Variations in Psychological Attributes Flashcards
What are individual differences in human functioning?
Individual differences refer to the distinctiveness and variations among people’s characteristics and behavior patterns. These variations contribute to the beauty of the world.
Psychologists study individual differences to understand why and how people differ. Some believe behavior is influenced by personal traits, while others emphasize situational factors.
What is the purpose of psychological assessment?
Psychological assessment involves measuring and evaluating individuals using scientific procedures.
It serves as the first step in understanding psychological attributes, including simple phenomena like reaction time and complex concepts like happiness.
Formal assessments (objective and standardized) help predict future behavior and effect behavior change if necessary.
What are some important psychological attributes
Intelligence: The global capacity to understand the world, think rationally, and use available resources effectively.
Aptitude: An individual’s underlying potential for acquiring skills.
Interest: An individual’s preference for specific activities relative to others.
Personality: Relatively enduring characteristics that distinguish a person from others.
Values: Enduring beliefs about an ideal mode of behavior.
What methods are used for psychological assessment?
Psychological Tests: Objective and standardized measures of mental and behavioral characteristics.
Interviews: One-on-one information gathering from individuals.
Case Studies: In-depth studies of individual behavior.
How is intelligence understood in psychology?
Intelligence includes attributes like mental alertness, quick learning, and the ability to understand relationships.
Early theorists defined intelligence as the ability to judge, understand, and reason well.
Wechsler’s widely used intelligence tests emphasize functionality and adaptation to the environment.
What are some methods used for studying psychological attributes?
Case Studies: Widely used by clinical psychologists, based on data from interviews, observations, questionnaires, and psychological tests.
Observation: Involves systematic recording of behavioral phenomena occurring naturally in real time.
Self-Report: A method where individuals provide factual information about themselves, including opinions and beliefs.
What are the two main approaches to understanding intelligence
Psychometric Approach: Views intelligence as an aggregate of abilities and expresses an individual’s performance in terms of a single index of cognitive abilities.
Information-Processing Approach: Focuses on the processes people use in intellectual reasoning and problem-solving, emphasizing how intelligent individuals act.
Who was the first psychologist to formalize the concept of intelligence in terms of mental operations?
Alfred Binet: He made significant contributions to the understanding of intelligence and developed the first intelligence test.
What challenges exist in studying intelligence?
Observational Methods: Observers may have little control over the situation, and reports can be influenced by subjective interpretations.
Self-Report Methods: Rely on individuals’ ability to accurately report their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Why is studying intelligence important?
Understanding intelligence helps us recognize individual differences and how people adapt their behavior to their environment.
Studying theories of intelligence reveals underlying dimensions and cognitive functions related to intelligent behavior.
What is Binet’s Uni or One Factor Theory of Intelligence?
Alfred Binet conceptualized intelligence as a single set of abilities.
His theory, known as the Uni or One Factor Theory of Intelligence, suggests that these abilities can be used to solve any problem an individual encounters in their environment.
What does Spearman’s Two-Factor Theory of Intelligence propose?
Charles Spearman proposed a two-factor theory of intelligence.
It consists of:
General Factor (g-factor): Represents mental operations common to all performances.
Specific Factors (s-factors): Include specific abilities that allow individuals to excel in particular domains.
What are Thurstone’s Primary Mental Abilities?
Louis Thurstone’s theory identifies seven primary mental abilities, each relatively independent of the others:
Verbal Comprehension
Numerical Abilities
Spatial Relations
Perceptual Speed
Word Fluency
Memory
Inductive Reasoning
What does Jensen’s Hierarchical Model of Intelligence propose?
Arthur Jensen’s model suggests that abilities operate at two levels:
Level I (Associative Learning): Involves output similar to the input.
Level II (Cognitive Competence): Includes higher-order skills that transform input into effective output.
What is Guilford’s Structure of Intellect Model?
J.P. Guilford’s model classifies intellectual traits into three dimensions:
Operations: What the respondent does.
Contents: Nature of materials or information on which intellectual operations are performed.
Products: Form in which information is processed by the respondent.
What approaches are used to study intelligence?
Some approaches emphasize studying cognitive functions underlying intelligent behavior, including attention, perception, memory, language, and problem-solving.
What is Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences?
Howard Gardner proposed this theory in the 1980s.
It challenges the idea of a single, unitary intelligence.
Gardner identified eight types of intelligences:
Linguistic: Articulating and creating linguistic images (strong in poets and writers).
Logical-Mathematical: Logical and critical thinking, symbol manipulation (strong in scientists and Nobel Prize winners).
Spatial: Forming visual images and patterns (strong in pilots, architects, and painters).
Musical: Producing and manipulating musical patterns (sensitive to sounds and vibrations).
Bodily-Kinaesthetic: Using the body flexibly and creatively (strong in athletes and dancers).
Interpersonal: Understanding motives, feelings, and behaviors of others (strong in psychologists and social workers).
Intrapersonal: Understanding one’s own feelings and motives (philosophers and spiritual leaders).
Naturalistic: Identifying features of the natural world (hunters, farmers, and botanists).
What is the Triarchic Theory of Intelligence proposed by Robert Sternberg?
Sternberg’s theory includes three basic types of intelligence:
Componential Intelligence: Analyzing information to solve problems (critical thinking).
Experiential Intelligence: Using past experiences creatively to solve novel problems (originality).
Contextual Intelligence: Adapting to different contexts effectively.
What is Contextual Intelligence, and who tends to excel in it?
Contextual Intelligence refers to the ability to adapt to the environment and shape it to achieve one’s goals.
Individuals such as leaders, entrepreneurs, and inventors are likely to be strong in this type of intelligence.
What is the relationship between Contextual Intelligence and Practical Intelligence?
Contextual Intelligence is also known as “street smartness” or “business sense.”
People with high contextual intelligence can adapt to their environment, select favorable conditions, or modify the environment to suit their needs.
Their ability to handle real-world situations contributes to their success in life.
