Intelligence

PSY 111 Intelligence Lecture Outline

  • Key Topics Covered:

    • Defining "Intelligence"

    • IQ Testing & Cultural Validity

    • Heredity, Intelligence & the Extremes

    • Approaches to Intelligence

Defining Intelligence

  • Definition of Intelligence:

    • An inferred characteristic of an individual.

    • Generally defined as the ability to:

    • Profit from experience.

    • Acquire knowledge.

    • Think abstractly.

    • Act purposefully.

    • Adapt to changes in the environment.

Intelligence(s)

  • Multiple Definitions of Intelligence:

    • Expressed in different domains.

    • Example: The absent-minded professor.

    • Intelligence is functional and directed at solving problems.

    • Intelligence is defined and shaped by culture.

Approaches to Intelligence

  • Psychometric Approach:

    • Utilizes statistical techniques to define intellectual skills and abilities.

Intelligence Testing

  • Psychometric Approach in Testing:

    • Utilizes devised tests to measure a person's cognitive level relative to others in a population.

    • First popularized by Francis Galton.

    • Alfred Binet and Théodore Simon devised a test to measure intellectual development in children.

    • Introduced the “Mental Age” concept:

    • MA = ext{average age at which children achieve an actual score}

    • Tests measure memory, vocabulary, and perceptual discrimination.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

  • Definition:

    • A measure to allow for comparison of test scores among individuals, devised by L. Terman.

    • IQ formula:

    • IQ = rac{MA}{CA} imes 100
      (where MA = mental age, CA = chronological age)

Applied Intelligence Testing

  • Wechsler Scales:

    • WAIS-III (for adults)

    • WISC-IV (for children aged 6-16)

    • IQ is calculated relative to norms rather than chronological age.

    • Indices Evaluated:

    • Working Memory

    • Processing Speed

    • Perceptual Organization

    • Verbal Comprehension

Frequency Distribution of IQ Scores

  • IQ scores are distributed “normally.”

    • Statistics:

    • 68% of people have IQ between 85-115.

    • 99.7% fall between 55-145.

Validity Issues for IQ Tests

  • Valid Uses of IQ Test Scores:

    • Predict ability to succeed in school.

  • Criticisms of IQ Tests:

    • Minimal theoretical basis; lack of underlying construct or theory during development of tests.

    • Cultural bias evident in test results:

    • Scores dependent on language and cultural experiences.

    • Historical cases: immigrants from Europe labeled as mentally defective due to language barriers mentioned in tests administered in English.

    • Continues today with minority populations in the US scoring lower than white populations.

Culture and IQ Testing

  • Can IQ Tests be “Culture Free”?

    • Attempts to develop culture-free IQ tests have not been successful.

    • Cultural values and experiences affect:

      • Attitudes toward exams

      • Comfort levels during testing

      • Motivation levels

      • Rapport with test provider

      • Overall competitiveness

      • Ease of independent problem solving

  • Testing Approaches:

    • Efforts to eliminate language in tests by using demonstrations and pictures have been made.

    • Acknowledgment that culture-free tests are unfeasible leads to designing culture-fair tests, which draw on experiences common across cultures.

Expectations, Stereotypes, and IQ Scores

  • Impact of Stereotypes on Performance:

    • Expectations shaped by cultural stereotypes affect test scores.

    • Stereotype Threat:

    • Definition: The burden of doubt regarding performance induced by negative stereotypes about one’s group.

    • Significant effects have been observed on various groups:

      • African-Americans

      • Latinos

      • Low-income and elderly individuals

      • Women

      • Alaska Natives

Brain Size, Intelligence, and Mental Retardation (MR)

  • Correlation:

    • No significant correlation found between brain size and intelligence.

    • In certain cases, an enlarged brain size could lead to deficits (e.g., Autism: failure of normal cell death in development).

Causes of Intellectual Disability/Mental Retardation

  • Causes Include:

    • Genetic Disorders (e.g., Down Syndrome – characterized by an extra 21st chromosome)

    • Environmental Factors

    • Damage incurred during birth

    • Head injuries

    • Diseases during pregnancy

    • Most common cause is in-utero exposure to alcohol or drugs.

