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factors that constitute intelligence
- problem soliving
- verbal ability
- social competence
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Problem solving ability
- reasoning logically
- identify connections
- see aspects of problems
- making good decisions
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Verbal ability
- speaking articulately
- high comprehension
- good vocab
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Social competence
- accepting others
- admitting mistakes
- interest in the world
- being on time
- interacting with people in an appropriate way
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theories of intelligence have four concepts
- multidimensional
- multidirectionality
- plasticity
- interindividual variability
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multidimensional
many domains of intellectuall abilites; its not one thing or score; it is a large variety of things
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multidrectionality
- different patterns for different abilities
- every day knowledge increases; cognitive mechanisms decline with age
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plasticity
- range of ability modifications within specific ages
- may decline due to lack of practice
- different activation patterns in the brain
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interindividual variability
adults differ in direction of intellectual development; some decline, some improvements
nobody is the same; everyone is unique
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the dual component model of intellectual functioning-two developmental processes:
- mechanics of intelligence
- pragmatics of intelligence
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mechanics of intelligence
- neurophysiological architecture of mind
- bases for cognitive abilities
- greatest change= childhood and adolescence
- you're wired and you delve into it
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pragmatics of intelligence
accquired bodies of knowledge embedded in culture; learn from other people
includes everyday cognitive performance and human adaptation
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What governs...
- mechanics?
- pragmatics?
biological-genetic forces govern mechanics (decline with age)
environmental-cultural forces govern pragmatics (increase with age)
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Research approaches to intelligence
the psychometric approach
the cognitive structural approach
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the psychometric approach
measuring intelligence as a score on a standardized test
focus is on getting correct answers
less emphasis on thought process; tests primary mental abilities
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cognitive-structural approach
ways in which people conceptualize and solve problems emphasizing developmental changes in modes and styles of thinking
incorporates how you change as you get older
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primary and second mental abilities
primary mental abilities: hypothetical constructs into which related skills are organized
secondary mental abilities: related groups of primary mental abilities
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primary mental abilities include
- number
- word fluency
- verbal meaning
- inductive reasoining
- spatial orientation
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2 major secondary mental abilities are?
fluid and crystallized intelligence
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fluid intelligence
the abilities that:
- make you a flexible and adaptive thinker
- allow you to make inferences, reason
- enable you to understand the relations among concepts
- fluid intelligence declines through adulthood
- reason,multitask, problem solve
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crystallized intelligence
the knowledge you have gained through life experiences and education in a particular culture
crystallized intelligence improves through adulthood
general knowledge
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moderators of intellectual change
- cohort differences
- information processing
- social and life style variables
- personality
- health
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cohort differences
- comparing longitudinal studies with cross-sectional show little or no decline in intellectual performance with age
- generational rather than age differences, such as better education, nutrition, Flynn effect, etc
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Information processing
- perceptual speed may account for age-related decline
- working memory decline may account for poor performance of older adults if coordination between old and new information is required
- inability to inhibit actions and thoughts or to avoid interference
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Flynn effect
as time goes on, people get smarter
there's more knowledge that exists
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IPT affected by age?
- perception declines
- selective attention decline
- attentional energy declines
- chunks decline and manipulation
- retrieval slows down due to lack of use, connections not as tight, taught retrieval strategy
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social and life style variables
differences in cognitive skills needed in different occupations make a difference in intellectual development
higher education and SES also related to slower rates of intellectual decline
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personality
high levels of fluid abilities and a high sense of internal control lead to positive changes in people's perception of their abilities
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health
a connection between disease and intelligence has been established in general
cardiovascular disease has implications for intellectual functioning
physical exercise has considerable benefit on cognitive fitness
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Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
schemas: mental ways of organizing the world
assimilation: use of currently available informaiotn to make sense out of incoming information
accomodation: changing one's thought to make a better approximation of the world of experience
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There are four stages of the theory of cognitive development
- the sensorimotor stage
- preoperational stage
- concrete operational stage
- formal operational stage
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sensorimotor stage
- Piaget's first stage (birth-2 year old)
- schemas are developed through sensory and motor activities
- one important concept acquired at the end of this stage is object permanence
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Preoperational stage
- piaget's second stage (2 -7)
- employ significant language and to think symbolically
- child lacks reversibility and conservation
- egocentric and animistic
- concepts not yet operational
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Concrete operational stage
Piaget's third stage (7-11)
can perform mental operations on concrete objects
understand reversibility and conservation
abstract thinking is not yet present
use simple logic in explanations
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conservation
conservation--recognizing that certain physical attributes (such as volume) remain unchanged, even when their outward appearance changes
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formal operational stage
piaget's fourth stage (11 and beyond)
Abstract and hypothetical thinking
individuals can elaborately plan and think about the future
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Abstract and hypothetical thinking
- begin to apply their operations to abstract concepts in addition to concrete objects
- capable of hypothetical thinking and logical processes
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Going beyond formal operatoins is?
postformal thought
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Going beyond formal operations: Postformal thought
characterized by recognition that:
- 1) truth may vary from situation to situation
- 2) solutions must be realistic to be reasonable
- 3) ambiguity and contradiction are the rule (more comfortable with a vague answer)
- 4) emotion and subjective factors usually play a role in thinking (reflective thinking)
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Going beyond formal operations: reflective judgment
a way adults reason through dilemmas involving current affairs, religion, science, personal relationships, etc.
this stage is beyond formal thought
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3 stages of reflective judgment
- 1) pre-reflective reasoning
- 2) quasi-reflective reasoning
- 3) reflective reasoning
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preflective reasoning
knowledge gained through the word of an authority figure or observation
believe what they know is absolutely true
hold firm on controversial issues (childhood and teen years)
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quasi-reflective reasoning
knowledge claims contain elements of uncertainty which attribute to missing info or method to obtain evidence
less persuasive with stnace on controversial isues
(young adulthood to middle adulthood)
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reflective reasoning
knowledge claims cannot be made with certainty
make judgments that are most reasonable; relatively certain based on data
readily reevaluate their judgments for adequacy as new data comes along (middle to late adult)
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Going beyond formal operations: absolutist, relativistic, and dialectical thinking
absolutist: firmly believing there is only one correct solution (adolescents and young adult)
relativistic: the right answer depends on the circumstances (young and early middle-aged adults)
dialectical: see the merits in various viewpoints but synthesize them into a workable solution; strong commitment and definite plan of action
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decision making
younger adults make decisions quicker than onlder adults
experience nad knowledge make older adults less susceptible to irrational biases in their decisions
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Why do younger make decisions quicker than older adults?
- they search for less info to arrive at a decision
- require less info to arrive at a decision
- rely on easily accessible info
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problem solving
we use our intellectual abilities to solve problems; some people are better than others
Denny's model of unexercised and optimally exercised abiliities
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unexercised ability
the ability a normal, healthy adult would exhibit without practice or training
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Optimally exercised ability
the ability a normal, healthy adult would demonstrate under the best conditions of training or practice
studying and practicing
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Practical problem solving
observed tasks of daily living (OTDL)
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What is OTDL directly impacted by?
- age
- fluid intelligence
- crystallized intelligence
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What is OTDL indirectly impacted by?
- perceptual speed
- memory
- several aspects of health
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How do the young and old learn?
young: what do i need to know?
old: motivated by knowledge? why? how?
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Wisdom
four characteristics:
- deals with important matters of life
- is truly "superior" knowledge, judgment, and advice
- has extraordinary scope, depth, and balance
- is well intended and combines mind and virtue
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Age and wisdom
no association between age and wisdom
general personal conditions, specific expertise and facilitative life contexts create wisdom
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