what's real intelligence

1. What is
Intelligence?
Chapter 8
Intelligence and Individual
Differences

2. SO, what did you get on your
SATs? Jane said she got a
1350…that means she’s really
smart, right?
Does it?
Module Objectives:
What is intelligence?
How do we measure intelligence?
Who are the children whose intelligence sets them
apart from their peers?

3. Think on Your Own…
How do YOU define Intelligence?

4. Is it the ability to use reason and logic?
Is it the ability to write and speak clearly?
Is it limited to one’s performance in
school?
Is it behavior in social situations?
How about knowing when you’re wrong?
Not that simple, right?
There are many psychological theories
about intelligence that we will examine in
this module

5. How do we know intelligence
even exists?
Psychometricians specialize in measuring
psychological characteristics for intelligence
and personality. By using patterns of test
scores, they have found evidence for general
intelligence as well as for specific abilities

6. What is Intelligence?
Intelligence is an inferred process that
humans use to explain the different
degrees of adaptive success in people’s
behavior
‐ The mental abilities that enable one to adapt to,
shape, or select one’s environment
‐ The ability to judge, comprehend, and reason
‐ The ability to understand and deal with people,
objects, and symbols
‐ The ability to act purposefully, think rationally,
and deal effectively with the environment

7. Spearman’s Psychometric Approach
- Intelligence as a Single Trait
Psychometric Approach
‐ The measurement (metric) of individual
differences in behaviors and abilities
George Spearman reported findings supporting
the idea that performance on any test of mental
ability was based on a single general ability
factor that he termed “g”
Spearman also believed that performance on
any test of mental ability required the use of a
specific ability factor that he termed “s”

8. g
Logical
Mechanical
Arithmetical
Spatial
s
s s
s

9. Conflicting theories have led
many psychometric theorists to
propose hierarchical theories of
intelligence that include both
general and specific
components

10. Cattell’s View of Intelligence -
Intelligence as a Few Basic Abilities
Fluid Intelligence
‐ The ability to think on the spot and solve novel
problems
‐ The ability to perceive relationships
‐ The ability to gain new types of knowledge
Crystallized Intelligence
‐ Factual knowledge about the world
‐ The skills already learned and practiced
‐ Examples
‐ Arithmetic facts
‐ Knowledge of the meaning of words
‐ State capitals

11. Intelligence Tests and
Basic Abilities
Fluid intelligence on tests is measured by:
‐ The ability to assemble novel puzzles
‐ The ability to determine the next entry in a series of
numbers
‐ The ability to identify which one of four objects is
related to the others
Children who do well on one test of fluid
intelligence usually do well on other tests of fluid
intelligence
‐ They may no necessarily perform well on tests of
crystallized intelligence

13. Three-Stratum Theory
of Intelligence - John Carroll

14. Carroll’s hierarchal theory is
essentially a compromise
between general and distinct
abilities view of intelligence
Some critics still find it unsatisfactory
because it ignored the research and
theory on cognitive development

15. Broader Theory of Intelligence
Howard Gardener proposed a theory of
multiple intelligences, in which he
identified 9 distinct types of intelligence.
The first three intelligences are included
in psychometric theories of intelligence:
‐ Linguistic intelligence
‐ Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
‐ Spatial Intelligence

16. What Do These Intelligences
Examine?
Linguistics - sensitivity to the meanings and
sounds of words, mastery of syntax,
appreciation of the ways language can be used
Logical-Mathematical - Understanding of
objects and symbols and of actions that be
performed on them and of the relations
between these actions, ability to identify
problems and seek explanations
Spatial - capacity to perceive the visual world
accurately, to perform transformations upon
perceptions and to re-create aspects of visual
experience in the absence of physical stimuli

17. Gardener’s Theory of Multiple
Intelligence
Gardener’s remaining 6 distinct
intelligences are unique to Gardner’s
theory:
‐ Musical
‐ Bodily-kinesthetic
‐ Interpersonal
‐ Intrapersonal
‐ Naturalistic
‐ Existential intelligence

18. What are these Intelligences?
Musical - Sensitivity to individual tones and phrases of music, an
understanding of ways to combine tones and phrases into larger
musical rhythms and structures, awareness of emotional aspects of
music
Bodily-Kinesthetic - Use of one’s body in highly skilled ways for
expressive or goal-directed purposes, capacity to handle objects
skillfully
Interpersonal - Ability to notice and make distinctions among the
moods, temperaments, motivations, and intentions of other people
and potentially to act on this knowledge
Intrapersonal - access to one’s own feelings, ability to draw on one’s
emotions to guide and understand one’s behavior, recognition of
personal strengths and weaknesses
Naturalistic -- sensitivity and understanding of plants, animals, and
other aspects of nature
Existential - sensitivity to issues related to the meaning of life, death,
and other aspects of the human condition

