PSYCHOLOGY:
MAKING CONNECTIONS
GREGORY J. FEIST
ERIKA L. ROSENBERG
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.

Intelligence,
Problem-Solving, and
Creativity
Chapter Ten
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.

Intelligence
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.

Defining Intelligence

Set of cognitive skills that includes abstract thinking, reasoning, problem solving, and the ability to acquire knowledge
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.

Theories of Intelligence

Intelligence as multiple abilities
– Raymond Cattell
– Multiple-factor theory of intelligence

Fluid intelligence
– Raw mental ability

Crystallized intelligence
– Knowledge from experience, learning, education, and practice
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.

Theories of Intelligence

Intelligence as multiple abilities
– John Carroll (1993)

General intelligence

Broad intelligence

Narrow intelligence
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.

Theories of Intelligence

Intelligence as multiple abilities
– Robert Sternberg
– Triarchic theory of intelligence

Includes analytic, creative, and practical intelligence
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.

Theories of Intelligence

Intelligence as multiple abilities
– Howard Gardner
– Eight capacities
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Inc.

Measures of Intelligence


Reliability
– Consistency of a measurement
Validity
– Degree to which a test accurately measures what is purports to measure

Construct validity

Predictive validity
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.

Extremes of Intelligence
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Inc.

Extremes of Intelligence

Mental retardation
– Significant limitations in intellectual functioning
– I.Q. of 70 or below
– Adaptive behavior
– Down syndrome
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.

Extremes of Intelligence

Giftedness
– High end of the intelligence spectrum
– IQ of 130-140 or above

Prodigy

Savant syndrome
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Inc.

Problem Solving
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Inc.

Types of Problems


Convergent thinking problems
– Have known solutions
– Require analytical thinking
Divergent thinking problems
– Have no known solutions
– Require novel solutions
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.

Creativity
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Inc.

What is Creativity?

Thinking and/or behavior that is both novel-original and useful-adaptive
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Inc.

Genius, Intelligence, and
Creativity

Genius is closely related to creativity in that it combines high intelligence with achievements that change entire fields such as art, technology, music, science, and business
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Inc.

Creativity and the Brain

Creative insight and the Right
Hemisphere
– Insights occur more in the right hemisphere than in the left hemisphere
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Inc.

Creativity and Balanced
Activity Between the
Hemispheres

Creative people solving creative problems show more balanced activity between their right and left frontal lobes than less than creative people
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Inc.

Cognitive Processes in
Creative Thinking


Ideational fluency
– Ability to produce many ideas
Flexibility of thought
– Ability to come up with many different categories of ideas and think of other responses besides the obvious
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Inc.

The Creative Personality

Personality traits shared by creative artists and scientists
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.