CH 8 Intelligence and Academic Achievement

Question 1

The History of IQ testing

Answer 1

 Alfred Binet
 commissioned by French govt. to separate
children into vocational vs. academic schooling
(1904)
 did not design test to measure ‘intelligence’
 created concept of mental age (MA)
 First IQ tests developed
 Binet (with Theophile Simon)
 30 items of increasing difficulty - 1905
 Revision 1908 – age specific versions

Question 2

Early IQ tests

Answer 2

estimate of children’s MENTAL age
by comparing their performance on various tasks with
performance of children at various ages

Question 3

Intelligence as a Single
Trait

Answer 3

Each individual possesses a certain amount of g (general
intelligence)
Measures of g correlate with:
- Indicators of school achievement
- Information-processing speed
- Speed of neural transmission in the brain
- Knowledge of subjects not studied in school

Question 4

Intelligence as a Few
Basic Abilities

Answer 4

2 Kinds:
Crystallized Intelligence: Factual Knowledge
Fluid Intelligence: ability to think on the spot to solve problems (street smarts)

Question 5

Intelligence as Numerous
Processes

Answer 5

Intelligence comprised of numerous
distinct processes:
remembering
- perceiving
- planning
- comprehending
- solving problems
- encoding
- reasoning
- forming concepts

Question 6

Intelligence Tests

Answer 6

NOT DIRECT MEASUREMENTS
OF INTELLIGENCE ITSELF
They are measurements of
observable behavior on a variety of
types of tasks that require
intelligence
Measure different aspects of intelligence in
children of different ages
They have their greatest success and widest application
with preschoolers and older children.

Question 7

Wechsler Intelligence Test for
Children (WISC)-V

Answer 7

Most widely used instrument for children 6 yrs and older–gives
overall score comprised of 5 subtests

Question 8

Tests:
5 moderately general abilities

Answer 8

 Verbal comprehension
 Visual-spatial processing
 Working memory
 Fluid reasoning
 Processing speech

Question 9

Continuity of IQ Scores

Answer 9

Children’s IQ scores at different ages show continuity from age
5 onward
Evidence from longitudinal studies
Measurements conducted closer in time are more closely
correlated
Scores are more stable at older ages
Changes in IQ scores over time function of:
Characteristics of children and their parents
Alterations in child’s environment
Random variation

Question 10

IQ Scores as Predictors of Important
Outcomes

Answer 10

A child’s IQ is more closely related to their
later occupational success than is
socioeconomic status (SES), school attended,
or any other variable that has been studied.
BUT… motivation, creativity, health, social skills, and other factors are
also important influences on success.
IQ is a strong predictor of academic, economic, and occupational
success.

Question 11

Genetic Contributions to Intelligence

Answer 11

 The genetic contribution to intelligence is greater in older
children than younger ones.
WHY?
‐ Some genetic processes
do not impact IQ until later
childhood and adolescence
‐ E.g. neural connectivity
‐ Children increasingly select
environments compatible with
their own genetically based
preferences

Question 12

Genotype-Environment Interactions

Answer 12

Sandra Scarr: Effects of the genotype arise
because of:
- Passive Effects: Overlap between
parents’ and children’s genes
- Evocative Effects: Children elicit or
influence other people’s behavior
- Active effects: Children choose
environments they enjoy
* Children’s environments partially influenced by their genotype.

Question 13

Family Influences

Answer 13

HOME (Home Observation for Measurement of the
Environment): measure of family influences (Caldwell &
Bradley, 1984, 2003)
Throughout childhood,
children’s IQ scores are
positively correlated with the
quality of their family
environment as measured by
the HOME (shouting, involvement, reading,
eating together, 3+ books)
Throughout childhood,
children’s IQ scores are
positively correlated with the
quality of their family
environment as measured by
the HOME (shouting, involv

Question 14

Attending School Boosts IQ!

Answer 14

Cahan & Cahan (1989):
Children only slightly
older but who had a
year more schooling
did better on parts of
an IQ test

Question 15

Effects of Poverty on IQ

Answer 15

How poverty impacts IQ:
- Nutrition
- health care
- intellectual stimulation
- emotional support.
The more years children spend in poverty, the lower their IQs
tend to be.