What IS intelligence?

Does language indicate Does language indicate intelligence?intelligence?

• Language isn’t only about communication

• Language allows the accumulation and transmission of knowledge and culture

• thanks to language, we know things we have never personally experienced!

LanguageLanguage• spoken,

written or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning

Do animals use language?Do animals use language?Animals show intelligence, including communication, but is it language…?

• Some researchers say “Yes” - Washoe learned American Sign Language and could link words together to form meaning: “Water” “Bird” upon seeing a swan

• Some researchers say “no” – Washoe was only “aping” copying what she had seen earlier – or perhaps repeating behaviors that earned her an earlier reward.

(operant conditioning)

The debate continues….

Building Blocks of Language

One of the strongest arguments against animal language, is that they fail to use

proper syntax - syntax - rules we use to order the words in our sentences

“you tickle” and “tickle you” mean two very different things but might be used interchangeably by ape-signers

More Building Blocks of Language• PhonemesPhonemes – the smallest distinctive sound

unit (not letter) (/ss/ /aa/ /tt/ = sat) ….changes in phonemes make different meanings (/ff/ /aa/ /tt/ = fat)

• MorphemesMorphemes – the smallest unit of language that carries meaning (a, me, pre-, -eda, me, pre-, -ed,)

UnladylikeUnladylike– unun- 'not' – ladylady '(well behaved) female adult human' – -likelike 'having the characteristics of'

How do we learn these building

blocks?• Nature vs Nurture

• Remember Skinner?

• Its Nurture – we are learn language through experience. Children imitate sounds that get rewarded and are thus repeated.

How do we learn these building

blocks?• Nature vs Nurture

• Remember Chomsky?

• Its Nature – we are born with a “language acquisition device” – we absorb new words an astounding pace and we are pre-wired to utilize grammatical building blocks (such as syntax)

Critical PeriodCritical Period

• The window for learning language is wide open in our early years (our grammar “switches” are flipped on) but after the age of 7, that window

gradually closes

• Conclusion – language is a result Conclusion – language is a result of biology and experience of biology and experience

combinedcombined

Intelligence.

1918 Army Intelligence Test Write your answers down to the following.

No instructions will be given (that’s part of the test)

Absolutely no talking (don’t worry, its pretty short)

You get 9 seconds per question only….

What is “Intelligence”?

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

ggAfter finding that schoolchildren's grades across seemingly unrelated subjects were positively correlated, Charles SpearmanCharles Spearman proposed that these correlations reflected the influence of a dominant factor, which he termed gg for "general" intelligence"general" intelligence

What is “Intelligence”?

Is a talented artist who can’t

do math “unintelligent”? Is a brilliant scientist who can’t follow a

road map “unintelligent”?

Is intelligence one general

ability, or several specific abilities?

Different cultures deem “intelligent” as whatever attributes enable success in

those culturesDifferent cultures

deem “intelligent” as whatever

attributes enable

success in those

cultures

Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Howard Gardner– Linguistic– Logical-Mathematical– Body-Kinesthetic– Spatial– Musical – Interpersonal– Intrapersonal– Naturalist– Existential

Linguistic – words and language

A person's ability to construct and comprehend language

Journalists, poets, novelists, storyteller

Logical-Mathematical – numbers and logic

ability to mentally process logical problems and equations, the type most often found on multiple choice standardized tests

Scientists, accountants, navigator, surveyor

Spatial – pictures

Our ability to comprehend shapes and images in three dimensions.

perceive and interpret that which we may or may not physically see (assemble puzzle, mold a sculpture, etc)

Artists, cab drivers, architects, chess player

Musical – music

The ability to perform and compose music

Pianist, Composers, singers

Intrapersonal – self-awareness and reflection

allows us to tap into our being - who we are, what feelings we have, and why we are this way.

Self-help and motivational speakers,

philosophers, therapists

Body-Kinesthetic - physical

Each person possesses a certain control of his or her movements,

balance, agility and grace.

Athletes, dancers, craftsperson

Interpersonal – social skills

ability to interact with others, understand them, and interpret their behavior

Politicians, clergy,

salesperson, teacher

Naturalistic – experience in the natural world

People who are sensitive to changes in weather patterns, love the outdoors or are adept at distinguishing nuances between large numbers of similar objects may be expressing naturalist intelligence abilities.