19. The question arises… should we use the
word intelligence to describe all valuable
skills like doing calculus, speaking 6
different languages, being able to make
the throw from home to second?
If we do… then Gardner is correct… people
do have many unrelated kinds of intelligence.
Now we have changed the definition and
meaning of intelligence

20. Gardener’s theory has
prompted researchers to
begin examining other
nontraditional aspects of
intelligence
The best known is emotional intelligence

21. How is Intelligence
Measured?

22. The first Intelligence test was
created by Binet and Simon
using simple tasks to distinguish
children who would do well in
school from those who wouldn’t
Binet and Simon used Mental age
to distinguish “bright” from “dull”
children

23. What is IQ?
Lewis Terman revised Simon and Binet’s
test and published a version known as
the Stanford-Binet Test in 1916.
Performance was described as an
intelligence quotient (IQ) which was imply
the ratio of mental age to chronological
age multiplied by 100:
‐ IQ=MA/CA x 100

24. Stanford-Binet IQ Test
This test measures things that are necessary for school
success
‐ Understanding and using language, memory, the
ability to follow instructions, and computational skills
Binet’s test is a set of age-graded items
‐ Binet assumed that children’s abilities increase with
age
‐ These items measure the person’s “mental level” or
“mental age”
Adaptive Testing
‐ Determine the age level of the most advanced items
that a child could consistently answer correctly
‐ Children whose mental age equal their actual or
chronological age were considered to be of “regular”
intelligence

25. Sample Stanford-Binet Test Items
4
Name objects from memory; complete analogies (fire is hot; ice is ______);
identify objects of similar shape; Answer simple questions (Why do we have
schools?)
6
Define simple words; Explain differences (between a fish and a horse); identify
missing parts of a picture; count out objects
8
Answer questions about a simple story; explain similarities and differences
among objects; tell how to handle certain situations (finding a stray puppy)
10
Define more difficult words; Give explanations (about why people should be
quiet in a library); List as many words as possible; repeat 6-digit numbers
12
Identify more difficult verbal and picture absurdities; repeat 5-digit numbers in
reverse order; define abstract words (sorrow); fill in a missing word in a
sentence
Adult
Supply several missing words for incomplete sentences; Repeat 6-digit
numbers in reverse order; Create a sentence using several unrelated words;
Describe similarities between concepts

26. Measuring Intelligence
At any age, children who are average will
have an IQ of 100 because their mental
age equals their chronological age.
‐ Roughly two-thirds of children will have an
IQ score between 85 and 115
‐ Approximately 95% will have scores
between 70 and 130

28. Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
This summary is used to indicate a
child’s intelligence relative to others of
the same age
IQ tests measure an individual’s probable
performance in school and similar
settings
An IQ test measures performance… but
an IQ test does not explain performance

29. A Five-Minute IQ Test
1. Water lilies double in area every 24 hours. At the beginning of
the summer, there is one water lily on a lake. It takes 60 days
for the lake to become covered with water lilies. On what day
is the lake half-covered?
2. A farmer has 17 sheep. All but 9 break through a hole in the
fence and wander away. How many are left?
3. If you have black socks and brown socks in your drawer,
mixed in a ratio of 4 to 5. How many socks will you have to
take out in order to have a pair of the same color?
4. With a 7-minute hourglass, and an 11-minute hourglass, how
can you time the boiling of an egg for 15-minutes?
5. Washington is to one as Lincoln is to:
Five --or-- Ten --or-- Fifteen --or-- Fifty

30. How did you do?
1. On day 59. Remember, it doubles every day.
2. Nine sheep. It is just a matter of careful reading.
3. Three socks. The ratio information is irrelevant.
4. Allow both glasses to drain simultaneously. As soon
as the 7-minute glass empties, flip it over (7 minutes
have expired). Then, flip it over again after the 11-
minute glass empties (11 minutes have expired).
Fifteen minutes will have passed when the 7-minute
glass empties.
5. The answer is five. The task here is to realize that
the relation is no the sequence of their presidency
but which denomination of bill upon which each face

31. Another test used frequently are
the Wechsler Intelligence Scale
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-
Third Edition (WISC-III)
‐ Used with children 6 to 16
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third
Edition (WAIS-III)
‐ Used with people 17 and older

32. WISC-III
Provides a profile of someone’s strengths and
weaknesses
Each test is made of 12 parts
‐ Each part begins with the simplest questions
and progresses to increasingly difficult ones
‐ Performance Scale (6 parts)
‐ Spatial and perceptual abilities
‐ Measures fluid intelligence
‐ Verbal Scale (6 parts)
‐ General knowledge of the world and skill in
using language
‐ Measures crystallized intelligence

