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.