Rangers, Guides, Environmentalists, Zoologist

Existential Intelligence

Individuals who exhibit the proclivity to pose (and ponder)

Philosophers and Thinkers - Aristotle, Confucius, Einstein,

Plato, Socrates

questions about life death, and

ultimate realities

Triarchic Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Robert Sternberg

-Analytical

-Creative

-Practical

Analytical –

Assessed by intelligence tests, which present well-defined problems having single right answers; academic intelligence. Problem-solving strategies and their correct applications to real-life issues. Commonly referred to as “book smarts”.

Creative Intelligence

– the ability to effectively deal with novel situations by

drawing on existing skills and knowledge.

Practical Intelligence

the ability to adapt to the environment, reflecting was is commonly called “street smarts”.

Cluster Intelligence

Louis Thurstone There are seven different primary mental

abilities. The scores for each of the seven tests of

intelligence is read separately in order to get a better understanding of strengths and weaknesses

Verbal comprehension (or Verbal Ability):

Found in such things as verbal reasoning, reasoning by analogy, and reading comprehension. It is "characterized primarily by its reference to ideas and the meanings of words."

Word fluency:

Facility with words in special contexts, such as anagrams, rhyming, etc.

Number ability:

Arithmetic computation

Spatial ability:

The ability to mentally manipulate and visualize geometric relations; facility in spatial and visual imagery.

Associative memory:

The ability to make random paired associations that require rote memory; memorizing skills.

Perceptual speed:

Facility in finding or in recognizing particular items in a perceptual field.

General reasoning ability (or Induction):

Facility in finding rules or principles in test items, such as in a number series.

Emotional Intelligence

Salovey and Mayer Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences PLUS:

– Emotional Intelligence – superb social skills, manages conflicts well, and has great empathy for others

Intelligence Anomalies

Savant Syndrome – a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in computation or drawing; some people are functionally retarded in almost every aspect except for one very specific ability.

Creative Intelligence – Aha!

Andrew Wiles:– Creativity is the ability to produce ideas that are

both novel and valuable– There are five components of a creatively

intelligent person:ExpertiseImaginative Thinking SkillsA Venturesome PersonalityIntrinsic MotivationA Creative Environment

Expertise is a well-developed base of knowledge

Imaginative Thinking Skills provide the ability to see new things, to recognize patterns, and to make connections

A Venturesome Personality tolerates ambiguity and risk, perseveres in overcoming obstacles, and seeks new experiences apart from the group

Intrinsic Motivation is the personal pleasure derived from the challenge of the work

A Creative Environment sparks, supports, and refines creative ideas.

Intelligence and the Brain

Correlational studies have suggested that brain size and intelligence are positively correlated

Brain analyses have suggested that more intelligent people have more neural connections

Intelligence and the Brain

Studies suggest that more intelligent people have faster perceptional skills and brain reaction speeds

Assessing Intelligence

How is intelligence determined?

Testing

Two Types of Intelligence Tests

Aptitude Test – a test designed to predict a person’s future performance; aptitude is the capacity to learn

Achievement Test – a test designed to assess what a person has already learned

One Example of an Achievement Test is an IQ Test

Intelligence Test – a written method for assessing an individual’s mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others, using numerical scores– Student A got a 1300 SAT score, while

Student B got a 900 SAT score. Student A is “more intelligent”.

IQ Tests

Stanford-Binet – the most widely used written intelligence test

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)– the most widely used intelligence test; contains verbal and performance (nonverbal) subtests

Factor Analysis

– a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (factors) on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie one’s total score– Along with your score on a test, there is a

breakdown of your performances on individual sections of the test – 600 Verbal, 700 Math on a total SAT score of 1300

Alfred Binet

1904Developed a test to identify French

school children in need of alternative education

• The 1The 1stst widely utilized widely utilized intelligence Testintelligence Test

The Stanford-Binet IQ Test

1916 Louis Terman, Stanford University

Felt that IQ was inherited and that tests would be a great way to classify children

Adjusted the test for English speaking students and utilized a colleague’s formula to derive a person’s “IQ” or “Intelligence Quotient”“IQ” or “Intelligence Quotient”

How do you determine IQ?Step 1

Mental Age – a measure of intelligence test performance devised by Binet; the chronological age that most typically corresponds to a given level of performance. – A child who does as well as the average

8-year-old is said to have a mental age of 8.

