Week 16: intelligence and Decision-Making Flashcards
What is intelligence?
Intelligence broadly encompasses the ability to learn, remember and use new information, to solve problems, and to adapt to novel situations.
Name at least two common strategies for measuring intelligence.
- Binet-Simon test
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
Who is considered the pioneer of measuring intellectual ability?
Alfred Binet
What does the term ‘IQ’ stand for?
Intelligence Quotient
What is the Flynn Effect?
The Flynn Effect refers to the observed increase in IQ scores over the decades.
True or False: Charles Spearman proposed the idea of multiple intelligences.
False
What did Francis Galton contribute to the study of intelligence?
He pioneered psychological measurement and proposed that intelligence is heritable.
Fill in the blank: The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) assesses a range of intellectual abilities including _______.
[memory, computation, language understanding, reasoning, information processing]
What are the two types of intelligence distinguished by Horn and Cattell?
- Fluid intelligence
- Crystalized intelligence
What is the main idea behind Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences?
People process information through different channels that are relatively independent of one another.
List the eight types of intelligence identified by Howard Gardner.
- Logic-math
- Visual-spatial
- Music-rhythm
- Verbal-linguistic
- Bodily-kinesthetic
- Interpersonal
- Intrapersonal
- Naturalistic
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence emphasizes the experience and expression of emotion, including understanding one’s own and others’ emotions.
How does Carol Dweck’s concept of mindset relate to intelligence?
A growth mindset, where intelligence is viewed as changeable, is linked to better performance compared to a fixed mindset.
True or False: Genetics is considered an unimportant factor in intelligence.
False
What is the general intelligence factor referred to as?
g
What does the Stanford-Binet test allow for regarding intelligence scores?
It allows for easy and reliable categorizations and comparisons between individuals.
What is one criticism of the Stanford-Binet test that led to the creation of the WAIS?
It relied too heavily on verbal ability.
Fill in the blank: The ability to ‘think on your feet’ is associated with ______ intelligence.
[fluid intelligence]
What is the primary focus of the Binet-Simon test?
Assessing children’s intellectual capacity.
What is the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance?
Emotional intelligence is linked to better job performance.
What does Carroll’s model of intelligence classify intelligence into?
Three levels: general intelligence factor (g), broad abilities, and specific skills.
What is a growth mindset?
A belief that intelligence is changeable and evolving
According to Dweck’s research, individuals with a growth mindset handle failure better and perform better.
What are the correlates of intelligence?
Genetics and environmental factors
Intelligence is largely inherited but not entirely; both genetics and a healthy attitude toward intelligence contribute to performance.
What does the term ‘G’ stand for?
General factor
‘G’ is often used synonymously with intelligence itself.
What percentage of faculty members in engineering were women in 1976?
1%
This statistic highlights the under-representation of women in math-intensive fields.
What percentage of faculty in math-intensive fields do women make up today?
Between 3% and 15%
This indicates a continued disparity in representation in these fields.
What are some hypotheses explaining sex differences in intellectual ability?
Societal expectations, test-taking strategies, individual interests
Ceci and colleagues argue against biological explanations for sex differences in intellectual abilities.
True or False: Research suggests that there is no overall difference between the sexes in terms of general intelligence.
True
Multiple studies indicate no significant difference in general intelligence between men and women.
What cognitive abilities do women generally outperform men in?
Fine motor skill, acquired knowledge, reading comprehension, decoding non-verbal expression, higher grades
These findings are based on Halpern’s review of research literature.
What cognitive abilities do men generally outperform women in?
Fluid reasoning related to math and science, perceptual tasks involving moving objects, mental rotations of physical spaces
These findings are also noted by Halpern.
What is stereotype threat?
Concern about conforming to a stereotype, impacting performance
This phenomenon can lead to worse outcomes for individuals from stereotyped groups.
What effect does self-affirmation have on stereotype threat?
Can improve performance by erasing the effects of stereotype threat
Studies show that self-affirmation helps women improve math scores in the presence of stereotype threat.
What is an IQ score?
A score that ranks a person’s intellectual ability against others
IQ stands for intelligence quotient.
What is the definition of intelligence?
An individual’s cognitive capability, including acquiring, processing, recalling, and applying information
This encompasses various cognitive functions.
What does ‘standardize’ refer to in the context of assessments?
Giving assessments in the exact same manner to all people
Standardized scores are individual scores computed against normative scores for a population.
Fill in the blank: Assessments are given to a representative sample of a population to determine the range of scores for that population, known as _______.
[norm]
Norms help place an individual’s score in context with the population at large.
What ongoing issue is important in intelligence research?
Bias in measures against certain groups
Researchers are actively discussing how to address and rectify systematic biases in intelligence testing.
What is a possible outcome of a supportive social environment in terms of intelligence?
Enhanced intellectual performance
A supportive environment can complement genetic predispositions toward intelligence.
What does the research suggest about men and cognitive functioning?
