Lecture 2: Intelligence and Creativity

Question 1

What are the five points that can define intelligence?

Answer 1

1/ Academic performance
2/ Capacity to reason in diverse contexts
3/ Capacity to solve problems
4/ Ability to understand and communicate
5/ Ability to make decisions

Question 2

What do psychologists mean by intelligence? (3 points)

Answer 2

1/ Abstract thinking or reasoning abilities (information-processing skills)
2/ Problem-solving abilities (being able to adapt to changing environments)
3/ The capacity to acquire knowledge (Capacity to learn)

Question 3

What are the two main theoretical debates when understanding intelligence?

Answer 3

1/ Is intelligence a single measurable trait?

2/ Does IQ = intelligence?

Question 4

Why do we want to differentiate between levels of intelligence? (2 points)

Answer 4

1/ Measurement of intelligence associated with eugenic movements
2/ Scientific fraud - Cyril Burt

Question 5

What are the two main approaches to intelligence in psychology?

Answer 5

1/ Psychometric Approach

2/ Information processing approach

Question 6

What are the two main theories of intelligence?

Answer 6

1/ Triarchic theory (Sternberg 1988-1999)

2/ Multiple intelligences (gardner 1993, 2003)

Question 7

What are the two main reasons for measuring intelligence?

Answer 7

For education and clinical applications

Question 8

Evaluate the value of IQ tests in terms of statistical reliability…

Answer 8

• Not good before age 7

- Exceptionally consistent for teens and adults

Question 9

Evaluate the value of IQ tests in terms of statistical validity…

Answer 9

• Predicts success in school

- Predicts success in many life situations and jobs

Question 10

Why are IQ tests not a perfect measure of ‘smartness’ (5)

Answer 10

1/ Only measures some abilities
2/ Variability of individuals’ emotional responses
3/ Individuals’ motivational differences
4/ Cultural differences
5/ Differing educational and social experiences

Question 11

Mention the innate and environmental influences on IQ…

Answer 11

Intelligence is a developed ability…

It is influenced partly by genetics and partly by education, culture and other life experiences.

Question 12

Evidence of twin studies explaining the innate and environmental influences on IQ…?

Answer 12

• Correlations of IQs of identical twins, separated at birth and adopted by different families are at least +.60
• However, IQ correlations between any two people sharing the same home is high

Question 13

Why is there a relationship between IQ and socioeconomic status (4)?

Answer 13

1/ Parents’ intelligence influences their jobs and status
2/ Income affects children’s environments (environment affects expression of genes)
3/ Motivational differences
4/ Greater opportunities for people with higher IQs

Question 14

What is the relationship between ethnic differences and IQ?

Answer 14

Variation within ethnic groups is much greater than variation between groups

Question 15

What is the relationship between cultural differences and IQ?

Answer 15

IQ tests – reflect cultural values (movie – australian aborigines)

Question 16

Name three diversities in cognitive abilities.

Answer 16

1/ Creativity
2/ Giftedness
3/ Intellectual disability

Question 17

What is creative thinking?

Answer 17

Ability to produce new, high quality ideas that are both abstract and concrete.

Question 18

Give example of an abstract idea in terms of creative thinking?

Answer 18

Abstract – turing – father of computer science – came up model of a general computer

Question 19

Give example of a concrete idea in terms of creative thinking?

Answer 19

Concrete – Edison came up with light bulb
effort persistence divergent thinking, risk-taking, lateral thinking – divergent thinking – a bit like brain storming – explore many possible solutions to a problem, lateral thinking – using reasoning that is not immediately obvious, slang – thinking outside the box.

Question 20

What are the 3 necessary characteritsics for a creative thinker?

Answer 20

1/ Expertise
2/ A set of creative skills
3/ Internal motivation

Question 21

What is giftedness?

Answer 21

A characteristics that is associated with above average IQ’s.
However IQ does not always equal and inventor, artist or composer etc.

Question 22

What are the 3 main characteristics of giftedness?

Answer 22

1/ usually have above average IQ
2/ High achievement in a specific domain
3/ Intense motivation to master a certain task

Question 23

What is intellectual disability?

Answer 23

Intellectual disability is a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning (reasoning, learning, problem solving) and in adaptive behavior, which covers a range of everyday social and practical skills.

Question 24

What are the 3 main characteristics for people with intellectual disability?

Answer 24

1/ Perform certain mental operations more slowly
2/ Know fewer facts
3/ Not good at remembering to use certain mental strategies even if they know how

Question 25

What are the three categorisations of possible caused for intellectual disability?

Answer 25

Genetic causes

Environmental causes

Cultural-familial intellectual disability

Question 26

What are 2 examples of genetic causes of intellectual disability?

Answer 26

1/ Down syndrome

2/ Fragile X syndrome

Question 27

What are 3 examples of environmental causes of intellectual disability?

Answer 27

1/ Rubella
2/ Fetal alcohol syndrome
3/ Infectious diseases

Question 28

What is Cultural-familial intellectual disability?

Answer 28

perform mental operations more slowly, know less about world, fail to use mental strategies to improve memory

Question 29

What is fragile X?

Answer 29

verbal ability OK - sometimes, intellectual disability, hyperactive autistic spectrum problems – ie genetic cause for autism account for 5% of cases

Question 30

What are learning disabilities?

Answer 30

Indicated by significant discrepancies between measured intelligence and academic performance

Often seen in people with average or above-average IQs.