11 Key Terms Flashcards
Intelligence test
A method for assessing an individuals mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others, using numerical scores
Intelligence
Mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations
General intelligence (g)
A general intelligence factor that, according to spearman and others, underlies specific mental abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test
Factor analysis
A statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (factors) on a test, used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a persons total scorer
Savant syndrome
A condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability had an exceptional specific skill, such as drawing or computation
Emotional intelligence
The ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions
Mental age
A measure of intelligence test performance devised by Binet, the chronological age that most typically corresponds to a given level of performance
Standford Binet
The widely used American revision of binets original intelligence test
Intelligence quotient
Original- ratio of mental age to chronological age multiplied by 100
Contemporary- the average performance for a given age is assigned a score of 100
Achievement tests
Tests designed to assess what a person has learned
Aptitude tests
Tests designed to predict a persons future performance
Aptitude
Is the capacity to learn
Wechsler adult intelligence scale (WAIS)
Most widely used intelligence test
Contains verbal and performance (nonverbal) subtests
Standardization
Defining meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested group
Normal curve
The symmetrical, bell shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes. Most scores fall near Average and fewer and fewer scores lie near the extremes
Reliability
The extent to which a test yields consistent results as assessed by the consistency of scores on two halves or the test or retesting
Validity
The extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to predict
Content validity
The extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest
Ex the road test has content validity because it samples tasks a driver routine test faces
Predictive validity
The success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict
It is assessed by computing correlation between test scores and the criterion behavior
Intellectual disability
Mental retardation
A condition of limited mental ability, indicated by an intelligence score of 70 or below and difficulty in adapting to the demands of life
Down syndrome
A condition of intellectual disability and associated physical disorders caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21
Stereotype threat
A self confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype
