Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
CHAPTER 10:
Intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence Tests
The Nature of Intelligence
The Great Debates
Education
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
The Stanford-Binet
 A new type of test, developed by Alfred
Binet in 1904 to screen French school
children for potential academic problems.
 Translated into English and adapted for the
U.S. by Lewis Terman of Stanford
University.
 Mental Age

The average age of the children who achieve
a certain level of performance
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
Intelligence Quotient

Originally defined as the ratio of mental age
to chronological age, it now represents a
person’s performance relative to same-age
peers.
 Shifts the focus to the rate of development

Allows children of different ages to be
compared.
IQ=(
Mental Age
Chronological Age
) x 100
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
The Wechsler Scales
 Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

The most widely used IQ test for adults, it
yields separate scores for verbal and
performance subtests
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
The Wechsler Scales
Simulated Items Similar to those in the WAIS
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
The Wechsler Scales
Simulated Items Similar to those in the WAIS
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
Group Aptitude Tests
 Stanford-Binet, Wechsler, and other scales test one
person at a time.

This is not practical for quick, large-scale assessment.
 During World War I, the U.S. Army developed
two tests that could be group-administered.


“Alpha” for those who could read English
“Beta” for all other recruits
 Group tests are now common.



Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
American College Test (ACT)
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
Distribution of Scores on the SAT
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
Are Intelligence Tests Accurate?
 Standardization

The procedure by which existing norms are used to
interpret an individual’s test score
 Reliability


The extent to which a test yields consistent results
over time or using alternate forms
Two types are test-retest and split-half.
 Validity

The extent to which a test measures what it is
supposed to measure

Two types are content and criterion.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
Standardization
 Involves administering a
test to thousands of people
similar to those for whom
the test was intended.
 And, determining average
score and characteristics of
distribution of scores
The average score was set at
100 and test scores are
distributed in a normal bellshaped curve with about 68% of
scores falling between 85 and
115.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
Reliability
 A reliable test measures a variable(s)
consistently.
 Unlike validity, reliability does not address
what is being measured.
 Forms of reliability

Test-Retest
• The extent to which a test yields consistent
results when readministered at a later time

Split half
• The degree to which alternate forms of a test
yield similar results
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
Validity
 A valid test measures or predicts
what it claims to measure or predict.
 Types of Validity

Content validity
• The extent to which a test measures
what it is supposed to measure

Criterion-related validity
• The extent to which a test can predict a
concurrent or future outcome
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Intelligence Tests
Are Intelligence Tests Biased?
Raven's “Culture-Fair” Test
 Person is given a
series of matrices and
must complete each by
selecting the correct
symbol for the
available choices.
 Designed to be free of
cultural bias
Sample Item
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Nature of Intelligence
General Intelligence (g)

A broad intellectual-ability factor used to
explain why performances on different
intelligence-test items are often correlated
 Factor Analysis

A statistical technique used to identify
clusters of test items that correlate with one
another.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Nature of Intelligence
Spearman’s Theory of Intelligence
 Spearman theorized that
individuals differ in
general intelligence (g).
 To explain why
correlations among tests
are not perfect, he
theorized that each test
score is also affected by
the specific ability being
tested (S).
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Nature of Intelligence
General Intelligence (g)
Neural Speed and Intelligence
 Recorded time
required for brain to
react to visual stimuli.
 Ordered subjects from
slowest (1) to fastest
(5) on this measure.
 Subjects with higher
conduction speed also
had higher scores on
an intelligence test.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Nature of Intelligence
Gardner's Frames of Mind
 Multiple Intelligences

Gardner’s theory that there are seven types
of intelligence:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Linguistic intelligence
Logical - mathematical intelligence
Spatial intelligence
Musical intelligence
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
Interpersonal intelligence
Intrapersonal intelligence
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Nature of Intelligence
Gardner's Frames of Mind
Types of Multiple Intelligences I
 Linguistic Intelligence

Verbal ability, consists of the skills involved in
speaking, listening, reading, and writing
 Logical-mathematical Intelligence

Abstract reasoning ability, consists of the skills
necessary for solving puzzles and programming
computers
 Spatial Intelligence

Visual ability, consists of the skills involved in
orienting oneself in space and navigation
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Nature of Intelligence
Gardner's Frames of Mind
Types of Multiple Intelligences II
 Musical Intelligence

