Intelligence
Give a definition of intelligence that you
could defend, explaining why you believe
you could defend it. Give examples of ways
your definition of intelligence might be
measured and skills people might have who
would do well on those measures. Describe
how you would differentiate measures of
intelligence from measures of achievement.
Intelligence
Suppose you were asked to give a talk to
parents and educators on the topic “Can IQ
scores be raised?” You are asked to discuss
both the hereditarian and environmental
aspects of the issue. What would your
arguments be for both a strong hereditarian
position AND a strong environmentalist
position? Be certain to give specific
suggestions from an environmental
perspective on how IQ could be raised.
Developed by W. Huitt, 1999
Definitions of Intelligence
E. G. Boring
Whatever intelligence tests
measure
D. Wechsler
The global capacity of a
person to act purposefully,
to think rationally, and to
deal effectively with his/her
environment
Psychology
textbooks
The general ability to
perform cognitive tasks
Weschler, D. (1939). The measurement of adult intelligence. Baltimore:
Williams & Wilkins.
Definitions of Intelligence
Behaviorallyoriented
definition
R. Sternberg
The capacity to learn from
experience or the capacity to
adapt to one's environment
The cognitive ability to
learn from experience, to
reason well, to remember
important information,
and to cope with the
demands of daily living
Sternberg, R. (1988). The triarchic mind: A new theory of human intelligence.
New York: Viking.
Definitions of Intelligence
APA Task
Force
Ability to understand
complex ideas, to adapt
effectively to the
environment, to learn from
experience, to engage in
various forms of reasoning,
to overcome obstacles by
taking thought
APA Task Force. (1996, February). Intelligence: Knowns and unknowns.
American Psychologist.
Approaches to Intelligence
Psychometric
Focus on the measurement
of intelligence
Assumes normal
distribution
Multiple
Forms
Sternberg
Gardner
Approaches to Intelligence
Developmental
Brain/
neurophysiology
Piaget
Vygotsky
Brain metabolism
Brain imaging
Psychometric Approach
Based on an assumption of normal distribution
Psychometric Approach
Focus is on developing measures that predict
academic performance
Some researchers are critical of this approach
while others believe it has proven its correctness
Major issue: What is it we want to know?
• Predict school success as presently structured
• Predict life success
• Develop human potential
Stability (Reliability) of IQ Scores
IQ measures fairly stable, especially after
adolescence
• r (age 6, age 18) = .77
• r (age 12, age 18) = .89
• r (averages 5, 6, 7; averages 17, 18) = .86
• r (averages 11, 12, 13; averages 17, 18) = .96
Predicting With IQ Measures (Validity)
IQ measures correlate with academic
achievement about r = .5
Successful school learning also depends on:
• Persistence
• Interest in school
• Learning disabilities
• Encouragement from family, peers, teachers
• Other factors
Predicting With IQ Measures (Validity)
IQ measures correlate about the same or lower
with life success (Social status, Income)
• r (IQ, social status) = .5
• r (IQ, income) = .4
• Complex relationship because of impact of
education
Predicting With IQ Measures (Validity)
Factors other than IQ account for more
variance when predicting life success
(Goleman, 1995; Jencks, 1979)
• Affective/Emotional Factors
• Conative/Volitional Factors
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than
IQ for character, health and lifelong achievement. New York: Bantam.
Jencks, C. (1979). Who gets ahead? The determinants of economic success
in America. New York: BasicBooks.
Issue of Nature vs. Nuture
What is the source of intelligence (as measured
by IQ)
• Nature (Biology, genetics)
• Nuture (Environment, family, schooling,
changing economic conditions)
Correlations among various group members
used to test hypotheses
Issue of Nature vs. Nuture
Issue of Nature vs. Nuture
Issue of Nature vs. Nuture
Plomin et al. (1990) make the following
estimates:
.50
• Nature
• Within family
.25
• Between families
.15
• Error
.10
Plomin, R., DeFries, J., & McClearn, S. (1990). Behavioral genetics: A primer
(2nd ed.). New York: Freeman.
Nuture’s Influence
Stability of IQ measures true only if there are
no radical changes in the environment
• Gains in Appalachia in 1930s
• Venezuelan Intelligence Project (Herrnstein
and others, 1986)
• Feuerstein’s (1980) Instrumental Enrichment
Feuerstein, R. (1980). Instrumental enrichment: An intervention program for
cognitive modifiability. Baltimore: University Park Press.
Herrnstein, R., Nickerson, R., de Sanchez, M., Swets, J. (1986). Teaching thinking
skills. American Psychologist, 41, 1279-1289.
Nuture’s Influence
Norms must be constantly revised because of
continuously rising test scores (Flynn, 1987)
• Average gain about 3 points per decade
Flynn, J. (1987). Massive IQ gains in 14 nations. What IQ tests really
measure. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 171-191.
Nuture’s Influence
Nuture’s Influence
Norms must be constantly revised because of
continuously rising test scores (Flynn, 1987)
• Average gain about 3 points per decade
• 19-year-olds in Netherlands went up
more than 8 points from 1972-1982
Flynn, J. (1987). Massive IQ gains in 14 nations. What IQ tests really
measure. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 171-191.
Nuture’s Influence
Hypotheses for rising IQ scores
• Daily life and occupational experiences
more “complex”
• Better nutrition
• Measuring “abstract problem solving
ability,” not really intelligence
Issue of Nature vs. Nuture
Issue of nature vs. nuture is especially critical
for educators:
• If nature, our role is to sort and select
• If nuture, our role is to develop
Issue of Nature vs. Nuture
Of course, the reality is that both are important
Psychometric Approach
Because IQ is a reliable and valid predictor of
academic performance and academic
performance is related to SES, educators should
look at methods that have demonstrated an
ability to impact IQ
Educators can also look to other theories of
intelligence for some ideas about human potential
• Sternberg
• Gardner
• Piaget
The End