Mrs. Perl
AP Psychology
Unit 11
Intelligence
1. List the behaviors you feel are characteristic of particularly intelligent people and behaviors you feel are characteristic
of particularly unintelligent people.
2. On the basis of this list, how would you define intelligence?
Behavioral Checklist
Rate each of the following in terms of how characteristic it is of you. Write a number from 1 to 9 in the blank before
each item, with “1” meaning “extremely uncharacteristic of me” and “9” meaning “extremely characteristic of me.”
I. Practical problem-solving ability
1. Reasons logically and well _______
2. Identifies connections among ideas _______
3. Sees all aspects of a problem _______
4. Keeps an open mind _______
5. Responds thoughtfully to others’ ideas _______
6. Sizes up situations well _______
7. Gets to the heart of the problem _______
8. Interprets information accurately _______
9. Makes good decisions _______
10. Goes to original sources for basic information _______
11. Poses problems in an optimal way _______
12. Is a good source of ideas _______
13. Perceives implied assumptions and conclusions _______
14. Listens to all sides of an argument _______
15. Deals with problems resourcefully _______
II. Verbal ability
16. Speaks clearly and articulately _______
17. Is verbally fluent _______
18. Converses well _______
19. Is knowledgeable about a particular area of subject matter _______
20. Studies hard _______
21. Reads with high comprehension _______
22. Reads widely _______
23. Writes without difficulty _______
24. Sets aside time for reading _______
25. Displays good vocabulary _______
III. Social competence
26. Accepts others for what they are _______
27. Admits mistakes _______
28. Displays interest in the world at large _______
29. Is on time for appointments _______
30. Has social conscience _______
31. Thinks before speaking and doing _______
32. Displays curiosity _______
33. Does not make snap judgments _______
34. Makes fair judgments _______
35. Assesses well the relevance of information to a problem at hand _______
36. Is sensitive to other people’s needs and desires _______
37. Is frank and honest with self and others _______
38. Displays interest in the immediate environment _______
Source: Robert J. Sternberg, Excerpt from Intelligence Applied. Copyright © 1986. Reprinted by permission.
3. Has your definition of intelligence changed in any way?
Definition of Intelligence: The ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use
knowledge to adapt to new situations.
How is this definition similar to or different than what you had listed as your definition on the
page above?
Discuss the following questions in small groups:
Is intelligence an inherent mental capacity or can it be developed over time?
Is intelligence an achieved level of intellectual performance or can it be divided into specific areas of aptitude and talent?
Is intelligence an ascribed quality in the eye of the beholder?
Is intelligence a single overall ability or several specific abilities? If several abilities, what are they?
Theories about intelligence: “Generalists” vs. “Multiples”
I.
Intelligence is an inherent mental capacity that is specific to the realm of mathematical and verbal abilities
a. Single Overall Ability that is measured using psychometric testing and factor analysis-There are a small
number of dimensions, clusters, or factors within a larger set of dependent variables. One can determine a
statistical relationship between different measures of ability.
i. Charles Spearman
a. G factor
b. S factor
ii. Raymond Cattell
a. Fluid intelligence-See complex relationships and solve problems
b. Crystalized intelligence-Knowledge as measured by tests of vocabulary, math, and general
knowledge.
iii. L.L. Thurstone
a. Primary mental abilities theory
a. 7 categories of mental reasoning
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Verbal Comprehension
Verbal Fluency
Number or Arithmetic Ability
Memory
Perceptual Speed
Inductive Reasoning
Spatial Visualization
b. Correlation between scores on these 8 categories and scores on verbal reasoning
tests ( we will discuss measuring/assessing intelligence more later)
II. Intelligence should be divided into various areas of aptitude and talent
a. Multiple Intelligence-Howard Gardener
i. Types
1. Mathematics
2. Verbal
3. Movement
4. Music
5. Spatial analysis
6. Understanding self
7. Understanding others
8. Understanding natural environment
ii. “Proof”
1. Brain damage may diminish some areas but not others-separate neural areas control various
aspects of intelligence. Based on case study research. Can it be generalized to the rest of the
population without experimental research?
