQ emphasize?
→ Relative performance compared to others of the same age.
What are the two main subdivisions of the WAIS?
→ General Ability Index (verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning) and Cognitive Proficiency Index (working memory and processing speed).
What is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)?
→ The most widely used intelligence test for adolescents and adults.
What is one key advance of Raven’s Progressive Matrices?
→ It measures intelligence using nonverbal pattern-based reasoning, reducing cultural and language bias.
What type of intelligence does Raven’s Progressive Matrices measure?
→ Fluid intelligence.
What is eugenics?
→ The belief that society can be improved by controlling reproduction based on perceived genetic superiority, such as intelligence.
Why is eugenics scientifically flawed?
→ It assumes intelligence is fixed and genetic, ignores environmental influences, and misuses IQ testing.
Give one example of eugenics being used to discriminate.
→ Forced sterilization of people labeled “feebleminded,” such as Leilani Muir.
Give a second example of eugenics being used to discriminate.
→ Educational and occupational streaming of racial minorities into lower-status roles based on IQ scores.
What is stereotype threat?
→ A reduction in performance caused by anxiety about confirming a negative stereotype about one’s social group.
How does stereotype threat relate to racial IQ differences?
→ Awareness of negative stereotypes can impair test performance, creating score differences that do not reflect true intelligence.
How does stereotype threat relate to gender differences in testing?
→ Stereotypes about females being worse at math or spatial tasks can reduce performance when the stereotype is activated.
What is entity theory of intelligence?
→ The belief that intelligence is fixed and unchangeable.
What is incremental theory of intelligence?
→ The belief that intelligence can grow and change through effort and experience.
How do entity beliefs affect student performance?
→ They lead students to give up when facing difficulty because failure is seen as proof of low ability.
How do incremental beliefs affect student performance?
→ They increase resilience, persistence, and academic improvement.
Describe Carol Dweck’s study on intelligence beliefs.
→ Dweck showed that students taught to believe intelligence is changeable worked harder, persisted after failure, and improved their grades compared to students who believed intelligence was fixed.
How can beliefs about intelligence reduce dropout rates?
→ Teaching students that intelligence is malleable increases motivation and prevents the cycle of giving up after failure.
Name two reasons intelligence testing can be culturally biased.
→ Test content may favor certain cultures, and stereotype threat or unfamiliar testing environments can reduce performance.
What is the main takeaway of Chapter 9.1?
→ Intelligence is influenced by both genetics and environment, is not fixed, and can be improved through effort and supportive conditions.