How do you determine IQ?Step 2

Intelligence Quotient (IQ) – defined originally as the ratio of mental age (ma) to the chronological age (ca), multiplied by 100. (MA / CA) X 100– An 8-year old student that takes an IQ

Test scores as well the average 10-year old.

– 10/8 = 1.25 X 100 = 125 IQ

IQ Scale

Over 140 - Genius or near genius 120 - 140 - Very superior intelligence 110 - 119 - Superior intelligence 90 - 109 - Normal or average intelligence 80 - 89 - Dullness 70 - 79 - Borderline deficiency Under 70 - Definite feeble-mindedness

Normal Curve – the symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes. Most scores fall near the average, and fewer and fewer scores lie near the extremes

The “normal curve” for IQ ranges from 85-100, plus or minus 15. About 95% of all scores fall into the range of 70-130. About .01% score below 55 or higher than 145.

Mental Retardation – a condition of limited mental ability, indicated by an intelligence score below 70 and difficultly in adapting to the demands of life; from mild, to profound

Constructing An Intelligence Test

1. Establish A “Standard”

Standardization – defining meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested “standardization group”– The “control” test group (a representative

sample of the entire population you are comparing scores to) scored an average of 1000 on the SAT. You scored a 1200 on the SAT. You are “above” the standard.

2. Is The Test “Reliable”?

Reliability – the extent to which a test yields consistent results, and how well it can be replicated

2. Checking Reliability

– Split-Half Reliability – Half of the students answer all of the odd questions, the other half answer all of the even questions on a test. The scores should be similar if the test is consistently testing the same knowledge.

– Equivalent Form – Students who receive Form A of a test should score similarly to those students who received Form B regarding the same information.

3. Is The Test “Valid”?

Validity – the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to

3. Checking Validity

Content Validity – the extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest– If a test is supposed to test your

knowledge of mathematical principles, the questions should be on math, not history or writing skills

3. Checking Validity

Predictive Validity – the success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict; it is assessed by computing the correlation between test scores and the criterion behavior– Is a test is designed to measure mechanical

aptitude, people who receive high scores should ultimately prove more successful in mechanical jobs than people that scored low

Reliability and Validity

It is possible to have a test that is reliable, but not valid. Such a test consistently measures something, but not what it is intended to measure.– IE. A vocabulary test given in math class is

reliable as far as testing vocabulary, but is not a valid measure of a student’s mathematical intelligence.

Reliability and Validity

It is impossible to have a test that is valid, but not reliable. If individual scores fluctuate wildly, then they cannot consistently correlate with other scores, whatever those scores may be.– Tests cannot be accurately measuring a given set of

material if scores on those tests vary wildly. On multiple tests of a single mathematical principal you score an 89, 34, 56, and a 99, the tests cannot have been consistently testing the same material, nor can they be good indicators that you know or don’t know the material.

What kinds of things may affect IQ?

Gender? Race? Wealth? Genetics/Heritability? Health Issues?

Genetic Influences

The intelligence scores of identical twins, raised together, are as similar as the scores of a single person taking the test twice

Twins raised separately have scores that are roughly 70% similar

Genetic Influences

A gene on chromosome #6 has been identified as potentially being the “IQ” gene. It has been found in 1/3 of children with very high intelligence scores.

By inserting an extra gene related to memory into fertilized mouse eggs, researchers have produced smarter mice

Genetic Influences

We cannot say what percentage of an individual’s intelligence is inherited (heritability), but we can say that differences amongst people can be attributed to their genetic makeup.

Environmental Influences

J. McVicker Hunt’s studies concluded that severe disadvantages, such as malnutrition, sensory deprivation, and social isolation reduce intellectual abilities

Head-Start type programs may help children prepare better for school, but not necessarily increase intelligence

School Effects

Those with high intelligence do better in school, go to school longer, and earn higher incomes

Ethnic Similarities and Differences

Racial groups differ in their average scores on intelligence tests, but differences within racial groups are greater.

High scoring people and groups are more likely to attain high levels of education and income.

Gender Similarities and Differences

Girls are:– More verbally fluent– Better spellers– More sensitive to touch, taste, and odor– More capable of remembering words and the

locations of objects– Higher scoring in math computation tests– Better at detecting emotions– Higher scoring on tests of recognition

Gender Similarities and Differences

Boys:– Outnumber girls in special education classes– Talk later– Read later– Score higher on math problem solving tests– Score higher on tests of spatial ability– Score higher on tests related to the sciences– Are less emotionally sensitive

The Question of Bias