549 Chapter 9

• Three definitions from Merriam-Webster dictionary:
• (1)the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations
• (2)mental acuteness, shrewdness
• (3)the act of understanding

• “the tendency to take and maintain a definite direction; the capacity to make
• adaptations for the purpose of attaining a desired end” (Binet).

“the ability to educe either relations or correlates” (Spearman).

• “adjustment or adaptation of the individual to his total environment,” “the ability to
• learn,” and “the ability to carry on abstract thinking” (Freeman).

Has remained unchanged for 60 years; outdate

scale measures is unclear; it does not predict future intelligence for infants in the normal ranges.

Scale sample is based primarily on children ofparents from the lower and middle classes and therefore does not represent the general population

• •age differentiation-refers to the simple fact that one can diff erentiate older children from younger children by the former’s greater capabilities. For example, whereas most 9-year-olds can tell that a quarter is worth more than a dime, a dime is worth more than a nickel, and so on, most 4-year-olds cannot. In employing the principle of age diff erentiation, Binet searched for tasks that could be completed by between 66.67% and 75% of the children of a particular age group and also by a smaller proportion of younger children but a larger proportion of older ones. Th us, Binet eventually assembled a set of tasks that an increasing proportion of children could complete as a function of increases in age. Important: one could determine the equivalent age capabilities of a child independent of his or her chronological age. Th is equivalent age capability was eventually called mental age.
• •general mental ability-measure only the total product of the various separate and distinct elements of intelligence, that is, general mental ability. With this concept, Binet freed himself from the burden of identifying each element or independent aspect of intelligence.
• These concepts still underlie today’s major theories of intelligence

first“mental test.”

•Proposed a battery of 10 tasks he believed to be associated with mental ability.

•Included:

•Dynamometer pressure Rate of Movement

•Sensation Areas Judgment of 10 sec.

•Time for Naming Colors Bi-section of 50 cm line

Reaction Time for Sound

appointed in early 1900’s to develop procedure for identification of “subnormal” children

•early definition based on idea that intelligence was evident through:

•judgment

•attention

•reasoning ability

empirical support for general mental ability factor underlying all intelligent behavior

•general factor = “g”

•large # of more specific factors

“Positive manifold”

•all tests, no matter how diverse, are influenced by g

Developed statistical technique “factor analysis” to provide support for g.

•any common variance noted among factors represents the g factor.

•evidence = positive correlations

Person’s intelligence can best be represented by a single score.

•any noted differences in terms of unique abilities/weaknesses cancel each other out

•overall performance on set of tasks depends heavily on the general factor

Horn-Cattell Gf-Gc theory of intelligence

• •their analyses did not readily identify a “g” factor
• •suggested human intelligence better represented in multiple forms rather than a single
• score
• Initially proposed two types:
• (1)fluid intelligence (Gf)
• (2)crystallized intelligence (Gc)

Two are distinguished by the ability to learn (Gf) and learning that has already occurred (Gc)

• Fluid intelligence (Gf)
• •those abilities that allow us to reason, think, and acquire new knowledge
• •materials or processes are typically new to person
• Crystallized intelligence (Gc)
• •knowledge and understanding that has already been acquired
• •applicationof acquired knowledge and learned skills to answering questions
• •may include measures of general knowledge and vocabulary

• 1937 scale – improved standardization sample
• •mental age increased to 22 yrs, 10 mo.
• •decreased emphasis on verbal skills
• •alternate forms (L and M) were published
• •problem– lack of uniform standard deviation at different age levels

• Gv - Visual Intelligence
• SAR – Short-Term Acquisition and Retrieval (Gsm)
• Ga – Auditory Intelligence
• TSR – Long-Term Storage and Retrieval (Glr)
• Gs – Cognitive Processing Speed
• CDS – Correct Decision Speed
• Gq – Quantitative Knowledge
• Grw – Reading and Writing Skills

• 1993 – John Carroll’s book Human Cognitive Abilities: A Survey of Factor Analytic Studies
• •reviewed and reanalyzed 461 data sets post-1925
• •book is considered a seminal work in area of human cognitive ability

•proposed“Three Stratum” model of intelligence based upon extensive data analyses

• Stratum III = general intelligence factor
• •broadest level of intelligence •conceptually similar to Spearman’s “g”
• Stratum II – 8 broad abilities
• •represent “basic constitutional and long-standing characteristics of individual”
• •can “influence a great variety of behaviors”
• Gf – Fluid Intelligence
• Gc – Crystallized Intelligence
• Gy – General Memory and Learning
• Gv – Broad Visual Perception
• Ga – Broad Auditory Perception
• Glr – Broad Retrieval Ability
• Gs –Broad Cognitive Speediness

• Stratum I – 69 narrow abilities
• •measures of specific human abilities
• •these abilities subsumed by 8 Stratum II abilities, which in turn are subsumed by the single Stratum III “g” factor

Gt – Reaction Time/Decision Speed

• •Carroll’s Stratum II abilities very similar in nature to Gf-Gc
• model

•Stratum I abilities reported by Carroll also similar to those suggested by Horn

• Primary difference between 2 theories = the existence of g?
• Empirical evidence supports a combined CHC theory

• 1960 scale-introduced “deviation IQ” scale
• •set mean and SD at 100 and 16, respectively across all age groups
• •method still used today, considered most precise way of expressing the results of an
• intelligence test
• •today, most tests – mean = 100, std dev = 15

• First edition – Binet-Simon scale (1905) developed to identify mentally challenged children in Paris school system.•30 items, increasing in difficulty•examples:•#4 – recognize food items (e.g.,chocolate vs. wood)•#9 – designate objects in a picture
• •Binet believed this item was approx. limit of avg 3-yr-old
• 1908 – included age scale •items grouped according to age level•2/3 – 3/4 of items correct to move to next level
• •scale only produced one score•highly tied to verbal, language,and reading ability•concept
• of “mental age” introduced here
• Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (1916)
• •developed by Terman at Stanford U.•standardization sample consisted almost entirely of whitechildren from CA.•introduced concept of “intelligence quotient” (IQ)alculated by dividing subject’s chronological age into his/her obtained mental age, multiplying by 100.
• •this method ultimately abandoned – scale had maximum mental age of 19.5 years
• 5th Edition Published in 2003
• •=weighting of verbal, nonverbal tasks
• •2“routing tests” (1 verbal, 1 nonverbal) organized in a point scale (i.e., items
• increase in difficulty)
• •these tests estimate examinee’s level of ability•administration of other tasks
• (and level of difficulty at which to begin) depends on performance from routing
• tests.