Week 9 - Theories of intelligence

Question 1

Why test intelligence?

Answer 1

We test intelligence for prediction, to test academic merit, to identify people’s strengths and weaknesses, to help provide diagnostic information for developmental disorders and psychiatric conditions.

Question 2

Where do the roots of intelligence testing come from?

Answer 2

3000 years ago in China

Question 3

When did the first standardised and valid intelligence tests come about?

Answer 3

1908

Question 4

Where do the roots of formal intelligence testing come from?

Answer 4

England and France

Question 5

What two areas did early intelligence tests focus on?

Answer 5

• psychophysical abilities (stimulus & response)

- judgmental abilities

Question 6

How and why did Galton test intelligence?

Answer 6

• Was a eugenicist and wanted to breed out ‘dumb’ people

- psychophysical approach, used sensorimotor tests but found no consistent links between tests

Question 7

Why did Binet want to develop an intelligence test?

Answer 7

• In France, attitudes towards the insane and mentally retarded were changing
• Binet thought that mental processes interact with each other to solve complex problems. e.g. remembering numbers uses concentration and memory

Question 8

In his “modern” approach, what three characteristics did Binet think intelligence involved?

Answer 8

• direction
• adaption
• criticism

Question 9

What was Binet and Simon’s (1905) definition of intelligence?

Answer 9

the ability to judge well, to understand well, to reason well

Question 10

What was Terman’s (1916) definition of intelligence?

Answer 10

the capacity to form concepts & to grasp their significance

Question 11

What was Thurstone’s (1921) definition of intelligence?

Answer 11

the capacity to inhibit instinctive adjustments, flexibly imagine different responses, and realise modified instinctive adjustments into overt behaviour.

Question 12

What was Spearman’s (1923) definition of intelligence?

Answer 12

a general ability which involves mainly the education of relations and correlates.

Question 13

What was Weschler’s (1939) definition of intelligence?

Answer 13

the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with the environment

Question 14

What was Eysenck’s (1986) definition of intelligence?

Answer 14

error-free transmission of information through the cortex

Question 15

In the academic definitions, what are 3 common themes regarding the nature of intelligence?

Answer 15

• the capacity to learn
• the total knowledge a person has acquired
• successful adaptation to new situations/environments (intelligence tests don’t often capture this last point)

Question 16

What 3 common themes do lay people think intelligence involves?

Answer 16

• verbal intelligence
• problem solving
• practical intelligence

Question 17

Explain Spearman’s model of intelligence

Answer 17

• there is an underlying ‘general intelligence’ (g) used to perform any test
• there are also ‘specific factors’ (s) e.g. logical, spatial
• All IQ tests correlate to some degree, the commonality is called ‘g’. The more ‘g’, the better.
• all unrelated factors are called ‘s’

Question 18

What is a negative about Spearman’s model?

Answer 18

It doesn’t adequately represent social skills

Question 19

According to Spearman, what are 4 specific intelligence factors?

Answer 19

• mechanical
• logical
• arithmetical
• spatial

Question 20

What are the multidimensional models of intelligence?

Answer 20

• Thurstone’s 7 primary mental abilities
• P.E. Vemon’s hierarchical group factor theory
• Guilford’s Structure of Intelligence (SOI) model
• Gf-Gc and Modern Variants
• The CHC model
• The McGrew-Flanagan CHC Model

Question 21

Describe Thurstone’s model of intelligence

Answer 21

- Approx 7 primary mental abilities
	• Verbal comprehension
	• Spatial visualisation
	• Memory
	• Perceptual speed
	• Number
	• Inductive reasoning
	• Verbal fluency

Question 22

Describe P.E. Vermon’s model of intelligence

Answer 22

• Hierarchical group factor theory with ‘g’ at the top of the hierarchy
• ‘g’ includes 2 factors of verbal-education, and spatial-mechanical
• minor group factors and specific factors are below

Question 23

Describe Guilford’s model of intelligence

Answer 23

• Structure of Intellect model (SOI)
• Intelligence can be understood as a cube made up of operations, contents and products
• There are up to 150 factors of intelligence

Question 24

Describe Cattel & Horn’s model(s) of intelligence

Answer 24

• Two major factors of fluid intelligence and crystal intelligence
• Horn proposed additional factors to make a stratum model with 69 abilities
• Cattel made it into a 3 stratum model with ‘g’ at the top. Influenced by Spearman & Thurstone

Question 25

Describe the McGrew-Flanagan (1998) CHC model of intelligence

Answer 25

• Similar to Carroll’s model, with the addition of decision making speed.
• 10 broad stratum abilities followed by 70 or so narrow abilities

Question 26

Describe the speed-of-processing approach to intelligence

Answer 26

• Information processing approach (influenced by cog psych)
• concerned with how information is transferred rather than what information
• assumption = faster processing correlates with higher intelligence

Question 27

What are the limitations of IP and factor analytic approaches?

Answer 27

Only consider specific mental processes. Don’t measure interpersonal skills, socialisation etc.

Question 28

Describe Gardner’s approach to intelligence

Answer 28

• Multiple types of intelligences (not just academic)

- 9 types of intelligence

Question 29

Describe Sternberg’s triarchic theory of intelligence

Answer 29

• Componential or analytic intelligence
  - meta-components
  - performance components
  - knowledge-acquisition components
• Experiential (or creative) intelligence
• Contextual (or practical) intelligence
• use of all 3 areas is called ‘successful intelligence’