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Artificial intelligence
Any artificial system (often a computer program) that is capable of human-like problem solving or intelligent responding.
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Base rate
The basic rate at which an event occurs over time; the basic probability of an event.
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Bilingualism
An ability to speak two languages.
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Chronological age
A person’s age in years.
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Cognition
The process of thinking or mentally processing information (images, concepts, words, rules, and symbols).
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Concept
An idea representing a category of related objects or events.
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Concept formation
The process of classifying information into meaningful categories.
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Conceptual rule
A formal rule for deciding if an object or event is an example of a particular concept.
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Conjunctive concept
A class of objects that have two or more features in common. (For example, to qualify as an example of the concept an object must be both red and triangular.)
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Connotative meaning
The subjective, personal, or emotional meaning of a word or concept.
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Convergent thinking
Thinking directed toward discovery of a single established correct answer; conventional thinking.
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Culture-fair test
A test (such as an intelligence test) designed to minimize the importance of skills and knowledge that may be more common in some cultures than in others.
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Deductive thought
Thought that applies a general set of rules to specific situations; for example, using the laws of gravity to predict the behavior of a single falling object.
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Denotative meaning
The exact, dictionary definition of a word or concept; its objective meaning.
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Deviation IQ
An IQ obtained statistically from a person’s relative standing in his or her age group; that is, how far above or below average the person’s score was relative to other scores.
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Disjunctive concept
A concept defined by the presence of at least one of several possible features. (For example, to qualify an object must be either blue or circular.)
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Divergent thinking
Thinking that produces many ideas or alternatives; a major element in original or creative thought.
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Fixation
The tendency to repeat wrong solutions or faulty responses, especially as a result of becoming blind to alternatives.
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Flexibility
In tests of creativity, flexibility is indicated by the number of different types of solutions produced.
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Fluency
In tests of creativity, fluency refers to the total number of solutions produced.
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Framing
In thought, the terms in which a problem is stated or the way that it is structured.
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Functional fixedness
A rigidity in problem solving caused by an inability to see new uses for familiar objects.
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Functional solution
A detailed, practical, and workable solution.
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g-factor
A general ability factor or core of general intellectual ability that involves reasoning, problem-solving ability, knowledge, memory, and successful adaptation to one’s surroundings.
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General solution
A solution that correctly states the requirements for success but not in enough detail for further action.
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Giftedness
Either the possession of a high IQ or special talents or aptitudes.
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Grammar
A set of rules for combining language units into meaningful speech or writing.
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Group intelligence test
Any intelligence test that can be administered to a group of people with minimal supervision.
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Heuristic
Any strategy or technique that aids problem solving, especially by limiting the number of possible solutions to be tried.
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Illogical thought
Thought that is intuitive, haphazard, or irrational.
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Image
Most often, a mental representation that has picture-like qualities; an icon.
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Individual intelligence test
A test of intelligence designed to be given to a single individual by a trained specialist.
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Inductive thought
Thinking in which a general rule or principle is gathered from a series of specific examples; for instance, inferring the laws of gravity by observing many falling objects.
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Insight
A sudden mental reorganization of a problem that makes the solution obvious.
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Intelligence
An overall capacity to think rationally, act purposefully, and deal effectively with the environment.
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Intelligence quotient (IQ)
An index of intelligence defined as a person’s mental age divided by his or her chronological age and multiplied by 100.
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Intuition
Quick, impulsive thought that does not make use of formal logic or clear reasoning.
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Language
| Words or symbols, and rules for combining them, that are used for thinking and communication. | |
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Logical thought
Drawing conclusions on the basis of formal principles of reasoning.
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Mental age
The average mental ability people display at a given age.
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Mental retardation (developmentally disabled)
The presence of a developmental disability, a formal IQ score below 70, or a significant impairment of adaptive behavior.
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Morphemes
The smallest meaningful units in a language, such as syllables or words.
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Multiple intelligences
Howard Gardner’s theory that there are several specialized types of intellectual ability.
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Normal curve
A bell-shaped curve characterized by a large number of scores in a middle area, tapering to very few extremely high and low scores
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Originality
In tests of creativity, originality refers to how novel or unusual solutions are.
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Performance intelligence
Intelligence measured by solving puzzles, assembling objects, completing pictures, and other nonverbal tasks.
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Phonemes
The basic speech sounds of a language.
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Prototype
An ideal model used as a prime example of a particular concept.
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Random search strategy
Trying possible solutions to a problem in a more or less random order.
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Relational concept
A concept defined by the relationship between features of an object or between an object and its
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Representativeness heuristic
A tendency to select wrong answers because they seem to match pre-existing mental categories.
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Semantics
The study of meanings in words and language.
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Syntax
Rules for ordering words when forming sentences.
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Transformation rules
Rules by which a simple declarative sentence may be changed to other voices or forms (past tense, passive voice, and so forth).
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Twin study
A comparison of the characteristics of twins who were raised together or separated at birth; used to identify the relative impact of heredity and environment.
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Two-way bilingual education
A program in which English-speaking children and children with limited English proficiency are taught half the day in English and half in a second language.
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Understanding
In problem solving, a deeper compression of the nature of the problem.
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Verbal intelligence
Intelligence measured by answering questions involving vocabulary, general information, arithmetic, and other language- or symbol-oriented tasks.
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