Theories of Intelligence

Question 1

Sir Frances Galton (1822-1911)

Answer 1

Father of psychometric testing
Believed IQ is unitary faculty (single capability)
Inherited
Could be measured by assessing sensory discrimination and reaction time
Also measured head sizes and motor coordination
First to approximate intelligence to normal distribution

Question 2

Alfred Binet (1957-1911)

Answer 2

Was asked to develop test for identifying children with ID
Used tests of higher mental processes
Focused on global ability
Validated based on age and teacher judgement of ability
Tests were practical to administer

Question 3

1905 Binet-Simon IQ Scale

Answer 3

Age-based tasks (recognizes that ability changes with age)
Proved testing feasible, useful, acceptable to the
public

Question 4

Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949)

Answer 4

Believed environment shapes individuals– Importance of education
3 clusters: social intelligence, concrete
intelligence, abstract intelligence
Interconnected but distinct intellectual abilities

Question 5

Louis L. Thurstone (1887-1955)

Answer 5

Intelligence cannot be regarded as unitary trait
Suggested a group of independent intellectual factors (primary mental abilities)
Developed factor analysis to isolate primary factors
Theorized two factors: verbal-educational factor and a spatial-mechanical factor

Question 6

J.P. Guilford (1897-1987)

Answer 6

Proposed a multidimensional Structure of
Intellect model of intelligence (1950s)
Matrix of 120 elements that comprise intelligence
Convergent v. Divergent thinking

Question 7

Raymond B. Cattell (1905-1998)

Answer 7

Proposed 2 types of cognitive abilities:
Fluid (Gf) – innate, related to problem-solving
and reasoning, not correlated with schooling,
decreases with age
Crystallized (Gc) – dependent on cultural and
educational experience, stable
John Horn (his student) collaborated with him later

Question 8

Charles E. Spearman (1863-1945)

Answer 8

1904 American Journal of Psychology article titled “General Intelligence“
Two factor theory:
g: general ability
s: specific ability
Test/Task is more complex –> more “g-loaded”
g is “mental energy,” a unitary construct

Question 9

David Wechsler (1896-1981)

Answer 9

“Intelligence is the aggregate or global
capacity of the individual to act
purposefully, to think rationally and to
deal effectively with his environment"
Subscales measure different ways intelligence manifests itself

Question 10

John B. Carroll (1916-2003)

Answer 10

Hierarchical model of intelligence (3-Stratum Theory)
Stratum 3 – general intelligence (as proposed by Spearman)
Stratum 2 – broad abilities, moderate specialization
Stratum 1 – narrow, specialized abilities (i.e. spelling)

Question 11

Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Theory

Answer 11

Amalgamation of Gf-Gc theory (Cattell & Horn)
with Three-Stratum theory (Carroll)
Model was expanded by McGrew (1997) and later revised with Flanagan (1998)

Question 12

Carroll’s Broad Abilities

Answer 12

Fluid intelligence (Gf), 
Crystalized Intelligence (Gc), 
General Memory and Learning (Gy), 
Broad Visual Perception (Gv), 
Broad Auditory Perception (Gu), 
Broad Retrieval Ability (Gr), 
Broad Cognitive Speediness (Gs), 
Processing Speed (RT Decision Speed) (Gt)
(Stratum III: g, general intelligence)

Question 13

Robert Sternberg (1949- )

Answer 13

Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Componential (analytical)- amount of knowledge and how it’s used, metacognitive awareness
Experiential (creative)- ability to deal with unfamiliar circumstances and tasks (like Gf)
Contextual (practical)- Adaptation to, selection of, and shaping of the environment (no available measures of contextual intelligence/”street smarts”)

Question 14

Howard Gardner (1943- )

Answer 14

Rejects notion of intelligence as a general capacity
Model of multiple intelligences (no construct validity):
Linguistic, logical, spatial, musical, kinesthetic,
interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, spiritual,
existential (only first 3 are assessed by existing IQ tests)

Question 15

Daniel Goleman (1946- )

Answer 15

Emotional intelligence
Consists of self-awareness, self-regulation, internal motivation, empathy, and social skills
Grew from observations of TBI victims
Agreement that EI is important but seen more as aspect of personality than intelligence

Question 16

Arthur Jensen (1923- 2012)

Answer 16

Created enormous controversy in the late 1960’s:
Suggested that racial differences in intelligence test scores may have a genetic origin as well as a cultural deprivation origin
Postulated 2 levels of ability:
Level 1 –spelling, arithmetic, penmanship
Level 2 – higher level abilities, problem-solving

Question 17

Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002)

Answer 17

Critic of intelligence testing, in part because of its use to justify discrimination of Jews, Irish, Italians, Hispanics and African Americans
1981 book The Mismeasure of Man:
Intelligence cannot be quantified to a single numerical entity
Challenged heredity of IQ
Critiqued biological determinism

Question 18

Johnson & Bouchard, 2000

Answer 18

CHC dominant theory in 2000
Then J & B published major paper on g-VPR based on Vernon’s 1960’s theory on structure of intelligence with g and two unrelated (orthogonal) factors:
Verbal (educational & perceptual)
Motor (identifying and manipulating objects, math)

Question 19

g-VPR: 3 stratum

Answer 19

3: g (like Gf)
2: verbal (V, like Gc), perceptual ability to analyze static pictures (P, like Gv), and ability to envision motion of static figures (R, like Gv)
1: Narrow skills like verbal comprehension, perceptual speed, narrow range of rotation
No memory factor (subsumed by broad reasoning (g) or highly specific to type of material being memorized)

Question 20

Johnson & Bouchard, 2005 (analysis)

Answer 20

Analyzed 3 data sets
1. 400 adults from Minnesota Study of MZ twins raised apart
2. 500+ Dutch seamen in 1960’s
3. Thurstone’s U of Chicago students in 1930’s
All 3 fit g-VPR model best

Question 21

Vernon’s Hierarchical Theory of Intelligence

Answer 21

highest level: g
Next level: two major group factors: 1. verbal-educational and 2. spatial-mechanical
Next lower level: subdivisions (minor group factors) of the two major group factors
Believed we must consider a general group factor (g) to understand/measure intelligence

Question 22

Flynn effect

Answer 22

the substantial and long-sustained increase in both fluid and crystallized intelligence test scores measured in many parts of the world from roughly 1930 to the present day

Question 23

WJ-IV Overview

Answer 23

18 subtests; 7 tests make up GIA

Question 24

CHC Factors of WJ-IV

Answer 24

Comp-Knowledge (Gc)
Fluid Reasoning (Gf)
Short-Term Working Memory (Gwm)
Cognitive Processing Speed (Gs)
Auditory Processing (Ga)
Visual Processing (Gv)
Long-Term Retrieval (Glr)