Chapter 8 Flashcards
State how intelligence and creativity are typically defined.
Creativity is the ability to produce novel and socially valuable work. It involves divergent rather than convergent thinking and is often measured in terms of ideational fluency, the sheer number of different (including novel) ideas that a person can generate.
Analyze the accuracy and usefulness of traditional IQ tests.
The psychometric, or testing, approach to cognition defines intelligence as a set of traits that allows some people to think and solve problems more effectively than others. It can be viewed as a hierarchy consisting of a general factor (g), broad abilities such as fluid and crystallized intelligence, and many specific abilities. The Stanford–Binet and Wechsler scales are the most common intelligence tests and compare an individual’s performance on a variety of cognitive tasks with the average performance of agemates.
Describe the criteria used to identify individuals at each end of the intelligence continuum.
The extremes of intelligence are represented by intellectual disability at one end of the continuum and giftedness at the other end. Intellectual disability is defined by deficits in adaptive behavior combined with low IQ scores. Functioning varies by level of disability and is worse when accompanied by other conditions. Giftedness has most often been defined by high IQ scores, although more recent definitions recognize special talents not measured by traditional IQ tests. Life outcomes for gifted people are generally above average.
Explain the most prominent theories of intelligence.
There are several theories of multiple intelligences. One is Gardner’s theory with eight distinct forms of intelligence, including linguistic, logical–mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. Another is Sternberg’s theory of successful intelligence, which proposes three types of intelligence. Practical intelligence predicts that intelligent behavior will vary across different sociocultural contexts. Creative intelligence captures responses to novel problems as opposed to those that are routine. The analytical aspect of intelligence includes the thinking skills that a person brings to a problem-solving situation.
Name and describe methods of assessing infant intelligence.
The Bayley scales include motor, mental, and behavior ratings to assess infant development. Although traditionally used as a measure of infant intelligence, they do not correlate well with later IQ scores.
Indicate the infant behaviors that are best connected to later intelligent behaviors and explain the reason for this connection.
Infant measures that capture speed of information processing and preference for novelty are better at predicting later intelligence. Infants who can process information quickly are able to take in more information than those who are slower.
Summarize the research on stability of IQ scores over the course of childhood and indicate reasons why IQ scores might change or remain the same.
During childhood, IQ scores become more stable so that scores at one point in time are generally consistent with scores obtained at a second point.
Discuss the effects of poverty on children’s intellectual abilities.
Despite group stability, many individuals show wide variations in their IQ scores over time. Those who gain IQ points often have favorable home environments, whereas disadvantaged children
often show a cumulative deficit.
Chart the path of creative abilities across childhood.
Creativity increases throughout early childhood but dips
during later elementary school, possibly in response to societal expectations to conform. Creativity is associated with playfulness, openness to new experiences, and originality.
Describe the Flynn effect and what factors might account for this finding.
The Flynn effect describes a global increase in IQ scores over the past century that is likely the result of better nutrition, living conditions, and education.
Explain how IQ scores relate to school achievement.
During adolescence, IQ scores are relatively stable and intellectual performance reaches near-adult level. IQ scores are useful for predicting the academic achievement of adolescents.
Discuss how schools and parents can foster creativity during adolescence.
Levels of creativity vary considerably from one individual to another. Some adolescents conform to societal norms and express little creativity, whereas others show a great deal of innovation.
Adolescents with exceptional talents or creativity have both talent and motivation on the nature side and environments that foster their talents and value independence on the nurture side.
Is creativity or intelligence more stable during adolescence? Explain.
Evaluate whether IQ scores are a useful predictor of occupational status and health status of adults.
IQ scores are correlated with occupational status as well as health in adulthood.
Explain how intelligence might be expected to change over adulthood.
Both cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies tend to show age-related decreases in IQ. Schaie’s sequential study suggests that
- date of birth (cohort) influences test performance,
- no major declines in mental abilities occur until the late 60s or
70s,
- some abilities (especially fluid ones) decline more than others
(especially crystallized ones), and
- not all people’s abilities decline.
