Intelligence
What makes us intelligent
Or
Not so intelligent
Intelligence
• The ability to learn
from experience,
solve problems, and
use knowledge to
adapt to new
situations.
• Is socially
constructed thus…
Can be culturally
specific.
According to this
definition, are both
Einstein and Ruth
intelligent?
How do we Assess Intelligence?
• Alfred Binet and Theodore
Simon set out to figure out a
concept called a mental age
(what a person of a particular
age should know).
• They discovered that by
discovering someone’s mental
age they can predict future
performance (motivation?).
• Hoped they could use test to
the French educational system.
Lewis Terman (1877-1956)
• Adapted Binet’s tests
for use in the United
States
• The test reported
intelligence as a
calculated IQ score
• Called the StanfordBinet Intelligence Test
Mental Age
• Chronological age that corresponds to
the difficulty of the questions a child can
answer
• An average 8-year-old child should have
the mental age of 8 years.
Terman and his IQ Test
• A 8 year old has a
• Used Binet’s research
mental age of 10, what is
to construct the
her IQ?
• A 12 year old has the
mental age of 9, what is
his IQ?
• A boy has the mental
age of 10 and an IQ of
200, how old is he?
modern day IQ test
called the StanfordBinet Test.
• IQ=Mental
age/Chronological age
X 100.
Standardization
• The test must be pre-tested to a
representative sample of people and
• Form a normal distribution or bell (normal)
curve
Is intelligence one thing or
several different abilities?
• To find out scientists
use FACTOR
ANALYSIS:
A statistical procedure
that identifies clusters
(math, reading, etc) of
related items on a test.
• Charles Spearman used
FA to discovery his g or
(general intelligence).
He saw using FA that doing well in
one area of a test predicted that you
will do well in another.
Multiple Intelligences
• Howard Gardner disagreed
with Spearman’s g and
instead came up with the
concept of multiple
intelligences.
• He came up with the idea
by studying savants (a
condition where a person
has limited mental ability
but is exceptional in one
area).
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Visual/Spatial
Verbal/Linguistic
Logical/Mathematical
Bodily/Kinesthetic
Musical/Rhythmic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Natural
Learn More about Gardner
Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences
Linguistic
Logical-Mathematical
Spatial
Often measured on IQ
tests with reading
comprehension and
vocabulary tests
Musical
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences
Linguistic
Logical-Mathematical
Spatial
Often measured on IQ
tests with analogies,
math problems and
logic problems
Musical
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences
Linguistic
Logical-Mathematical
Spatial
Musical
Ability to form mental
images of objects and
think about their
relationships in space
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences
Linguistic
Logical-Mathematical
Spatial
Musical
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Ability to perceive and
create patterns of
rhythms and pitches
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences
Linguistic
Logical-Mathematical
Spatial
Musical
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Ability for controlled
movement and
coordination
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences
Linguistic
Logical-Mathematical
Spatial
Musical
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Ability to understand
other people’s
emotions, motives and
actions
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences
Linguistic
Logical-Mathematical
Spatial
Musical
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Ability to know oneself
and to develop a
Intrapersonal
sense
of
identity
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Interpersonal
Sternberg’s Three Aspects of
Intelligence
Gardner Simplified
• Creative (generating
novel ideas)
• Analytical (academic
problem solving).
• Practical (required for
everyday tasks where
multiple solutions
exist).
Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory
Practical
Intelligence
Ability to cope with
the environment;
“street smarts”
Analytical
Intelligence
Creative
Intelligence
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory
Practical
Intelligence
Analytical
Intelligence
Creative
Intelligence
Ability to analyze
problems and find
correct answers;
ability measured by
most IQ tests
also called logical
reasoning
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory
Practical
Intelligence
Analytical
Intelligence
Creative
Intelligence
Form of intelligence
that helps people see
new relationships
among concepts;
involves insight and
creativity
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
• First called social
intelligence.
• The ability to
perceive, express,
understand, and
regulate emotions.
• Some studies show
EQ to be a greater
predictor for future
success than IQ
Brain Size and Intelligence
Is there a link?
• Small +.15 correlation
between head size and
intelligence scores
(relative to body size).
• Using an MRI we found
+.44 correlation with
brain size and IQ
score.
Brain Function and Intelligence
• Higher performing
brains use less
active than lower
performing brains
(use less glucose).
• Neurological speed is
also a bit quicker.
Problems with the IQ Formula
• It does not really work well on adults, why?
If a 60 year old man
does as well as an average 30 year old
then his IQ would be 50!!!!!!
That makes no sense!!!!!
Modern Tests of Mental Abilities
• Wechsler Adult
Intelligence Scale
(WAIS) consists of
11 subtests and cues
us in to strengths by
using…..
Factor Analysis
Aptitude v. Achievement Tests
Aptitude
• A test designed to
predict a person’s
future performance.
• The ability for that
person to learn.
Achievement
• A test designed to
assess what a person
has learned.
3 tests an Intelligence test must pass
(before they can be published)
Tests must be:
• Standardized
• Reliable
• Valid
Standardization
• The test must be pre-tested to a
representative sample of people and
• Form a normal distribution or bell (normal)
curve
Reliability
• The extent which
a test yields
consistent
results over time.
• Spilt halves or
test–retest
method.
Validity
The extent to which a test measures what
it is supposed to measure.
• Content Validity: does the test sample a
behavior of interest
• Predictive Validity: does the test
predict future behavior.
Criterion related validity
Flynn Effect
Does Intelligence Change Over
Time?
• By age 3, a child’s
IQ can predict
adolescent IQ
scores.
• Depends on the
type of intelligence,
crystallized or
fluid.
Extremes of Intelligence
The Exceptional Child
Mental retardation –
Often conceived as representing the
lower 2% of the IQ range;ex: Down's
syndrome caused by extra
chromosome
Giftedness –
Often conceived as representing
the upper 2% of the IQ range
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
What Are the Components
of Intelligence?
Savant syndrome –
Found in individuals who have a
remarkable talent even though they are
mentally slow in other domains
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Psychometric Theories of
Intelligence
Crystallized intelligence –
The knowledge a person has acquired,
plus the ability to access that knowledge
Fluid intelligence –
The ability to see complex relationships
and solve problems
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Group Differences in Intelligence
Test Scores
• The Bell curve is different for Whites
v. Black.
• Math scores are different across
genders and the highest scores are for
Asian males.
Why?
Nature or Nurture
Test Bias?
Tests do discriminate.
But some argue that there sole purpose is
to discriminate.
We have to look at the type of
discrimination.