Intelligence (biological)

Question 1

What is intelligence?

Answer 1

Intelligence is commonly understood as the ability to acquire and use knowledge and skills.

Question 2

What is the G factor model?

Answer 2

Spearman studied relationships between cognitive factors in schoolchildren.

Spearman proposed that mental ability could be understood as a single general factor.

According to Spearman, half of your intelligence could be explained by the g factor, the rest is down to motivation or environmental influences.

Question 3

What is the mutlifactor model?

Answer 3

Carroll (1993) developed a multifactor model known as the three-stratum model.

This model consists of a three-level hierarchy of intelligence.

Question 4

What are the studies in the background of intelligence?

Answer 4

Haiser (2005)

Scarr (1976)

Haiser et al. (2005)

Question 5

Outline Haiser (2005)

Answer 5

Found that males have more neuron efficiency during spatial tasks.

Males have more volume of grey matter in the frontal parietal lobe.

Females have more neuron efficiency in tasks requiring verbal skills this is evidenced by having more white and grey matter in the Broca’s area

Question 6

Outline Scarr (1976)

Answer 6

Compared the intellectual abilities of parents and their adopted and biological children.

Found stronger correlations between biological relatives than between adopted relatives.

Question 7

Outline Haiser et al. (2005)

Answer 7

Found that men have more grey matter in their frontal and parietal lobes which is needed for motor skills and higher level reasoning.

Woman have more grey matter in different areas of the frontal love, regions important for tasks like speech and writing

Question 8

What is genetic transmission?

Answer 8

The transfer of genetic information from genes to another generation.

Question 9

What is cultural transmission?

Answer 9

The way a group of people within a society or culture tend to learn and pass on information.

Question 10

What is assortative mating?

Answer 10

Individuals with similar genes or observable characteristics mate with one another more frequently than those who do not

Question 11

What is gene-environment interaction?

Answer 11

The theory that certain environments ‘activate’ a particular gene, or vice versa that certain environment activates a gene.

Question 12

What is gene-environment correlation?

Answer 12

Parents transmit their genes and their environment to their children.

Question 13

What is heritability?

Answer 13

The extent to a parents genes are responsible for a phenotype

Question 14

What is phenotypic assortment?

Answer 14

Assortative mating occurs because individuals choose one another because they have similar intelligence levels.

Question 15

What is social homogamy?

Answer 15

People with similar intelligence levels are clustered together in the same environment they are more likely to end up having children together.

Question 16

What was the aim of Van Leeuwens research?

Answer 16

To measure the relative influence of assortative making cultural transmission, and GE interaction and GE correlation

Question 17

What research method was used?

Answer 17

Research paper / article.
Correlational research.
A collection of mini case studies.

Question 18

What sample was used?

Answer 18

Twins from Netherlands Twin Registry at VU university in Amsterdam.

Twin families with extra sibling (9-14).

Of the 112 family, 103 full siblings wanted to participate.

Question 19

What was the procedure?

Answer 19

Cheek swabs were taken for Data at home by parents and children were identical twins or non-identical.

Children were tested using the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM) test.

Parents completed the Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM).

Researchers used 2 models to determine if resemblance was caused by phenotypic assortment or social homogamy.

Question 20

What results were found?

Answer 20

No difference in IQ between genders.

Correlations between Raven test scores were higher for identical twins, than siblings, and non-identical twins.
Again suggesting that intelligence is inherited.

Assortative mating

Parents with high IQ’s tended to have all of their children achieving high IQ’s.

Whereas parents with low IQs had children with a mixture of high and low IQ’s.

Question 21

What did Van Leeuwen et al. conclude?

Answer 21

The main influence on IQ is genetics, however environmental have an influence.

Phenotypic assortment better explains spousal resemblance that social homogamy.

Question 22

What is a method for assessing inteilligence?

Answer 22

The Ravens Progressive Matrices

Question 23

What are the three versions of the RPM?

Answer 23

Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM): 4-7 years old, elderly and groups with mental or physical difficulties.

Standard Progressive Matrix (SPM): 7-18

Advanced Progressive Matrix: 18+

Question 24

What are the possible applications for the RPM?

Answer 24

Entry exams, military or the work place.

Comparable.

Assess learning or language difficulties.

Question 25

What is the Flynn effect?

Answer 25

James Flynn who conducted longitudinal and cross cultural research on various IQ testing programmes.

He compared data from 14 nations which revealed overall gains in IQ ranging from 5 to 25 points in one generation.