2. Idiot savant-may score low on intelligence tests but have an “island” of brilliance.
b. Robert Sternberg-Triarchic theory of intelligence
i. Analytical intelligence-academic intelligence that involves learning facts and solving well-defined
problems with one single answer
a. Knowledge acquisition- Learning of new facts
b. Performance components-Problem-solving strategies and techniques
c. Metacognitive components-Selecting strategies and monitoring progress towards
success
ii. Creative intelligence-Reacting adaptively to new situations and generating novel ideas
iii. Practical intelligence-Everyday tasks that are frequently ill-defined and may have multiple solutions
(This may be a sign of vocational success). May be referred to as “street smarts” and involves
managing oneself, tasks, and other people.
1. Adapt to new and different contexts
2. Select appropriate contexts
3. Shape environment to suit needs
Sternberg quote: “Alice is a good student, always getting good grades until she reached graduate school. Required to come up with original ideas,
Alice began to fall behind. Barbara is not such a good student, but she’s brimming over with ideas for research. Celia is neither a good nor a creative
student,but she’s street smart; she knows how to play the game—how to get things done. Sternberg summarizes: “So basically what I’ve said
is there are different ways to be smart but ultimately what you want to do is take the components (Alice’s intelligence), apply them to your
experience (Barbara), and use them to adapt to, select, and shape your environment (Celia).”
c. Social and emotional intelligence: Peter Salovey and John Mayer –MEIS – multifactor emotional
intelligence scale: Academic intelligence is necessary for rigorous professions but once you get to a certain
level of academic intelligence where everyone possesses similar qualities it is social and emotional
intelligence that dictates success.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Ability to perceive emotions
Ability to express emotions
Ability to understand emotions
Ability to regulate emotions
Emotional Intelligence Scale
Instructions: Indicate the extent to which each item applies to you using the following scale:
1 = strongly disagree
2 = disagree
3 = neither disagree nor agree
4 = agree
5 = strongly agree
1. I know when to speak about my personal problems to others. _______
2. When I am faced with obstacles, I remember times I faced similar obstacles and overcame them. _______
3. I expect that I will do well on most things I try. _______
4. Other people find it easy to confide in me. _______
5. I find it hard to understand the nonverbal messages of other people. (r) _______
6. Some of the major events of my life have led me to re-evaluate what is important and not import_______ant. _______
7. When my mood changes, I see new possibilities. _______
8. Emotions are some of the things that make my life worth living. _______
9. I am aware of my emotions as I experience them. _______
10. I expect good things to happen. _______
11. I like to share my emotions with others. _______
12. When I experience a positive emotion, I know how to make it last. _______
13. I arrange events others enjoy. _______
14. I seek out activities that make me happy. _______
15. I am aware of the nonverbal messages I send to others. _______
16. I present myself in a way that makes a good impression on others. _______
17. When I am in a positive mood, solving problems is easy for me. _______
18. By looking at their facial expressions, I recognize the emotions people are experiencing. _______
19. I know why my emotions change. _______
20. When I am in a positive mood, I am able to come up with new ideas. _______
21. I have control over my emotions. _______
22. I easily recognize my emotions as I experience them. _______
23. I motivate myself by imagining a good outcome to tasks I take on. _______
24. I compliment others when they have done something well. _______
25. I am aware of the nonverbal messages other people send. _______
26. When another person tells me about an important event in his or her life, I almost feel as though I have _______
experienced this event myself. _______
27. When I feel a change in emotions, I tend to come up with new ideas. _______
28. When I am faced with a challenge, I give up because I believe I will fail. 9(r) _______
29. I know what other people are feeling just by looking at them. _______
30. I help other people feel better when they are down. _______
31. I use good moods to help myself keep trying in the face of obstacles. _______
32. I can tell how people are feeling by listening to the tone of their voice. _______
33. It is difficult for me to understand why people feel the way they do. (r) _______
Source: Reprinted from Personality and Individual Differences, 25, N. S. Schutte et al. Development and validation of a
measure of emotional intelligence, 167–177. Copyright 1998, with permission from Elsevier.
Based on Peter Salovey and John Mayer’s model of emotional intelligence, the scale items are designed to
assess (1) the appraisal and expression of emotion in self and others, (2) the regulation of emotion in self and
others, and (3) the utilization of emotion in solving problems.