Week 4 IQ Flashcards
What does the block test segment in IQ tests measure?
Dexterity, non-verbal processing speed
What does the figure weights test measure?
Abstract and numerical reasoning, analogical reasoning
What does the vocab test measure?
Explaining the definition rather than giving examples
E.g What is lunch?
Got specific manual for grading these responses
What is matrix reasoning (the pattern test)?
Measures visual-spatial reasoning
What is the information test?
Tests general knowledge, can be culture-specific.
E.g who is the 35th president of the USA
how many minutes does it take for sunlight to reach Earth?
What does the visual puzzles test measure?
Constructional, combinational skills
What is the comprehension test?
Ask you what something means
What is the digit-span task?
Reading out the digits, then you ask participant to read them out
What is the letter number sequencing test?
Arranging a string of random numbers in ascending order. Measures working memory and memory
What is the similarities test?
What are the commonalities between orange and apple?
Measures higher-order thinking
What does the symbol search test measure?
Processing speed
What does the cancellation test measure?
Processing speed, visual selective attention, perceptual speed and visuomotor abilities.
List the 4 components/indexes of full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ)
- Verbal comprehension index
- Perceptual reasoning index
- Working memory index
- Processing speed index
What subtests would fall under the VCI?
Vocab
Information
Similarities
Comprehension (optional)
What subtests would fall under perceptual reasoning?
Block design
Figure weights
Matrix reasoning
Picture completion (optional)
What subtests would fall under working memory index?
Digit span
Arithmetic
Letter number sequencing (optional)
What subtest would fall under processing speed index?
Symbol search
Coding
Cancellation (optional)
How do you obtain an IQ score from these indexes?
- Sum up scaled scores for each index to obtain Index score
- Sum up correct responses to obtain subtest raw score
- Convert raw score to scaled score by using stats table in manual (by age)
- Add up all the scaled scores to get FSIQ score
What are some uses of IQ scores?
Predict short-term scholastic performance.
Predict occupational achievement
Assess individual strengths and weaknesses - what you’re good at and what to compensate
Correlating it with school performance and job performance
What are some limitations of IQ scores?
IQ is dynamic, scores are not
Cognitive processes are de-emphasized, with only the final score being used.
Cultural differences - asking only culture-specific qns
Language: what if the person’s first language is not English? What if the person is mute/deaf? Also cannot use sign language because scores were not normed with sign language in mind. Cannot ask them to just write or type because this introduces another variable altogether.
Not suitable for those with speech deficits, disabilities, deficits in inhibitory control, but for the 3rd one maybe they just don’t want to consider conceptual knowledge, doesn’t mean they cannot
More emphasis on other forms of intelligence (e.g fluid)
FSIQ does not differentiate between different indexes
What is the test-retest period stated by the manual and what’s the issue with it?
2 years.
Different ppl got different memory length
What is the Flynn effect?
When IQ scores improve over the years.
How to adjust for Flynn effect?
3 points increase per decade from when the IQ test was first derived
Subtract the adjustment points from the actual test score to obtain Flynn-adjusted score
You can only be compared in the year that your test was normed in (eg you take in 2015 but your score must be compared to the 2010 norms).
In what instances should the Flynn effect be adjusted for?
When it leads to better and fairer treatment for people when scores are adjusted
Maybe you can mention both corrected and uncorrected score though + the explanation.
In what instances should Flynn effect not be adjusted for?
When increases in IQ are not uniform across everyone.
E.g for older people, the increase is smaller. Might be too much to correct .3 for all age groups.
What can an increase in IQ scores be attributed to?
1) Greater access to education
2) Test effects - would IQ scores be measuring learned knowledge or innate knowledge?
3) Better overall health and nutrition, leading to lesser intellectual disabilities
4) More exposure to video games can result in better performance on spatial reasoning tasks.
Flynn’s hypothesis was that IQ tests can’t directly measure intelligence but instead can only measure traits that are somewhat correlated with intelligence.
