Ch 10 - Intelligence Flashcards
Intelligence
“The ability to think, understand, reason, and adapt to or overcome obstacles”
~ Binet
g
General intelligence factor
- Proposed intelligence is a basic cognitive trait comprising the ability to learn, reason, and solve problems regardless of their nature
- According to g concept, if you are good at one part of intelligence is most likely good at other components
Savant
Rare condition where an individual is extremely high ability in one domain despite overall limitations in mental and social ability
Prodigy
young person who excels in one area and is average in all others
Analytic intelligence
Verbal, mathematical problem-solving type of intelligence that probably comes to mind when you think of intelligence
Practical Intelligence
Ability to find solutions to real-world problems that are encountered in daily life, especially those related to work and family
- Street smarts
Learning styles
idea that everyone has a “best” way of taking in and retaining information
- studies have suggested learning styles are mostly a myth
Eugenics
scientific/philosophical/political movement that encouraged breeding between people with particular traits and discouraged breeding between those without these traits
Alfred Binet
- French researcher who assumed intelligence should include more complex abilities such as attention, memory, and…
Mental age
average intellectual ability score for children of a specific age
David Weschler
- created most widely used intelligence test
- WAIS: Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale
General Ability Index (GAI)
Subscale that examines comprehension and reasoning without examining processing speed
Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI)
Subscale working memory and processing speed tasks
Intelligence test
Method for assessing an individual’s mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others using numerical scores
Aptitude tests
Designed to predict a person’s future performance; aptitude is the capacity to learn a new skill (Ex. SAT)
Achievement test
designed to assess what a person has learned
(Ex. Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), Law School Admission Test (LSAT))
3 Criteria for a “good test”:
- Was the test standardized?
- Is the test reliable?
- Is the test valid?
Standardization
defining uniform testing procedures and meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested group (allows for comparison across individuals
IQ score percentage
- IQ of 85-115: 68% of people
- IQ of 70-130: 95% of people
- IQ of 55-145: 99.7% of people
Reliability
Extent to which a test yields consistent results
- If you take same test twice, you should get
the same answer
Random error
Anything that changes each time
- Ex. Bad night’s sleep
Systematic error
Error that appears over and over
- Ex. Scale that consistently 10 lbs too light
Validity
Extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to measure or predict
Content validity
Extent to which a test samples the behaviour of interest
- If intelligence only assesses math ability it may lack content validity
Predictive validity
Success with which a test predicts what it is designed to predict
- Ex. Does your intelligence test predict
higher grades in school?
Raymond Cattell
Believed g had 2 components, fluid and crystallized intelligence
Fluid intelligence (Gf)
Used in learning new information and solving new problems not based on knowledge the person already possesses
- Reaches peak before age of 20, keeps steady and then decreases
Crystallized intelligence (Gc)
Draws upon past learning and experience
- Ex. Vocab, general knowledge
- Increases with age so long as person stays active and alert
Grit
Perseverance and passion for long-term goals
- Persistence one of the key determinants of success*
Entity Theory
belief that intelligence is a fixed characteristic and relatively difficult (or impossible) to change
Incremental theory
belief that intelligence can be shaped by experiences, practice, and effort (“growth mindset”)
3 potential hypotheses to racial differences in IQ:
o There are genetically disposed racial differences in intelligence
o There are socially influenced racial differences in intelligence
o There are racial differences in test scores, but the tests are inappropriate or biased
Stereotype Threat
Doubt one feels about his/her performance due to negative stereotypes about his/her group’s abilities
- increased arousal/anxiety
- increased self-focused thoughts
- increases inhibition
