Week 3 | Day 2 | PSYA02

Week 3 | Day 2 | PSYA02

The Nature of Intelligence: Charles Spearman

  • Spearman found that grades for different subjects were positively correlated
  • Spearman proposed that an individual’s specific ability to learn specialized content is driven by more overarching general abilities

Two Components of Intelligence

g

s

  • Higher-order, general intelligence
    • Generalized to many contexts
  • Can apply to content area
  • eg . Quantitative reasoning, abstract verbal reasoning, and short-term memory
  • Lower-order, specific intelligence
    • Contextually sensitive
  • Can apply to limited content areas
  • Eg. Algebra, order of operations, and elementary mathematical concepts involved in quantitative reasoning.

Recalling from Class 7

  • Wechsler’s Intelligence Tests used deviation IQ
    • Most popular intelligence test in use today
    • Example: WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale)
    • Allows for more “fine-grained” assessment because it tests performance on a number of areas from the bottom tier
      • Eg. printed language, spatial relation, rate of test taking, semantic processing speed
    • Modern IQ tests are consistent with Carroll’s Three-Stratum Framework.
      • Eg, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)
      • Eg. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

Modern Views of Intelligence

Carroll’s Three-Tiered Model

  1. Stratum III: General Intelligence (g)
  2. Stratum II: Broad Intelligence
    • Eg. Fluid intelligence
  3. Stratum I: Narrow (a set of specific abilities)

Alternate Views of Intelligence: Emotional Intelligence

  • IQ tests don’t capture all forms of intelligence
  • Emotional intelligence:
    • Ability to perceive emotions accurately
    • Ability to use emotions to facilitate thoughts
    • Ability to understand emotions
    • Ability to manage emotions
  • Individuals have different levels of emotional intelligence
  • High emotional intelligence = less brain activation when solving emotional problems
    • (aka I guess they think less?)

Alternative Views of Intelligence: Multiple Intelligences

  • Gardner’s Alternative Theory of Multiple Intelligences
    • Suggests multiple types of intelligence that are distinct from one another
    • 8 types of intelligence for functioning and survival
    • Not based on aptitude tests (instead based on self-report measures and behaviour observation)
    • Has been heavily incorporated into educational theory
  • 8 types:
    • Musical (music smart)
    • Bodily-Kinesthetic (body smart)
    • Interpersonal (people smart)
    • Verbal-Linguistic (word smart)
    • Logical-Mathematical (logic smart)
    • Naturalistic (nature smart)
    • Intrapersonal (self smart)
    • Verbal-Spacial (picture smart)