Understanding Intelligence:
IQ, EI, and MI
Restructuring our notions of
Learning and Intelligence
Intelligence
4 Characteristics:
1. Adaptive – modifying behavior to
accomplish new tasks successfully
2. Learning Ability – Learn new info
quickly & easily
3. Use of Prior Knowledge – to analyze &
understand new situations
4. Culture Specific - intelligence in one
culture isn’t always same in another
Intelligence & Culture
Intelligence is adaptive
Must help learner survive & thrive in their
particular culture
Since cultures differ, intelligence must be
different in various cultures
Intelligence
Not a measure of what a person has
learned (i.e. school achievement)
Often thought of as innate
But intelligence depends on prior
knowledge
Not necessarily a permanent, unchanging
characteristic
Can be modified through experience & learning
Measuring Intelligence
Hard to measure & define
Lead to creation of an Intelligence Test to
measure:
General knowledge
Vocabulary
Perception
Memory
Abstract Thought
I.Q. – Intelligence Quotient
Traditionally thought of as a ‘fixed’ trait, but
some research shows some gains are
possible.
Especially if child was in inadequate
environmental conditions (malnourished, no
school, etc.)
 Largely predictive of school success
IQ History – Early 1900’s
Developed when mass education became
the norm.
Originally designed to identify and help
“slower” students in France.
Tested many children of the same age &
identified patterns.
Sample IQ Test Questions
What does the word quarrel mean?
How are a goat and beetle alike?
What should you do if you get separated
from your family in a large department
store?
Sample IQ Questions….
Three kinds of people live on the planet
Ziropox; bims, gubs, and lops. All bims are
lops. Some gubs are lops. Which one of
the following must be true?
A) All bims are gubs
B) All lops are bims
C) Some gubs are bims
D) Some lops are bims.
IQ Continued…
IQ tests are age specific – only compared
to others of your age
Tests are different depending on age
IQ Test by Age
Elem. Tests – Ability to manipulate & work
with concrete objects
Lower Elementary: Copying geometric figures,
remembering short lists, identifying similarities
& differences
Upper Elementary: Assembling puzzles,
remembering sentences & series of numbers,
recognizing concrete analogies, finding
absurdities in illogical statements
IQ Test by Age
Adolescence - Includes abstract ideas
Middle School: vocabulary, drawing logical
inferences from verbal descriptions, identifying
similarities across dissimilar concepts
High School: Those listed above plus –
identifying differences in abstract words,
interpreting proverbs, breaking down complex
geometric figures
Results are ‘normalized’ – designed so
100 is average (50% above, 50% below)
2/3 of us score between 85-115
Psychologists have created a method of
scoring IQ tests that creates this
distribution
Score tests so 100 is always average
IQ Range
Classification
140 or over
Genius
%
Population
2.2
120 - 140
Very Superior
6.7
110-120
Superior
16.1
90 – 110
Normal, average
50
80 – 90
Dullness
16.1
70 – 80
Borderline Deficiency
6.7
Below 70
Definite Feeblemindedness
2.2
IQ Scores on the Rise
Worldwide IQ scores have steadily
increased over the years
Many people who were considered normal in
1900 would be below average today
Racial & ethnic groups becoming increasingly
similar too
Probably due to:
Increased nutrition, smaller families, better
schooling, increased cognitive stimulation (TV,
books, internet, video games)
Practice IQ Test
MENSA – “welcomes people from every walk
of life whose IQ is in the top 2% of the
population”
http://www.mensa.org/workout.html
World’s Smartest Person ….
According to the High IQ Society, the
world’s smartest person is a graduate
student at the University of Michigan.
 “there's a little bit of difference between being
the world's smartest person and winning this
contest – the smartest person in the world
probably wouldn't bother entering this contest. I
just thought it would be fun.” – Andrew Nierman
I.Q. Score Cautions
Questions may be culturally biased.
Ex: What is a toboggan?
Environmental Conditions
Poor nutrition, lack of books, toys, schooling, etc
Test Anxiety
Predicative of school success – not
necessarily life success
A Different Take: Multiple
Intelligences
 Developed by Howard Gardner in the early
1980’s at Harvard.
 Attempt at a more complete understanding
of intelligence.
 Developed 8 intelligences.
 We have a unique blend of
intelligences.
Gardner’s Intelligences
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Logical-mathematical (number smart)
Linguistic (word smart)
Bodily-Kinesthetic (body smart)
Musical (music smart)
Spatial (picture smart)
Interpersonal (person smart)
Intrapersonal (myself smart)
Naturalist (nature smart)
Take a MI Test
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_
ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/
questions.cfm
What do the average American female and
male results look like (according to this
particular test)?
Multiple Intelligences ….
Not readily accepted within academic
psychology, but embraced by educators.
MI rings true for teachers – matches their
experiences with students.
New approaches to better meet the needs
of a larger range of students.
Multiple Intelligences ….
Importance of portfolio assessment.
Not feasible to teach to all intelligences all
the time.
With understanding of MI, teachers can create
more balanced setting to enhance success of
all students.
Possible inclusion of other intelligences.
Another Take: Emotional
Intelligence
 A type of social intelligence that involves
the ability to:
1. Monitor one’s own and others’ emotions
2. To discriminate among them
3. To use the information to guide one’s
own thinking and actions
Emotional Intelligence ….
Based on a study from the 60’s - the
marshmallow experiment
4 year olds and their self-control
Children were followed up 12 years later
What do you think researchers found?
10 Years Later at 14 Years Old
Waiters (2/3 children)
Eaters (1/3 children)
Better adjusted
More popular
More adventurous
More Confident
Stubborn
Easily Frustrated
Lonely
210 points lower on
SAT
Emotional Intelligence ….
May be a better predictor of success in life
than IQ.
Can Emotional Intelligence be taught?
What do you think?
Summing Up …
New ways of understanding learning and
intelligence.
Multiple Intelligences – a unique blend of
intelligences
IQ vs. EQ
Success in school; success in life
Questions to ponder…
So is intelligence a useful concept? If so,
in what ways? If not, why not?
In particular, is intelligence useful for
teachers and for our system of education?
Identify an outcome and then authentic
assessments from 5 of the 8 multiple
intelligences…