33. Verbal IQ is based on:
‐ Information
‐ Measures a child's range of factual information
‐ Example: What day of the year is Independence Day?
‐ Similarities
‐ Measures a child's ability to categorize
‐ Example: In what way are wool and cotton alike?
‐ Arithmetic
‐ Measures the ability to solve computational math problems
‐ Example: If I buy 6 cents worth of candy and give the
clerk 25 cents, I would get _________ back in change?
‐ Vocabulary
‐ Measures the ability to define words
‐ Example: What does “telephone” mean?
‐ Comprehension
‐ Measures the ability to answer common sense questions
‐ Example: Why do people buy fire insurance?
‐ Digit Span
‐ Measures short-term auditory memory

34. Performance IQ is based on:
‐ Coding
‐ Copying marks from a code; visual rote learning
‐ Picture Completion
‐ Telling what's missing in various pictures
‐ Example: Children are shown a picture, such as a car with
no wheels, and are asked: What part of the picture is
missing?
‐ Picture Arrangement
‐ Arranging pictures to tell a story

35. ‐ Block Design
‐ Arranging multi-colored blocks to match printed design
‐ Example: Using the four blocks, make one just like this
‐ Object Assembly
‐ Putting puzzles together - measures nonverbal fluid
reasoning
‐ Example: If these pieces are put together correctly, they will
make something. Go ahead and put them together as quickly
as you can.

36. The Stanford-Binet and the
WISC-III cannot be used to
assess infant intelligence
The Bayley Scales of Infant Development
are often used for infant assessment

37. Do Intelligence tests work?
To answer this question we must
examine Reliability and Validity

38. How Stable is IQ?
Research suggests that intelligence is
relatively stable from early childhood on
IQ scores tend to be fairly stable
‐ IQ test at 4 and a second at 17 - 13 points up or down
‐ IQ test at 8 and a second at 17 - 9 points up or down
‐ IQ test at 12 and a second at 12 - 7 points up or down
The closer together in time that IQ tests are
given… the more consistent (stable) the
scores.

39. Do tests scores really measure
intelligence?
This is a question of validity. Does the test
measure what it claims to measure?
Most test developers argue that their tests
are valid measures of intelligence by
showing that test scores are related to
children’s grades in school

40. Factors that Influence
Intelligence

41. Factors Influencing Intelligence
The Child’s Influence
‐ Genetics
‐ Genotype–Environment Interaction
‐ Gender
The Immediate Environment’s Influence
‐ Family Environment
‐ School Environment
The Society’s Influence
‐ Poverty
‐ Race/Ethnicity

42. Gender
Boys and girls tend to be equivalent in most aspects of
intelligence
‐ The average IQ scores of boys and girls is virtually
identical
‐ The extremes (both low and high ends) are over-
represented by boys
Girls as a group:
‐ Tend to be stronger in verbal fluency, in writing, in
perceptual speed (starting as early as the toddler
years)
Boys as a group:
‐ Tend to be stronger in visual-spatial processing, in
science, and in mathematical problem solving
(starting as early as age 3)

43. Schooling
Attending school makes children smarter
‐ Children from families of low SES and those from
families of high SES make comparable gains in
school achievement during the school year
What about during summer break?
‐ Children from families of low SES have a drop in
achievement scores
‐ Children from families of high SES have
achievement scores that stay constant or rise
slightly

44. Poverty
The more years children spend in poverty, the
lower their IQs tend to be
‐ Children from lower- and working-class homes
average 10-15 points below their middle-class age
mates on IQ tests
In many countries, children from wealthier
homes score better on IQ test than children
from poorer homes
‐ The greater the gap in wealth in a country the
greater the difference in IQ scores

45. Poverty Continued…
Chronic inadequate diet can disrupt brain
development
‐ Chronic or short-term inadequate diet at any
point in life can impair immediate intellectual
functioning
Reduced access to health service, poor
parenting, and insufficient stimulation and
emotional support can impair intellectual
growth

46. Race and Ethnicity
The average IQ score of Euro-American
children is 10-15 points higher than that
of African-American children
The average IQ score of Latino and
American-Indian children fall somewhere
in between those of Euro-American and
African-American children
The average IQ score of Asian-American
children tend to be higher than any other
group in the US

47. Race and Ethnicity Continued…
American-Indian children:
‐ Better on the performance part than the verbal part
of an IQ test
Latino children:
‐ Better on the performance part than the verbal part
of an IQ test
Asian-American children:
‐ Better on the performance part than the verbal part
of an IQ test
African-American children:
‐ Better on the verbal part than the performance part
of an IQ test
Overall - differences in IQ scores of children from
different racial and ethnic groups describes children’s
performance ONLY in the environments in which the
children live

48. Culture-Fair Intelligence Tests
Raven’s Progressive Matrices
‐ A “culture-fair” or culture-reduced test that would
make minimal use of language and not ask for any
specific facts
‐ These matrices progress from easy to difficult items
-- measures abstract reasoning
Even on culture-fair tests, Euro-American and
African-American children still differ
‐ One reason - culture can influence a child’s
familiarity with the entire testing situation