week 1 - intelligence

Question 1

explain structural model of individual differences?

Answer 1

how do individuals differ/what is the nature of the individual difference e.g - personality,experiences

Question 2

explain process model of individual differences

Answer 2

why, where, how people differ and what causes the differences and the consequences - in-depth understanding of how e,g - genetics, experiences, culture

Question 3

outline how comparing theories contributes to wider psychology

Answer 3

research compares different theories to find a theory that best accounts for individual differences

Question 4

outline combining theory on the contribution to wider psychology

Answer 4

researchers combine theories to find better underlying explanations with existing theories

Question 5

outline 3 main areas of individual differences in psychology

Answer 5

intelligence - a broad definition
personality - thoughts and feelings
psychometrics - measurement of individual differences e.g - questionnaire -IQ test

Question 6

define individual differences

Answer 6

seek to understand how we describe others differences and to understand what variations in behaviour occur

Question 7

outline 4 key reasons to identify individual differences

Answer 7

• interesting in its own right
• applies to psychological tests in psychology
• useful dependent variables in other branches of psychology
• used to predict behaviour when considering individual differences

Question 8

what are cultural differences in views of intelligence

Answer 8

Africa - skills that help to maintain stable group relationships
china - doing what is right, self-awareness and knowledge judgment
(self awareness was not relevant in previous definitons)

Question 9

what are the origins of intelligence testing?

Answer 9

1904 - binet developed a method of identifying children with learning difficulties and how to help them in a classroom
personality predicts behaviour and intelligence predicts academic acheivment

Question 10

outline binet’s response to measure of intelligence

Answer 10

first-ever intelligence test.
pilot with 50 children - the average age of yr group
test generated a mental age
intelligence = practical sense and adaptation to real world

Question 11

what did bent use in his test?

Answer 11

asked children if they could:
name body parts
recall 7 digits define words
fill in missing words from a sentence

Question 12

outline how binet’s original test was improved to stamford-binet test

Answer 12

terman developed the test using larger studies of 1000 students to improve reliability.
scores now represented as IQ rather than mental ahe
IQ scores became synonymous to intelligence

Question 13

why did IQ become more well known

Answer 13

provides fair criterion, limiting prejudice and bias as it accounts for individual difference

Question 14

outline work of Charles spearman (1863 - 1945)

Answer 14

used factor analysis to show different ability tests are either
- intercorrelated
- common variance represented of general factor: g

Question 15

outline work of Louis Thurstone (1887 - 1955)

Answer 15

he questioned Spearman’s ‘g’ and outlines 7 primary abilities underlying intelligence:
reasoning
word fluency
verbal comprehension …

Question 16

what can louis thurstone’s theory explain

Answer 16

individual differences on non cognitive tasks

Question 17

outline fluid intelligence

Answer 17

ability to perform well on non-verbal tasks which do not require previous knowledge but measure a culture free element of cognitive performance

Question 18

outline crystalised intelligence

Answer 18

ability to do well in verbal tasks which are influenced by previous knowledge and culture

Question 19

wechsler adult intelligence test - 1997

Answer 19

used sub testing to identify intelligence:
verbal comprehension
perceptual organisation
working memory
processing speed
showed high predictive validity

Question 20

define personality

Answer 20

a pattern of characteristics, thoughts, feelings and behaviours that make people unique

Question 21

define personality traits brefily

Answer 21

the psychological system and organisation that creates a person’s pattern of characteristics of behaviour thoughts and feelings

Question 22

theory of personality

Answer 22

the behaviour differences of people and their personality traits are partly inherited and remain stable throughout their life,especially after adulthood

Question 23

outline the key assumptions of psychodynamic approach

Answer 23

unconscious motives explain human behaviour
unconscious conflict affects a persons behaviour

Question 24

outline key assumptions of dispositional/trait approach

Answer 24

people possess stable traits that effect behaviour in different situations

Question 25

outline key assumptions of behavioural and cognitive apprach

Answer 25

learning theory suggests that reinforcement and punishment of behaviour form unique behaviours and create personality.

Question 26

outline key assumptions of the humanistic approach

Answer 26

each person’s subjective experience is unique and people thrive for fulfillment in life to understand themselves better - work can give people fulfilment

Question 27

outline trait identification and 3 approaches to develop measures

Answer 27

1. analysis of language - describe ourselves
2. statistical techniques - observations and rating
3. theorising - reduce fundamental traits