Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

CHAPTER 10: Intelligence

Dr. Tapan Kr. Dutta

Panskura Banamali College
 Intelligence
the ability to learn from experience, think
rationally, and adapt to changes in the
environment
Intelligence Tests
The Nature of Intelligence
The Great Debates
Education
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
12 interesting facts about IQ
1. IQ is associated with some simple abilities
2. School attendance correlates with IQ
3. IQ is not influenced by birth order.
4. IQ is related to breast feeding
5. IQ varies by birth date.
6. IQ evens out with age.
7. Intelligence is plural, not singular.
8. IQ is correlated w/ head size.
9. Intelligence scores are predictive of real world outcomes.
10. Intelligence depends on context.
11. IQ is going up.
12. IQ may be influenced by school cafteria menu.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
Intelligence Tests
The Stanford-Binet
A new type of test, developed by Alfred
Binet in 1904 to screen French school
children for potential academic problems.
Translated into English and adapted for the
U.S. by Lewis Terman of Stanford
University.
Mental Age
The average age of the children who achieve
a certain level of performance
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
Intelligence Tests
Intelligence Quotient
Originally defined as the ratio of mental age
to chronological age, it now represents a
persons performance relative to same-age
peers.
Shifts the focus to the rate of development
Allows children of different ages to be
compared.

IQ=(
Mental Age
Chronological Age
) x 100
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
Intelligence Tests
The Wechsler Scales

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

(WAIS)
The most widely used IQ test for adults, it
yields separate scores for verbal and
performance subtests

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

2004 Prentice Hall
Intelligence Tests
The Wechsler Scales
Simulated Items Similar to those in the WAIS

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

2004 Prentice Hall
Intelligence Tests : The Wechsler Scales
Simulated Items Similar to those in the WAIS

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

2004 Prentice Hall
Intelligence Tests
Group Aptitude Tests
Stanford-Binet, Wechsler, and other scales test
one person at a time.
This is not practical for quick, large-scale assessment.
During World War I, the U.S. Army developed
two tests that could be group-administered.
Alpha for those who could read English
Beta for all other recruits
Group tests are now common.
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
American College Test (ACT)
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
Intelligence Tests
Distribution of Scores on the SAT

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

2004 Prentice Hall
Intelligence Tests
Are Intelligence Tests Accurate?
Standardization
The procedure by which existing norms are used to
interpret an individuals test score
Reliability
The extent to which a test yields consistent results
over time or using alternate forms
Two types are test-retest and split-half.
Validity
The extent to which a test measures what it is
supposed to measure
Two types are content and criterion.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
 Intelligence Tests
Standardization
Involves administering a
test to thousands of people
similar to those for whom
the test was intended.
And, determining average
score and characteristics of
distribution of scores The average score was set at
100 and test scores are
distributed in a normal bell-
shaped curve with about 68% of
scores falling between 85 and
115.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
Reliability
A reliable test measures a variable(s)
consistently.
Unlike validity, reliability does not address
what is being measured.
Forms of reliability
Test-Retest
The extent to which a test yields consistent
results when readministered at a later time
Split half
The degree to which alternate forms of a test
yield similar results
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
Intelligence Tests
Validity
A valid test measures or predicts
what it claims to measure or predict.
Types of Validity
Content validity
The extent to which a test measures
what it is supposed to measure
Criterion-related validity
The extent to which a test can predict a
concurrent or future outcome

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

2004 Prentice Hall
 Intelligence Tests
Are Intelligence Tests Biased?
Raven's Culture-Fair Test
Person is given a
series of matrices and
must complete each by
selecting the correct
symbol for the
available choices.
Designed to be free of
cultural bias

Sample Item
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
The Nature of Intelligence
General Intelligence (g)

A broad intellectual-ability factor used to

explain why performances on different
intelligence-test items are often correlated
Factor Analysis
A statistical technique used to identify
clusters of test items that correlate with one
another.

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

 The Nature of Intelligence
Spearmans Theory of Intelligence
Spearman theorized that
individuals differ in
general intelligence (g).
To explain why
correlations among tests
are not perfect, he
theorized that each test
score is also affected by
the specific ability being
tested (S).
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
 The Nature of Intelligence
General Intelligence (g)
Neural Speed and Intelligence
Recorded time
required for brain to
react to visual stimuli.
Ordered subjects from
slowest (1) to fastest
(5) on this measure.
Subjects with higher
conduction speed also
had higher scores on
an intelligence test.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
The Nature of Intelligence
Gardner's Frames of Mind
Multiple Intelligences
Gardners theory that there are seven types
of intelligence:
Linguistic intelligence
Logical - mathematical intelligence
Spatial intelligence
Musical intelligence
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
Interpersonal intelligence
Intrapersonal intelligence
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
The Nature of Intelligence
Gardner's Frames of Mind
Types of Multiple Intelligences I
Linguistic Intelligence
Verbal ability, consists of the skills involved in
speaking, listening, reading, and writing
Logical-mathematical Intelligence
Abstract reasoning ability, consists of the skills
necessary for solving puzzles and programming
computers
Spatial Intelligence
Visual ability, consists of the skills involved in
orienting oneself in space and navigation
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
The Nature of Intelligence
Gardner's Frames of Mind
Types of Multiple Intelligences II
Musical Intelligence
Ability to appreciate the tonal qualities of sound,
consists of the skills necessary to compose and play an
instrument
Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence
Ability to control gross and fine body movements
Interpersonal Intelligence
Ability to understand others, social skills
Intrapersonal Intelligence
Ability to understand oneself, self-insight
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Nature of Intelligence
Sternberg's Triarchic Theory
Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Sternbergs theory that there are three kinds of
intelligence: analytic, creative, and practical.
Analytic - Components
Comparing, analyzing, and evaluating

