Intelligence and Mental AbilitiesIntelligence and Mental Abilities

You have to do the best with what God gave

you. 

What is Intelligence?What is Intelligence?

What is Intelligence?What is Intelligence?It is a concept and not a “thing.”It is socially constructed from cultures.Defined:

mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations.

What is your intelligence?What is your intelligence?

Charles SpearmanCharles Spearman

Believed we have ONE general (g) intelligence.

Developed a factor analysis.statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items on a test.

Those who score high in one area will typically score high in other areas (i.e. verbal intelligence, spatial or reasoning).

L.L. ThurstoneL.L. ThurstoneOpposed Spearman.

Identified Seven ClustersWord fluencyverbal comprehensionspatial abilityperceptual speednumerical abilityinductive reasoningmemory

Challenged by other researchers because research was inclusive.

Theories of Multiple Intelligence

Theories of Multiple Intelligence

Howard Gardner

Robert Sternberg

Howard GardnerHoward GardnerIntelligence comes in packages.

Studied people with diminished or exceptional abilities.

Savant syndrome

Eight intelligences

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhcQG_KItZM

Success = Success = •Talent •+ Grit

Robert SternbergRobert SternbergAgrees there are multiple intelligences.

ThreeAnalytical (academic-problem solving) intelligence.

Assessed by IQ testingCreative intelligence

Reacting to situations.Practical intelligence

Everyday tasks

Another type of intelligence…Another type of intelligence…

• Emotional– Related to Gardner’s concepts of interpersonal and

intrapersonal.– Four major aspects:

• The ability to perceive and express emotions accurately and appropriately.

• The ability to use emotions while thinking.• The ability to understand emotions and use the knowledge

effectively.• The ability to regulate one’s emotions to promote personal

growth.

How Do We Assess Intelligence?

How Do We Assess Intelligence?

“The Republic” “The Republic”

• “...no two persons are born exactly alike; but each differs from the other in natural endowments, one being suited for one occupation and the other for another.”

The Modern Intelligence-Testing

Movement

The Modern Intelligence-Testing

Movement

The CreatorsThe Creators• Alfred Binet

– 1904, Paris.– Partner: Théodore Simon– School determination.– Based on age (mental age).– Purpose: ID children who needed attention.– Feared that it would be used to label children.

Stanford-BinetStanford-Binet• Lewis Terman

– 1916, Stanford.– Increased to teenangers/adults.– Based on IQ.

•William Stern

•Derived the formula.

•Used by Terman.

•Average IQ = 100

Mental Age

IQ TestIQ Test

IQ = x 100

Chronological Age

TodayToday• Tests represent the test-taker’s

performance relative to the average performance of others the same age.

DiscriminationDiscrimination

Modern Testing of Mental Abilities

Modern Testing of Mental Abilities

• Achievement Test• Intended to reflect what you’ve learned• Example: AHSGE, AP Exams

• Aptitude Test• Intended to predict your ability to

learn new skills.• Example: ACT, SAT, GRE

Most Popular IQ TestMost Popular IQ Test• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

• 11 subtests broken into verbal and performance areas.

• Separate scores.

• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

Principles of Test Construction

Principles of Test Construction

• Must meet three criteria:

(1) Standardized• taken overtime to develop a comparison that becomes

meaningful.

(2) Reliable• yielding dependable testing scores.• retesting.

(3) Valid• the extent to which the test measures or predicts what it

promises.• content validity• predictive validity

• www.begent.org/intelquiz.htm

• www.alliqtest.com/tests/2/2

• www.alliqtests.com