Men are disproportionately represented on the low end of cognitive functioning
This includes conditions like intellectual disability, dyslexia, and attention deficit disorders.
What are the three key components that contribute to accomplishments in education and work?
Talent, passion, and commitment
These components reflect how much effort and time one is willing to invest in personal development.
What is the purpose of the model for organizing intellectual abilities, interests, and mastery?
To understand talent development and conceptualize personal development opportunities
This model helps in selecting opportunities in learning and work settings that are personally meaningful.
Define satisfactoriness in the context of performance.
Correspondence between abilities and ability requirements
It refers to competence in meeting performance standards.
Define satisfaction in the context of performance.
Correspondence between interests and reward structures
It refers to fulfillment derived from the work environment.
What is the relationship between satisfactoriness and satisfaction?
When they co-occur, motivation to stay in the environment increases
If there’s a dis-correspondence, motivation to leave or be dismissed occurs.
What framework does the model of talent development emphasize?
Equal emphasis on assessing the individual and the environment
This includes abilities, interests, response requirements, and reward structures.
What are the three classes of determinants necessary for effective performance?
- Cognitive factors
- Affective factors
- Conative factors
These determinants are essential for comprehensive treatments of psychological phenomena.
What is the general factor of intelligence commonly referred to as?
g
It represents the complexity and sophistication of a person’s intellectual repertoire.
What is the significance of general mental ability (g) in life outcomes?
- Covaries with educational achievement (.70–.80)
- Influences work performance (.20–.60)
- Correlates with income (.30–.40)
- Associated with criminal behavior (-.20)
- Linked to socioeconomic status (SES)
Measures of g have broad implications beyond educational settings.
True or False: There is an ability threshold beyond which more ability does not matter.
False
More ability does matter even among the top 1%.
What determines the effectiveness of specific ability tests?
The extent to which tests covary based on content and complexity
Tests that share complexity and content are closer together in the radex model.
List the chief specific abilities identified in the text.
- Mathematical reasoning
- Spatial reasoning
- Verbal reasoning
These abilities have implications for choices and performance in learning and work settings.
What is the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) related to?
Organizational dimensions of human individuality for performance in learning and work
It links intellectual abilities and occupational interests to learning and work environments.
How does the model of talent development contribute to personal and organizational development?
Identifies ‘optimal promise’ for growth
It moves beyond basic satisfaction and competence to assess what individuals like the most and can do best.
What does a radex model illustrate in relation to cognitive abilities?
The hierarchical organization of cognitive abilities based on content and complexity
It visually represents how cognitive ability assessments covary.
What is the implication of the SAT composite for high ability samples?
It serves as an excellent measure of general intelligence
The SAT scores can predict outcomes in advanced education.
What is a notable characteristic of individuals pursuing advanced degrees in STEM?
High general intelligence with a focus on mathematical and spatial abilities
These students differ in ability patterns compared to those in other disciplines.
What are the salient characteristics of individuals who pursue advanced education credentials in STEM?
High general intelligence and an intellectual orientation dominated by high mathematical and spatial abilities, relative to verbal ability
How do students in STEM domains differ from those in non-STEM educational groups?
STEM students are more capable, especially in nonverbal intellectual abilities; for STEM, spatial ability > verbal ability, whereas for others, spatial ability < verbal ability
What does Figure 3 illustrate regarding participants’ abilities?
Average z scores of participants on verbal, spatial, and mathematical ability for terminal bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees by field
What is the hexagonal structure of vocational interests according to John Holland?
- Realistic (R)
- Investigative (I)
- Artistic (A)
- Social (S)
- Enterprising (E)
- Conventional (C)
True or False: The hexagonal structure of vocational interests shows that interests covary positively with the distance between them.
False
What are the two major classes of individual differences identified in the context of mastery?
- Abilities
- Conative determinants
Fill in the blank: It takes about ______ hours of practicing a skill to become an expert.
10,000
What factors are critical catalysts for individual differences in accomplishments among highly select graduate students?
Conative determinants
What does the term ‘g’ refer to in the context of intelligence?
General mental ability
What is the definition of ‘satisfaction’ in the context of vocational interests?
Correspondence between an individual’s needs or preferences and the rewards offered by the environment
What is the difference between ‘satisfaction’ and ‘satisfactoriness’?
- Satisfaction: Needs/preferences vs. environmental rewards
- Satisfactoriness: Abilities vs. ability requirements of the environment
What does the concept of specific abilities refer to?
Cognitive abilities that contain an appreciable component of g but also a large content-focused talent component
What is the consequence of extreme selection in abilities and interests?
Distinct profiles emerge that reflect different ‘types’
True or False: Individual differences are negligible among exceptional intellectual talent.
False
What three determinants should be emphasized to understand human development?
- Abilities
- Interests
- Opportunities for learning and personal growth
What is the main conclusion regarding the psychological study of human individuality since Spearman’s work?
Intellect is organized hierarchically, interests are multidimensional, and individual differences are significant.
According to the text, what is a common characteristic of world-class performers?
Deep commitment to their pursuits and significant time investment
Fill in the blank: The ability pattern for STEM educational groupings is characterized by ______ ability being greater than ______ ability.
spatial; verbal
What is the implication of having a high level of general ability?
Predictive validity for the magnitude of accomplishment
What do ability patterns predict according to the text?
The nature of accomplishments and the domains they occur in
What is the core understanding of the field of judgment and decision making?
Humans depart from perfection or rationality in systematic and predictable ways.
What are the learning objectives related to judgment and decision making?
- Understand systematic biases affecting judgment and decision making
- Develop strategies for making better decisions
- Experience biases through sample decisions.
Who argued that our decisions are bounded in their rationality?
Herbert Simon.
What does the bounded rationality framework suggest?
Cognitive limitations prevent humans from making fully rational decisions.
What are the six steps to making a rational decision according to Bazerman and Moore?
- Define the problem
- Identify the criteria
- Weight the criteria
- Generate alternatives
- Rate each alternative
- Compute the optimal decision.
What do Tversky and Kahneman’s research focus on?
Specific systematic and predictable biases that influence judgment.
What is a heuristic?
A simplifying strategy or rule of thumb used in decision making.
What is overconfidence in decision making?
The tendency to be overly confident in one’s judgments.
True or False: Most people surround a high percentage of their 98% confidence ranges with the actual values.
False.
What is anchoring in the context of decision making?
The influence of an initial anchor on subsequent judgments, even if the anchor is arbitrary.
What is framing in decision making?
The way choices are presented can significantly affect people’s decisions.
According to Tversky and Kahneman, how do people typically respond to gains vs. losses?
People are generally risk-averse regarding gains and risk-seeking regarding losses.
What is bounded willpower?
The tendency to prioritize immediate concerns over long-term interests.
What does bounded ethicality refer to?
The limitations in our ethical judgments that we may not be aware of.
What is bounded awareness?
Focusing failures that lead us to overlook obvious and important information.
What is System 1 decision making?
Intuitive, fast, automatic, and emotional decision making.
What is System 2 decision making?
Slower, conscious, effortful, explicit, and logical decision making.
How can we reduce the effects of bias in our decisions?
By transitioning from intuitive System 1 thinking to deliberative System 2 thought.
What is System 1 thinking?
Our intuitive decision-making system, which is typically fast, automatic, effortless, implicit, and emotional.
What is System 2 thinking?
Our more deliberative decision-making system, which is slower, conscious, effortful, explicit, and logical.
True or False: System 1 thinking is sufficient for making all types of decisions.
False
What is the key to reducing the effects of bias in decision making?
Transition from trusting intuitive System 1 thinking toward engaging more in deliberative System 2 thought.
What factors increase reliance on System 1 thinking?
Busyness, having many things on one’s mind, and a frantic pace of professional life.
Who documented the limitations of baseball executives’ intuition?
Michael Lewis
What common biases do baseball professionals exhibit according to Lewis?
- Overgeneralization from personal experiences
- Being overly influenced by recent performances
- Overweighing personal observations
What is a ‘nudge’ in decision-making?
A strategy to help people make better decisions by changing the environment to account for human biases.
What did Thaler and Sunstein propose in their book ‘Nudge’?
They outlined a strategy for decision architects to change environments to trigger better decisions.
What effect does changing defaults have on people’s enrollment in 401(k) programs?
It significantly increases enrollment rates.
What is the difference between opt-in and opt-out organ donation policies?
- Opt-in: Requires proactive consent
- Opt-out: Consent is assumed unless declined
What were the consent rates for organ donation in opt-in vs. opt-out policies?
- Opt-in: 4.25%–44%
- Opt-out: 85.9% to 99.98%
What do Simon, Kahneman, and Tversky contribute to the field of decision making?
They created a field that highlights the surprising and predictable deficiencies of the human mind.
What is ‘anchoring’ in decision making?
The bias to be affected by an initial anchor, even if arbitrary, and to insufficiently adjust judgments away from that anchor.
Define ‘bounded rationality’.
A model suggesting that humans try to make rational decisions but are bounded due to cognitive limitations.
Fill in the blank: The systematic and predictable mistakes that influence judgment are called _______.
[biases]
What does ‘bounded willpower’ refer to?
The tendency to place greater weight on present concerns rather than future concerns.
What is ‘framing’ in the context of decision making?
The bias to be systematically affected by the way information is presented, while holding the objective information constant.
What are ‘heuristics’?
Cognitive strategies that simplify decision making by using mental shortcuts.
What does ‘overconfident’ bias refer to?
The bias to have greater confidence in judgment than is warranted based on rational assessment.
What is ‘bounded self-interest’?
The systematic and predictable ways in which we care about the outcomes of others.
What does ‘bounded ethicality’ mean?
The systematic ways in which our ethics are limited in ways we are not even aware of ourselves.
What is ‘bounded awareness’?
The systematic ways in which we fail to notice obvious and important information that is available to us.