List 2 problems related to the 1949 version of the WISC
1) Sketchy administration and scoring guidelines
2) Shift in age range from 5-15 to 6-16, but ignore major cog devt from 5 to 5.5 y/o
List the differences in content in the Similarities subtest between the WISC and WISC-R
1) 1st four WISC Similarities items were “Analogies” (E.g boys grow up to be men and girls to be…?)
o Final Analogy item that immediately preceded the traditional Similarities item style (In what way are a PLUM and a PEACH alike?) was “A knife and a piece of glass both…”. Item was intended as a transitional item, but it provided children with a mindset to give concrete (1-point) answers.
o Eliminated such items in WISC-R because they were only relevant when child is 5
o Instead, 3 new very easy items of the Plum-Peach variety were added to the beginning of the test, and the
2) 1st four items were scored 0-1, not 0-1-2.·
o Shift in the Similarities subtest from the WISC to the WISC-R affected the difficulty level of items – exact same items on both versions can be easy or hard depending on its placement
o Might be easier if it’s the 7th item because you get to practise in front, as opposed to it being the 2nd.
What are the differences in administration and scoring between WISC and WISC-R?
- “Concept of alike” : not explained in WISC, but explained in WISC-R (stupid young chewren like shaw don’t understand what is alike)
- Never gave children clues that abstract answer > concrete answer, but in WISC-R if children gave concrete answer, the examiner
- Never gave instructions on what to do when child gives ambiguous answers, now must clarify.
What are the differences in picture arrangement and comprehension?
Arrangement:
Comprehension: Child were not asked to give a 2nd answer if they stopped responsing –> now must prompt child to give a 2nd response!!!
What’s a similarity in both versions’ performance subtests?
All the WISC-R Performance subtests that allotted bonus points for quick perfect performance included a modification in the examiner’s directions that was analogous to the change in Similarities that gave an example of a 2-point response and the change in the Comprehension that asked for a 2nd reason why: should give the participant the clue that speed is important
List the differences in performance subtests.
Clue: Coding, block design, picture completion.
1) Child was told nothing that it was important for them to work quickly. So now must ask to be quick.
2) 4 colour to 2 colour. Transitional items made easier for child to catch on to the task.
3) 15 secs to 20 secs
List the difference in test sequence between WISC and WISC-R.
Verbal –> performance
now they are alternated to maintain subjects’ interest
Describe a problem related to estimation of generational changes on subtest (which arose due to WISC –> WISC-R change).
- Changes directly affect the ability to conduct valid counterbalanced research, size of generational change is a function of research studies in which the old test battery and new test battery are administered to the person in counterbalanced order
- o Presumption is that counterbalancing the test sequence controls for test order, thereby neutralizing the practice effect: MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE FOR WISC VS WISC-R on certain subtests because of the dramatic changes that occurred in administration and scoring from the old to new test
How do the huge changes in Similarities, Comprehension and Picture Arrangement compromise the counterbalancing of subtests?
If individual is tested on the new one first then the old one, then got practice effect. Because they would know the rules better liao.
Inflated scores compared to those who didn’t do the old test a 2nd time
Why is sex ratio an unlikely explanation for FE?
Adult females might score 3-5 points lower but the samples used are like all male only or have very balanced sex ratios in the country.
what the fuck bro what kind of result is this
Why is immigration an unlikely explanation for FE?
Immigrants only 2-3% of sample so their smaller IQ scores cannot fully explain the decline
Almost zero correlation between IQ decline per decade and average immigration in countries included in the review.
Why is maternal age an unlikely explanation for FE?
Older mothers have been thought to produce children with lower IQs. However, contrary to that, this review showed a significant negative correlation between the age of the mother and the level of IQ decline, meaning older mothers are associated with lesser decline in IQ. So, it is unlikely that higher maternal age is a factor in IQ decline.
Give one factor that can account for FE and why it can account for FE.
Dysgenics. Dysgenics is the higher fertility rates amongst less intelligent parents, who pass on their disadvantageous genes. Dysgenic fertility has been observed in a number of countries in the review by Lynn (2011). There could be a possible dysgenic effect that is being covered up by a strong increase in environmental quality that has led to an increase in scores on IQ tests. FE may not be due to genuine rise in intelligence, because it is observed in less (g) reflective (genuine intelligence) parts of the tests. In the modern world, we have been trained to look at things in a more scientific lens through better education etc, which leads to increases in specific abilities such as patterns/reasoning. So, when the ceiling of the abilities which are more environmentally influenced (not measuring g) have been reached (which is happening), there should be a decline in the general IQ scores. Sure enough, from 1980s, IQ gains have been slowing down.
