Intelligence Testing
Theories of Intelligence
Types of IQ Tests
Fact or Falsehood
What is
intelligence?
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Psychologists have different views on this
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Most believe it is…
- the ability to acquire new ideas and new
behavior, and to adapt to new situations
4 Theories of Intelligence
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Two-Factor Theory of Intelligence
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Thurstone’s Theory of Intelligence
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Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence
Spearman’s Two-Factor Theory of Intelligence
● Proposed by British psychologist Charles Spearman in 1904
● States two factors contribute to intelligence
general intelligence (“g”) is a person’s ability to perform complex mental work such as problem solving
believed every individual has a certain level of general intelligence
specific mental abilities (“s”) in areas such as math or verbal skills
Criticisms of the Theory
● g does not measure mental abilities such as motor, musical, or creative abilities.
Thurstone’s Theory of Intelligence (1938)
● Proposed that intelligence is based on seven primary mental abilities
1. verbal comprehension 2. numeric ability 3. spatial relations 4. perceptual speed 5. word fluency 6. memory
7. inductive reasoning
● A major critic of Spearman’s theory
● Concluded there was no evidence of Spearman’s idea of general intelligence (g)
Sternberg’s Theory of Intelligence (1985)
● Believed that traditional intelligence tests do not measure the intelligences found in everyday life
● Robert Sternberg proposed a triarchic (3 part) theory of intelligence
● Can be divided into 3 types of thinking skills or ways of processing information
Analytical -ability to solve problems (types of skills typically measured on intelligence tests)
Creative -dealing with new situations; solving problems in a unique way
Practical -helps us adjust to and deal with our environment
Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
●
Believes traditional views of intelligence are
inadequate because it only measures the ability
to think logically & leaves out many important
skills
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Calls for a broader perspective that originally
included 7 types (1983). He later added an 8
thtype and is considering adding a 9
th(existential
intelligence-experience of existence)
●
His research on brain disease helped him
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
See textbook p.351 (table 13.6) for a description & more examples of the Gardner’s intelligences.
1. Linguistic/ Verbal
2. Logical-Mathematical
3. Spatial (shapes & images-puzzles, 3-D figures)
4. Musical
5. Body-Kinesthetic
6. Interpersonal- ability to interact w/ others
7. Intrapersonal- ability to accurately perceive oneself
8. Naturalist- ability to identify/ classify patterns in nature
Criticisms of Gardner’s Theory
●
Some of what Gardner calls “intelligence” are
really skills (or talents).
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Do not feel that it should be used in the
classroom
– critics feel children are used as “guinea pigs” to test the theory– not sufficient support
- critics argue that children must still rely on verbal & math skills to succeed in higher education & a career; so this should be the focus in the classroom
Emotional Intelligence
●
Related to Gardner’s concept of interpersonal and
intrapersonal intelligences
4 Major Aspects
(Mayer & Salovey,1997)
1.
Ability to perceive & express emotions accurately
and appropriately
2.
Ability to use emotions while thinking
3.
Ability to understand emotions & use this
knowledge
Types of Intelligence Tests
● Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
-test currently used in the U.S. that Stanford University revised from French psychologist Alfred Binet’s original test developed in 1904
-compute IQ (intelligence quotient) based on a scale in which 100 is the average.
-IQ scores in the population take the normal bell curve shape
-95% of the people score between 70-130
-only about 2% score over 130
● Wechsler Tests
-WAIS-R (for adults)
-WISC-III (ages 6-16 years) -WPPSI-R (4-6 ½ years)
-give one overall score as well as separate scores for verbal & performance abilities
-provides a more detailed
Controversy over IQ Testing
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Do IQ scores truly measure intelligence?
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Nature vs. Nurture: Do genetic differences or
environmental inequalities cause two people to
receive different scores?
--IQ scores are correlated to genetic factors
identical twins regardless of differences in
environment often have similar IQ scores
--environmental factors also play a critical role
education received, home environment, and
Cultural Bias: Criticism of IQ Testing
-the wording used in an intelligence test may
be more familiar to people of one social
group than to another group.
Efforts have been made to make tests less
biased, but it is very difficult to completely
remove all bias. All tests assess prior
knowledge and different past
http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=960
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Should I or my future children be tested??
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http://glencoe.mheducation.com/sites/007
8745179/student_view0/unit5/chapter13/st
udent_web_activites.html
http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb03/intelligent.aspx
● Intelligence tests help psychologists make recommendations about the kind of teaching that will benefit a child most,
according to Ron Palomares, PhD
⚪ Psychologists are taught to assess patterns of performance on intelligence tests and to obtain clinical observations of the child during the testing session. That, he says, removes the focus from a single IQ score and allows for an assessment of the child as a whole, which can then be used to develop individualized teaching strategies.
● APA President-elect Diane F. Halpern, PhD, of Claremont
McKenna College- "We will always need some way of making intelligent decisions about people," says Halpern. "We're not all the same; we have different skills and abilities. What's wrong is thinking of intelligence as a fixed, innate ability, instead of
