Intelligence Flashcards
Define: Intelligence
L1
Intelligence is the ability to solve problems well and to understand and learn complex material. The ability to adapt to the environment.
Intelligence testing: History
L1
Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon
- First developed intelligence testing (1911-1940)
- Originally for the French government to identify students who need extra help in school
- Tested many ‘normal’ children at each age, compared individual scores to these ‘normal’ scored
- When testing different ages, the identified what the
expected/average level of performance was was these ages.
- By knowing what the average child of any age would be expected to achieve, it was possible to discuss the extent to which any given child was performing above or below expectation
Binet and the concept of intelligence:
L1
There was a vide variety of types of tasks involved in his tests, Binet was opposed to the notion of giving a single score for someone’s intelligence
Binet also opposed the notion that intelligence was a fixed quantity that was not able to be increased with education
Lewis Terman:
L1
Developed American version of the Binet-Simon test, Stanford-Binet test.
What is IQ
L1
- A score on an intelligence test
- Meaning has changed over time
Intelligence Quotient
L1
Work on intelligence in children led to the concept of the intelligence quotient.
Reflects the relationship between the actual age of the child, and the age at which the average child would be expected to perform at that level.
Children with advance IQ
L1
Just because their mental age is advance, this does not mean the same for other aspects, therefore they should and need to stay treated at their actual age.
Modern Approach of IQ for adults:
L1
- We compare individual adults to standardised sample
- We can’t use the IQ equation as it is not appropriate for adults (not proportionate, big changes in numbers thus not accurate)
Distribution of IQ
L1
- Large samples of children IQs reveals that this characteristic is normally distributed
- Values around the mean are the most common, values far from mean are relatively rare
- Variation in IQ scores depends to come extent on the test used (though all show this shape). Using on of the most COMMON tests, 95% of individuals score between 70&130
IQ In adults:
L1
The relationship between mental age and chronological age becomes problematic when we consider performance of adults on test.
Because..
- We can’t stop the ageing process
- A person’s performance on such tests doesn’t change much from young adulthood, and later in life it may deteriorate.
IQ from children –> adults
L1
Given that an individual’s IQ tends to be fairly consistent through life, we can say that if a child with an IQ of 130 is in the top 2.5% of the population, then by implication, an adult in the top 2.5% of the population can be seen as having an IQ of approximately 130.
- IQ therefore should be specified today in terms of whereabouts in the overall distribution of scores someone falls
- Using such an approach makes it meaningful to allocate IQ scores to adults, even though they no longer refer to a relationship between mental and chronological age.
Ideas surrounding Intelligence
L2
Simplest notion is that there is a single underlying factor which accounts for intercorrelation of people’s abilities on various types of test
ie. if you perform well in one section, you are more likely to perform will in another section
Charles Spearmen
L2
One of the earliest researchers to use this approach, argued for a single-factor solution, referring to this factor as g, for general intelligence
This, how well a person does on a particular test will not only reflect their specific ability or aptitude on that test, but also how much general ability they have
Cattell and Horn
L2
Suggested that general intelligence itself may usefully be subdivide into fluid and crystallised intelligence
- Fluid intelligence: concerned with ability to solve novel problems, deal with novel solutions etc.
- Crystallised intelligence: concerned with the ability to use previous learning and experience to deal with future, similar situations.
Crystallised and Fluid Intelligence: Differences
L2
- Fluid intelligence appears to peak in early adulthood, whereas crystallised intelligence may continue to rise with age
- Druges and alcohol may have markedly greater effect on fluid intelligence than crystallised.
Thus, it may be useful to use single measures like IQ when assessing an individual’s ability, but more helpful to divide different aspects of performance in understanding nature of intelligence.
Carroll’s Three Stratum Model:
L2
- Top Strata - is g, general intelligence
- Second Strata - includes fluid and crystallised intelligence with 6 broader abilities
- Third Strata - includes 69 specific abilities
Four-Branch model of Emotional Intelligence
L2
- PERCIEVING EMOTIONS: Ability to identify emotions on the basis of perceptual cues
- FACILITATING THOUGHT WITH EMOTIONS: Ability to harness emotional information to enhance thinking
- UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONS: Ability to comprehend emotional information about relationships, transitions from one emotion to another, and verbalise information about emotions
ie. trying to figure out why someone feels the way they do, and the ability to understand and act accordingly - MANAGING EMOTIONS: Ability to manage emotions and emotional relationships
Emotional Intelligence (EI) L2
- Knowing your emotions
- Managing your feelings
- Self-motivation
- Recognising other’s emotions
- Handling relationships
- Women tend to have higher EI than men (explain why)
