Intelligence Flashcards
Intelligence
Intelligence (in all cultures) is the capacity to understand the
world, think rationally, and use resources effectively
when faced with challenges
In research studies, intelligence is whatever the intelligence
tests measure … which tends to be school smarts.
Conceptual Difficulties
Psychologists believe that intelligence is a concept
and not a “thing.”
When we think of intelligence as a trait (thing) we commit
to an error called reification — viewing an abstract
immaterial concept as if it were a concrete thing.
Controversies about Intelligence
Despite general agreement among psychologists about
the nature of intelligence, there are two controversies
that remain:
Is intelligence a single overall ability or several specific
abilities?
With modern neuroscience techniques can we locate and
measure intelligence
Charles Spearman (1863-1945)
Believed that there was a single,
general factor for all mental
ability…didn’t deny that some
people have outstanding talents,
but felt these differences shouldn’t
blind us to a single general
intelligence.
General Intelligence
Spearman proposed that general intelligence (g), is
linked to many clusters that can be analyzed by factor
analysis that create a single underlying aspect of
intelligence.
For example, people who do well on vocabulary do well on paragraph
comprehension, a cluster that helps define verbal intelligence…other
general factors include spatial ability & a reasoning ability.
L. L. Thurstone, a critic of Spearman, analyzed his
subjects NOT on a single scale of general intelligence,
but on seven clusters of primary mental abilities
including:
Word Fluency
Verbal Comprehension
Spatial Ability
Perceptual Speed
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Numerical Ability
Inductive Reasoning
Memory
Later psychologists analyzed Thurstone’s data and a persistent
tendency between these clusters (those who excelled in one area,
scored well on the others), suggesting some evidence supporting a
g-factor that underlies all aspects of intelligence.
Think of someone you know of who is athletic. What makes
them athletic? Can you define athleticism? Being “athletic” is
a good analogy to having g. If they are good in one sport, they
are normally good at most sports.
Howard Gardner (1983, 1999)
Gardner supports Thurstone’s
idea that intelligence comes in
multiple forms. Gardner notes
that brain damage may diminish
one type of ability but not
others…so there must be many
facets of intelligence
Multiple Intelligences
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Gardner proposes multiple intelligences - 9
different forms of intelligence, each relatively
independent of the others
Visual/Spatial
The ability to present the
spatial world internally in
your mind.
Savant Syndrome
When someone has an extremely high ability in one specific area accompanied by
significant delays or deficits in other areas of intelligence, serving as evidence for the idea
of multiple intelligences.
Robert Sternberg (1985, 1999, 2003)
Agreed with Gardner, but
suggests a triarchic theory
with three intelligences rather
than eight/nine.
Practical
Analytical
Creative
Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Analytical Intelligence: Assessed by intelligence
tests.
Creative Intelligence: Intelligence that makes us
adapt to novel situations, generating novel ideas.
Practical Intelligence: Intelligence required for
everyday tasks (e.g. street smart).
The Consummate Balancer
is able to apply all of the three
intelligences as needed, and is therefore
in the best position to make a valuable
contribution to society.
Daniel Goleman
believes emotional
intelligence (EQ) – a set of
skills that underlie the accurate
assessment,
evaluation, expression and
regulation of
emotions – is also important in the
intelligence conversation.
Emotional Intelligence
This aspect of intelligence underlies the ability to get along well with others and shows that while individuals
may not have high traditional IQ scores, they can be extremely successful due to a high EQ because they can
“read” people
Component of EQ
Perceive emotion: Recognize emotions in faces, music
and stories.
Understand emotion: Predict emotions, how they
change and blend.
Manage emotion: Express emotions in different
situations.
Use emotion: Utilize emotions to adapt or be creative.
Emotional Intelligence: Criticism
Gardner and others criticize the idea of emotional
intelligence and question whether we stretch this idea of
intelligence too far when we apply it to emotions – plus it
has yet to be quantified in a rigorous manner (hard to test)
Also…much controversy has surrounded the teaching of EQ as many
believe that this should not be “taught” by anyone other than families
