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
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
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
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
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
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.
Problem Solving
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
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
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.
What is Creativity?
Thinking and/or behavior that is both novel-original and useful-adaptive
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
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
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.
Creativity and the Brain
Creative insight and the Right
Hemisphere
– Insights occur more in the right hemisphere than in the left hemisphere
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
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
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
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
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.
The Creative Personality
Personality traits shared by creative artists and scientists
Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.