Multiple Intelligence: Howard Gardner
L2
9 forms of intelligence
- Linguistic
- Spatial
- Musical
- Logical-mathematical
- Bodily-kinesthetic
- Intrapersonal
- Interpersonal
- Naturalist
- Existential
Multiple Intelligence: Robert Sternberg
L2
3 Forms of intelligence - Analytic - Practical - Creative All info you have learnt through going to school, uni etc.
Intelligence and Heredity:
- There is a close relationship between intelligence of people who are related than those who are not
- Difficulty is to determine to what extent this reflects similarities of environment or similarity of genetic makeup
- Few individuals would argue that IQ is entirely determined by genetic makeup
- Just as evidence for heredity, there is considerable evidence for environmental influences
- IQ scores worldwide appear to be increasing (“Flynn effect”), while genotype remains essentially the same.
Intelligence and Heredity: STUDIES
- Studies looked at IQ of identical twins separated at birth, finding higher correlation between twins IQs than between non-identical twins
- Other studies compared IQs of adopted children with those of biological/birth and adoptive parents, a higher IQ Correlation was found between children and biological/birth parents
Genetic and Environmental Interaction:
Notion of ‘Heritability’, that percentage of population variability that can be accounted for by differences in people’s genetics - estimates for IQ generally between 0.4 and 0.7
Assumption that genetic contributions within group differences are same as contribution to between group difference
Cannot be taken for granted - For example, schools in upper class US and schools in third world country - great amount of difference in quality of education. Therefore, within each group, the main determinant of variation might be hereditary (as education qual is the same within groups), but the main determinant of variation between the groups would be the quality of education.
Interaction between race and environment:
In the settings where the majority of these studies have been conducted, a variable like race has many covariates which may confound results:
Poverty levels higher in black communities than in white communities in USA
- schools in these black areas may have more difficulty recruiting the best teachers than those in white areas thus lower education due to race and environment.
Stereotype threat
Notion of self - if you are part of a group that’s been identified as likely to do badly on tests, this may increase your anxiety when taking the test - and result in you doing badly.
Boosting IQ: Flynn Effect
- Average IQ increases 3 points every 10 years
Because.. - Daily life is more challenging and complex
- Nutrition for brain development is better
- Reasoning ability ability stressed by IQ tests had gotten better, we are better at IQ tests, but our IQ itself isn’t increasing
Diversity in Intelligence
- Intellectual disability - People who have an IQ of 70 or less AND significant limitations in at least two aspects of everyday life since childhood
Problems of Intellectual functioning
- Traditionally and individual scoring lower than a cut off two SDs below the mean
- Terminology has changed from “Mental handicap” to “Learning disability” “intellectual handicap” or “Developmental disability”
- Because of variations in definition, no precise figures can be given, but is various developed countries, estimates of between 0.5% and 1.5% are common, with more males than females
- Approx. 1% of adult population in NZ
Causes of problems with intellectual functioning:
Genetic Abnormalities
- Down’s Syndrome: Caused by presence of extra chromosome, commonly #21. Risk increases with increased age of parents - Causes intellectual impairment, brain not fully developed
- Fragile X Syndrome: Small piece of DNA repeats itself, making it prone to breaking up (thus fragile). Females more likely to carry gene, males more likely to display gene. X2 as many males than females suffer from it. Intensifies over time. As it is passed through the family line, extent of impairment increases
Autism - 75% have an IQ less than 70
The way they achieve/do things will be different - doesn’t mean they can’t do it
Causes of problems with intellectual functioning:
Problems during pregnancy
Alcohol and Drug use - Foetal alcohol syndrome, lowers intelligence, makes it difficult for children to concentrate and follow through on tasks in order etc
Impacts intellectual functioning.
Same with drugs
Malnutrition - Keeping your nutrition levels high, so there is healthy development in the utuero and baby. Can lead to issues in brain development, lower IQ in terms of intellectual functioning, lower birth weight
Maternal Infection e.g. Rubella, HIV: can affect brain development in babies e.g x-rays, antibiotics, aspirin
Causes of problems with intellectual functioning:
Problems at birth
Prematurity - very early premature, possibly of Lower IQ, should check to make sure they are reaching their milestones on time etc
Lower birth weigh - may impact on brain development and cause intellectual impairment
Causes of problems with intellectual functioning:
Problems after birth
Poisons e.g. CO, Pb: Inhale, ingest chemicals/poisons, can affect brain development
Carbon Monoxide - cars in 1930
Lead paint - children eat it when on toys, cots etc
Physical Trauma - Can cause impairment to intellectual development e.g falling from height, hit head
Childhood Disease - Measles, MMR, Meningitis. Can get into the brain and cause brain tissue damage and impair brain development.
