Intelligence

What makes us smart?

Or not so smart?
 What is Intelligence?
• The ability to learn from
experience, solve problems, and
use knowledge to adapt to new
situations.
• Intelligence is a concept and not
a thing
 Types of Tests
Types tests
Aptitude Achievement
• Measure ability or • Measure what you
potential for that have learned.
person to learn
 Wechsler Tests
• More common way to give IQ
tests….does not use the formula but
uses the same scoring system.
• WAIS
• WISC
• WPPSI
• Consists of 11 subtests.
• Gives an overall score, but also gives
separate scores for verbal
comprehension, perceptual
organization, working memory, and
processing speed.
• Differences can highlight possible
learning disabilities or brain
disorders.
 IQ Scores and Distribution
• With several tests: the Wechsler, Stanford-
Binet, etc..; they generate a score or IQ
• The IQ is an intelligence quotient, gauging
people’s mental abilities against their age
IQ Description % of Population
130+ Very Gifted/Superior 2.2%
120-129 Gifted 6.7%
110-119 High Average 16.1%
90-109 Average 50%
80-89 Low Average 16.1%
70-79 Borderline 6.7%
Below 70 Low-Extremely Low 2.2%
 Applications/Problems
• IQ scores are used in some school testing,
placements, job assignments, testing, etc.
• Though many people do use and advocate
the use of IQ tests, many believe they are
unfair and culturally biased, measuring
only specific aspects of culturally accepted
values.
 Deficiency of Intelligence
Level App. Intelligence Percentage of Adaptation to
Score persons with demands of life
retardation

Mild 50-70 85% 6th grade level.

Adults with support
can achieve social
and vocational skills
Moderate 35-50 10% 2nd grade level.
Severe 20-35 3-4% May learn to talk
and to perform
simple work tasks
Profound Below 20 1-2% Require constant
aid and supervision
 Deficiency of Intelligence
• Mental Retardation- condition of limited
mental ability, indicated by an intelligence
score of 70 or below. Varies from mild to
profound.
• Down Syndrome- condition of retardation and
associated physical disorders cause by an
extra chromosome in one’s genetic makeup
(extra chromosome 21).
 Gender Differences
Men Women
Spelling
Verbal Skills (Remembering!)
Nonverbal Memory (locating lost items)
Sensation (touch, taste, and odor)
Underachievement
Math Problem Solving Math Computation
Spatial abilities (fitting suitcases in a
trunk)
Emotional Intelligence
“Emotion Detecting Ability”
 What Gender?
• Architect
• Engineers
• Teacher
• Psychologist
• Journalist
• Cosmetologist
 Theories of intelligence
• G factor theory by Charles Spearman
• Multiple Intelligences theory by
Howard Gardner
• Triarchic Theory by Robert
Sternberg
Charles Spearman - G factor theory
• Charles Spearman Used factor analysis
and discovered that what we see as
many different skills is actually one
General Intelligence.
• If you are good at one subject you are
usually good at many others.
• It doesn’t have to be that way
 Howard Gardner and Multiple
Intelligences
• Gardner believed in 8 different types of intelligences.
• Savant Syndrome-Someone that is exceptional in one specific skill, but it
otherwise limited in mental ability.
1. Linguistic
2. Logical-mathematical
3. Spatial
4. Musical
5. Body-kinesthetic
6. Intrapersonal
7. Interpersonal
8. Naturalist
 Intelligence and Creativity
• Creativity=The ability to produce
novel and valuable ideas.
• Does creativity require
intelligence?
• Correlation between high scores on
intelligence tests and creativity
tests
• At 120, creativity shrivels
• Convergent thinking-Intelligence
tests that demand a single answer
(Left Parietal Lobe)
• Divergent thinking-intelligence
tests that imagines multiple
possible answers.(Frontal Lobe)
Genetic influences
 Genetic Influences
• Same genes=comparable mental abilities? YES
• Correlation between biological parents and
children increase with age in regards to
intelligence
• Gene-environment correlation
• Genes shape the experiences that shape us.
 Stability or Change?
• If we retested people periodically throughout their lives, would their
intelligence scores be stable?
• Typically not helpful to assess intelligence before the age of 3. At age 4,
performance can predict adolescent and adult scores.
• Consistency of scores over time increases with the age of the child.
• SAT and GRE (consistent results)
• 11 year old Scots compared with survivors near 80 years old. Correlation
was high. High scoring 11 year olds were more likely to be living
independently and less likely to have suffered Alzheimer’s.
Answer the questions