Intelligence

Objectives

• Define intelligence and summarize the history of intelligence testing
• Name and discuss the major issues surrounding IQ testing
• Explain the ways in which heredity and environment affect intelligence
• Explain the two major approaches to understanding intelligence
• Define giftedness, creativity, and mental retardation

convergent thinking

creativity

cultural bias

divergent thinking

factor analysis

G

genetic inheritability

giftedness

group test

individual test

intelligence

intelligence quotient (IQ)

mental age

mentally retarded

nonshared environment

psychometrics

reliable

savants

shared environment

valid

Background

Most students feel great pressure to achieve academically and to demonstrate their intelligence through standardized tests. Their lives and futures are profoundly affected by the concept of intelligence and by issues surrounding intelligence testing. Though psychologists disagree about its definition, the chapter defines intelligence as "the ability to learn and to adapt to the environment." Students learn that some psychologists believe that there is one measurable, general intelligence and that some believe that there are multiple intelligences.

Students begin their study of intelligence by reviewing various definitions of intelligence and surveying the origins and history of intelligence testing. They examine common intelligence tests, including the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, the Wechsler Scale, and group tests.

Next, students review issues and questions related to testing: the factors that make a good test, the meaning of test scores, and the possibility of bias in testing.

Where does intelligence come from? Students learn that heredity and environment both affect intelligence.

They discover what psychologists have learned about influences of heredity and environment, including reviews of twin studies and recent research. Students can use this information to evaluate their own heredity and environmental influences.

One of the chapter's key issues is of great interest to students. Is there one measurable intelligence or are there multiple intelligences? Students find out that psychologists disagree on this issue. The chapter reviews multiple intelligence theories as proposed by several psychologists, with special attention to Howard Gardner's eight types of intelligence and Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence. Students find ample material for discussion and reflection here.

The chapter closes with a discussion of the diversity of mental ability—giftedness, creativity, and mental retardation.

Further Resources

Gardner, Howard. Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. New York: Basic Books, 1993.

Howard, Robert. All About Intelligence: Human, Animal, and Artificial. Australia: New South Wales University Press, 1991.

For Discussion

Review

1. Into what two groups do psychologists who measure intelligence fall?

2. What are the criteria for a good psychological test?

3. Why are twin studies important in researching causes of intelligence?

4. What is the factor that Charles Spearman called "G"?

Critical Thinking

1. What kinds of environmental influences—shared and nonshared—do you think can improve a person's intelligence?

2. Why do you think that psychologists disagree about what intelligence is?

3. Of Gardner's eight intelligences, which do you think are most valued in today's society?

4. Of Gardner's eight intelligences, which do you think are least valued in today's society?

5. To what degree do you think that high scores on tests such as the SATs are predictors of success?

Activities

1. A Debate on IQ Testing

Organize a class debate about the issue discussed in the Critical Thinking feature: are IQ tests useful tools or should they be discarded?

2. Internet: Test Preparation Resources

Have students interview students, teachers, and administrators at your school regarding their definitions of intelligence. List results on the board.

3. Internet: Large and Small Audiences

Have students explore the Internet to find resources that can assist them in preparing for standardized tests such as the SATs. Have them print pages from useful sites and report their findings to the class.

4. Special Sources: Psychological Journals

Have students review psychological journals and magazines to find current articles on intelligence and testing. Have them write short summaries of any interesting findings.