Nature-Nurture in Intelligence

  • Influencing Factors on Individual Intelligence:

    • Environmental Factors:

    • e.g. parental education, mental status, nutrition

    • Genetic Factors:

    • Suggestion that intelligence has heritable components.

  • Research Strategies:

    • Twin Studies:

    • Compare IQ scores in Monozygotic (MZ) and Dizygotic (DZ) twins.

    • Adoption Studies:

    • Compare IQ scores of adopted children within their adoptive families versus biological families.

  • Findings:

    • Data suggests a strong influence of genetics on individual intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence

  • Definition:

    • Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions.

    • Considered part of social intelligence.

  • Characteristics of Emotionally Intelligent People:

    • Tend to avoid being overwhelmed by emotions.

    • Perform better in work settings.

    • Show capability to delay gratification for longer-term rewards.

    • Often succeed in areas where those who are academically smarter, but emotionally less intelligent, fail.

Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner)

  • Concept Overview:

    • Proposes that mental abilities are independent of one another.

    • Different intelligences are associated with different brain regions.

    • Focuses on how a person is intelligent rather than the degree of their intelligence.

Key terms

Cultural Bias in IQ Testing

  • Critiques:

    • Minimal theoretical basis; lack of underlying construct or theory during tests' development.

    • Cultural bias evident in test results, particularly regarding language and cultural experiences.

    • Historical instances where non-native English speakers faced misinterpretation in tests, impacting scores.

    • Ongoing disparities observed, especially among minority populations in the US.

Emotional Intelligence

  • Definition:

    • The ability to perceive, understand, manage, and utilize emotions effectively.

    • Considered part of social intelligence.

  • Characteristics of Emotionally Intelligent People:

    • Tend to avoid being overwhelmed by emotions.

    • Perform better in work settings and have robust interpersonal skills.

    • Capability to delay gratification for longer-term rewards.

    • Often succeed in areas where academically smarter individuals may struggle due to lower emotional intelligence.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

  • Descriptive Characteristics:

    • A measure devised to compare test scores among individuals, introduced by L. Terman.

  • Original Formula:

    • IQ = \frac{MA}{CA} \times 100 (where MA = mental age, CA = chronological age)

  • Current Indices Evaluated:

    • Working Memory

    • Processing Speed

    • Perceptual Organization

    • Verbal Comprehension

Intelligence Testing

  • Origins and History:

    • First popularized by Francis Galton and later expanded by Alfred Binet and Théodore Simon.

    • Developed methods to measure cognitive levels relative to the population, focusing on children's intellectual development.

  • Types of Testing:

    • Standardized tests such as Wechsler Scales (WAIS-III for adults, WISC-IV for children aged 6-16) focusing on comparative norms.

Multiple Intelligences (Gardner)

  • Concept Overview:

    • Proposes that mental abilities are independent of one another; different intelligences correspond to various brain regions.

    • Emphasizes diverse ways of being intelligent over a standardized measure.

Nature vs Nurture in Intelligence

  • Influencing Factors:

    • Environmental Factors include parental education, mental health, and nutrition.

    • Genetic Factors suggest intelligence has heritable components.

  • Research Strategies:

    • Twin Studies: Compare IQ scores in Monozygotic (MZ) versus Dizygotic (DZ) twins.

    • Adoption Studies: Compare adopted children’s IQ within their adoptive families against biological families.

Psychometric Approach

  • Overview:

    • Utilizes statistical techniques to define intellectual skills and abilities, focusing on measurable cognitive functions.

  • Testing Approaches:

    • Employs devised tests to measure a person's cognitive level against others. The psychometric approach is essential in understanding intelligence.

Stereotype Threat

  • Definition:

    • The burden of doubt regarding performance induced by negative stereotypes about one’s group.

  • Impact:

    • Significant effects on various groups have been documented, including African-Americans, Latinos, low-income/elderly individuals, women, and Alaska Natives, highlighting the problem of social expectations and biases in performance evaluations.