Ability to appreciate the tonal qualities of sound,
consists of the skills necessary to compose and play an
instrument
 Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence

Ability to control gross and fine body movements
 Interpersonal Intelligence

Ability to understand others, social skills
 Intrapersonal Intelligence

Ability to understand oneself, self-insight
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Nature of Intelligence
Sternberg's Triarchic Theory
 Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Sternberg’s theory that there are three kinds of
intelligence: analytic, creative, and practical.
 Analytic - “Components”
 Comparing, analyzing, and evaluating
 This type of process correlates best with IQ
 Creative - “Experiential”
 Inventing or designing solutions to new problems
 Practical - “Contextual”
 Adapting to the contexts of everyday life

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Nature of Intelligence
Sternberg's Triarchic Theory
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Nature of Intelligence
Sternberg's Triarchic Theory
 Creativity

Intellectual and motivational processes that
lead to novel situations, ideas, artistic forms,
or products
 Divergent Thinking

The ability to think flexibly and entertain a
wide range of possible solutions.
 Practical Intelligence

The ability to size up new situations and
adapt to real-life demands.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Great Debates
Nature and Nurture
Nature's Influence on IQ Scores
 The greater the genetic
similarity between two
individuals, the more
similar are their IQ
scores.

This suggests a genetic
component to
intelligence.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Great Debates
Nature and Nurture
Nurture's Influence on IQ Scores
 All other things being
equal, two individuals
raised together will
have more similar IQ
scores than those
raised apart.

This is evidence that
the environment shapes
intelligence in
important ways.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Great Debates
Nature and Nurture
How Environments Magnify Genetic Influences
 Some theorize that genes predispose children toward
varying success rates in school.
 Early academic experiences guide the children into
different environments.
 These environments can multiply the influence of genes.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Great Debates
Nature and Nurture
 Children from
comparable schools


Effects of Schooling
One with 180-day year
One with 210-day year
 Children began study
performing similarly
 At end of study,
extended-year children
performed better on
math (shown here) and
reading tests.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Great Debates
Nature and Nurture
Head Start Programs
 Project Head Start



A preschool intellectual-enrichment program
for children born of poor families
Serves hundreds of thousands of families across
the U.S. each year
Alumni score about 10 points higher on IQ
tests, are more confident, are less likely to
repeat grades, and are more likely to graduate
from high school compared to their peers.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Great Debates
The Racial Gap
Explaining Group Differences
 Within a group with all
treated exactly the
same, differences may
reflect genetics.
 When one group differs
from another, the
differences between the
groups may reflect
environmental
differences.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Great Debates
The Racial Gap
Education: The Great Equalizer
 Cognitive test scores
from grades 8 – 16
 Initial gap between
black and white
students was narrowed
significantly by the
end of college
 Education has a vital
equalizing role
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Great Debates
Cultural Influences
 Asian American students get higher grades and
SAT math scores, are more likely to graduate from
college, and are more likely to win various
scholarships compared to their peers.
 However, research shows that their tests scores are
about average.
 Americans, relative to those in Asian countries,
may set lower standards and place less value on
educational pursuits.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Great Debates
Gender Differences
The Mental-Rotation Test of Spatial Ability
 Which view (a, b,
or c) shows a
different view of
the same object as
each standard?
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
The Great Debates
Gender Differences
Verbal, Mathematical, and Spatial Abilities
 Girls outscore boys on verbal abilities and
reading.
 Girls are better at arithmetic in grade
school, but boys surpass them by junior
high school.
 Males outperform females on spatial tasks.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Education
Extremes of Intelligence
 Giftedness


Intelligence significantly above average
May be specific to a given domain
 Mental Retardation





A diagnostic category used for people with
IQ scores below 70 who have difficulty
adapting to the routine demands of life
Mild (IQ 50-70)
Moderate (IQ 35-49)
Severe (IQ 20-34)
Profound (IQ below 20)
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Education
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

The idea that a
person’s expectation
can lead to its own
fulfillment (as in the
effect of teacher
expectations on student
performance)
Three-Step Model
 Teachers with low
expectations of some
students may settle for
lower performance from
these students.
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin
Education
Stereotype Threat
 If students are told a test is
important, they may
respond by performing
either better or worse,
according to group
stereotypes.


African American students
are aware of negative
stereotypes
Vulnerability to stereotype
Stereotype Threat Effect
undermines performance
on Test Performance
Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin