The concept of intelligence

The concept of intelligence

1. Definition

   • The ability to think and act in ways that are smart. Allowing more inelligent persons to arrive at correct answer in ways that are better/faster than less intelligent people

2. Early theories of Intelligence

   • Francis Galton
     • Intelligence was inherited and biologically determined. Perception, attention, memory, language, problem solving, reasoning, and other cognitive processes were dependent on the nervous system. Intelligence was psycho physiological – reaction time, sensory discrimination, visual and hearing acuity.
   • James Mckeen Cattel
     • Tested college students to select the heavier of two weights and the speed with which they responded to tone. By 1915 he had little to show. Credited with the term he coined “mental test”
   • Alfred Binet 1904
     • 30 different tests for various ages given to 50 “normal” children. Paris guy – low intelligence for children with special needs education- more objective than teachers The age level of the questions was then referred to as the mental age to identify children in need of remedial education
   • Lewis Terman ( Stanford Binet Tests)
     • Tests underwent major revisions in 1937. 1960.2003 In the 5th edition Terman expressed a child’s level of performance in terms of an intelligence quotient IQ A term initially proposed by William Stern 1912 IQ = mental age / chronological age X 100 8 = 80 9= 90 This became problematic as you got older.

3. Structural Theories of intelligence

   • Charles Spearman "spearman's model"
     • 1 very strong general factor and several specific factors. Circle with g in the center and the specific factors overlap G predicts outcomes such as job performance and training. People who score higher in g show lower correlations with s factors than people who score lower in g May be more important to assess the s factors associated with job performance for people who score high in g than it is for people who score relatively low.
   • Thurstone's model of primary mental abilities
     • 7 distinct and independent abilities PMA’s 1. Verbal comprehension 2. Verbal fluency 3. Inductive reasoning 4. Spatial Visualization 5. Number 6. Memory 7. Perceptual speed.
   • Raymond b Cattel : Investment theory of intelligence
     • 2 major factors: 1. Crystallized intelligence 2. Fluid Intelligence Investment in fluid intelligence will yield higher IQ scores.
   • Philip Vernon: Vernon's model
     • Abilities are hierarchical The top is general ability broken into 2 major factors V: ed and K:m This refers to Verbal education and Spatial-Practical-Mechanical These can then be broken down into Verbal, Numerical, Perceptual Speed and Spatial
   • J b Carrol: 3 levels
     • Stratum 1: Narrow Specific abilities such as spelling Stratum 2: General abilities: speed and accuracy of abstract reasoning or fluid intelligence g. and the ability to accumulate knowledge or crystallized intelligence gc Stratum 3: Single general intelligence or g.
   • J P Guilford: The structure of Intellect
     • Intelligence as a cube 1. Operations. evaluation. Convergent production. Divergent production. Memory. Cognition. 2.Contents Areas where problems can occur. Behavioural. Semantic. Symbolic. Auditory. Visual. 3. Products. Six responses Units. Classes. Relations. Systems. Transformations. implications

4. Cognitive theories of intelligence

   • Hunt's cognitive correlates approach
     • People who score well on verbal tests have an underlying ability to absorb and retrieve from memory large amounts of verbal information in a short space of time Started looking at the processes of thinking.
   • Sternberg's componential theory
     • Broke down the method of problem solving into 5 key parts 1. Evaluating and understanding a problem 2. Inferring the relationship between the two 3. Mapping or transferring the relationship to the 1st part of the problem 4. Mapping or transferring the relationship to the 2nd part of the problem 5. Indicating the chosen alternative on an answer sheet.
   • Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence
     • Believed that there were three types of intelligence based on the cognitive problem-solving process 1. Analytical Intelligence: abstract from daily life 2. Creative intelligence: finding solutions to old problems or finding new problems 3. Practical- Using wisdom to solve everyday problems
   • Howard Gardner's Multiple intelligences
     • Went back to Thurston’s initial model of Primary mental abilities He studied the effects of brain damage Born with raw capacities and is then influenced and shaped by culture and society y He added musical, bodily, intrapersonal, interpersonal, … these last two closely link to emotional intelligence he also added spiritual intelligence Difficult to measure values and does not have a construct for how many intelligences there can be
   • Das and naglieri Pass theory of intelligence
     • Build on Gardner and Thurston Linguistic, logical mathematical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, musical, intrapersonal, interpersonal. PASS • Planning • Arousal • Simultaneous processing • Successive processing Cognitive Assessment System Diagnose ADD

5. Emotional Intelligence

   • Defintion
     • 1. Self-awareness observing oneself and recognising a feeling or emotion as it happens 2. Managing emotions handling emotions that they are appropriate realising what is behind an emotion finding ways to manage fears and anxieties anger and sadness. 3. Motivating oneself channelling emotions to serve a goal having emotional self-control delaying gratification and stifling impulses 4. Empathy being sensitive to other feelings and concerns an seeing their perspective appreciating the differences in how people feel about things. 5. Handling relationships managing emotions and others having social competence and social skills.
   • 3 Guys
     • Baran 1997: concerned with the concept called subjective while being and on non-intellective aspects of performance
     • Goleman 1995: concerned with area of competencies
     • mayer & Salovey area of human intelligence as well as cognition and affect (how emotions and thinking interact to affect performance especially with respect to health psychology)
   • Approaches
     • 1 use the roads of these simple tasks such as matrix thinking and assesses the person on this task then he teaches the person has to do the task involved in the matrix finally retest the person using a parallel version of the matrix tests the extent to which the person approves the second time round is a much better indicator of the persons intelligence than either the initial the 2nd test this test train retest technique is known as the learning potential assessment device or LPAD although recently has been re labelled learning propensity assessment device this approach is term dynamic assessment and is being increasingly used to assess ability and potential both in South Africa and elsewhere