This type of process correlates best with IQ

Creative - Experiential
Inventing or designing solutions to new problems

Practical - Contextual
Adapting to the contexts of everyday life
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
The Nature of Intelligence
Sternberg's Triarchic Theory

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

2004 Prentice Hall
The Nature of Intelligence
Sternberg's Triarchic Theory
Creativity
Intellectual and motivational processes that
lead to novel situations, ideas, artistic forms,
or products
Divergent Thinking
The ability to think flexibly and entertain a
wide range of possible solutions.
Practical Intelligence
The ability to size up new situations and
adapt to real-life demands.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
 The Great Debates
Nature and Nurture
Nature's Influence on IQ Scores
The greater the genetic
similarity between two
individuals, the more
similar are their IQ
scores.
This suggests a genetic
component to
intelligence.

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

2004 Prentice Hall
 The Great Debates
Nature and Nurture
Nurture's Influence on IQ Scores
All other things being
equal, two individuals
raised together will
have more similar IQ
scores than those
raised apart.
This is evidence that
the environment shapes
intelligence in
important ways.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
The Great Debates
Nature and Nurture
How Environments Magnify Genetic Influences

Some theorize that genes predispose children toward

varying success rates in school.
Early academic experiences guide the children into
different environments.
These environments can multiply the influence of genes.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
 The Great Debates
Nature and Nurture
Effects of Schooling
Children from
comparable schools
One with 180-day year
One with 210-day year
Children began study
performing similarly
At end of study,
extended-year children
performed better on
math (shown here) and
reading tests.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
The Great Debates
Nature and Nurture
Head Start Programs
Project Head Start
A preschool intellectual-enrichment
program for children born of poor families
Serves hundreds of thousands of families across
the U.S. each year
Alumni score about 10 points higher on IQ
tests, are more confident, are less likely to
repeat grades, and are more likely to graduate
from high school compared to their peers.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
 The Great Debates
The Racial Gap
Explaining Group Differences
Within a group with all
treated exactly the
same, differences may
reflect genetics.
When one group differs
from another, the
differences between the
groups may reflect
environmental
differences.

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

2004 Prentice Hall
 The Great Debates
The Racial Gap
Education: The Great Equalizer
Cognitive test scores
from grades 8 16
Initial gap between
black and white
students was narrowed
significantly by the
end of college
Education has a vital
equalizing role

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

2004 Prentice Hall
The Great Debates
Cultural Influences

Asian American students get higher grades and

SAT math scores, are more likely to graduate from
college, and are more likely to win various
scholarships compared to their peers.
However, research shows that their tests scores are
about average.
Americans, relative to those in Asian countries,
may set lower standards and place less value on
educational pursuits.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Great Debates
Gender Differences
The Mental-Rotation Test of Spatial Ability

Which view (a, b,

or c) shows a
different view of
the same object as
each standard?

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

2004 Prentice Hall
The Great Debates
Gender Differences
Verbal, Mathematical, and Spatial Abilities
Girls outscore boys on verbal abilities and
reading.
Girls are better at arithmetic in grade
school, but boys surpass them by junior
high school.
Males outperform females on spatial tasks.

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin

2004 Prentice Hall
Education
Extremes of Intelligence
Giftedness
Intelligence significantly above average
May be specific to a given domain
Mental Retardation
A diagnostic category used for people with
IQ scores below 70 who have difficulty
adapting to the routine demands of life
Mild (IQ 50-70)
Moderate (IQ 35-49)
Severe (IQ 20-34)
Profound (IQ below 20)
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
 Education
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
The idea that a
Three-Step Model
persons expectation
can lead to its own
fulfillment (as in the
effect of teacher
expectations on student
performance)
Teachers with low
expectations of some
students may settle for
lower performance from
these students. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall
 Education
Stereotype Threat
If students are told a test is
important, they may
respond by performing
either better or worse,
according to group
stereotypes.
African American students
are aware of negative
stereotypes
Vulnerability to stereotype
undermines performance
Stereotype Threat Effect
on Test Performance
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
2004 Prentice Hall