Cognitive Abilities Chapter 10 Intelligence Testing Cognitive Ability

Cognitive Abilities Chapter 10: Intelligence & Testing

Cognitive Ability • The capacity to perform higher mental processes (such as reasoning & problem solving) Intelligence • Robert Sternberg’s Characteristics • Possession of knowledge • Efficiently use knowledge • Employ reasoning in different environments

The History of Measuring Intelligence Alfred Binet • French psychologist • Identified & studied children performing poorly in schools. Aged-Graded Test Items • Chronological Age compared w/ Mental Age Stanford-Binet Test • English Language Version of the Binet Exam

History of IQ Tests Intelligence Quotient • Mental Age/Chronological Age x 100=IQ Purpose & Intent • Rank individuals according to IQ. • Pinpoint who did/did not have “sustainable” intelligence. • Argument at this time was intelligence is inherited. Controversial • Many argued intelligence is not simply inherited. • Later theories suggested intelligence develops w/education & experience. • Group tests proved to be culturally biased.

History of IQ Tests David Wechsler • Developed tests to improve upon earlier ones. 3 Key Differences • Included VERBAL & NON-VERBAL subtests • Constructed so that success was less dependent having a on formal education • Subtests were scored separately Special Versions • WAIS: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale • WISC: Wechlser Intelligence Scale for Children

Today’s Tests of Intelligence Wechsler Tests • Verbal Scale-7 Subsets • Performance Scale-7 Subsets • Raw score of individual is compared to the raw score of others in same age group Stanford-Binet (5 th Edition) • Ten Subsets • Include Fluid Reasoning & Knowledge IQ Scoring • Points are added up for every correct answer • Total score compared to others • 100 is the average: Score (IQ) reflects relative standing w/in your age population

The Normal Distribution of IQ Scores

Stevenson Mental Inventory Scale 17 -20 (# correct) IQ: 122 -134 13 -16 IQ: 105 -121 9 -12 IQ: 83 -104 8 or less IQ: 82 or less

Types of Tests Aptitude Tests • Measures a person’s capacity to learn certain things/perform certain tasks. • ACT/GRE/SAT Achievement Tests • Measure what a person has accomplished or learned in a particular area. • Classroom Tests

Measuring Quality of Tests • • Procedure for observing behavior in a standard situation. Standardized Objective Norms Reliability • Degree to which a test can be repeated w/ same results • Calculate correlation coefficient (b/w 2 sets of scores on same test by the same person) • Test/Retest Reliability Method; Alternate Form Method; Split-Half Method Validity • Degree to which test scores are interpreted correctly & used appropriately • Content validity; Criterion Validity; Predictive Validity; Construct Validity