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Module 29 Intelligence: An Introduction

Topics: What do we mean by intelligence? § Defining intelligence § Types and components of intelligence: Spearman’s g, Gardner’s 8, Sternberg’s 3 § Intelligence and creativity § Emotional Intelligence § Intelligence and the brain

“Definition” of Intelligence § Intelligence tests are a series of questions and other exercises which attempt to assess people’s mental abilities in a way that generates a numerical score, so that one person can be compared to another. § Intelligence can be defined as “whatever intelligence tests measure. ” § Your college entrance test measures how good you are at scoring well on that test.

Definition of Intelligence: Beyond the Test? The text defines intelligence, whether it’s math ability or a rainforest dweller’s understanding of plants, as the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations.

Intelligence: Single or Multiple? Is intelligence one general ability or several specific abilities? Charles Spearman general intelligence [g] Louis Thurstone 7 linked clusters of abilities Howard Gardner 8 intelligences Robert Sternberg 3 intelligences Creativity and intelligence 5 components Emotional intelligence 4 components

General Intelligence, also known as g Charles Spearman (1863 -1945) performed a factor analysis* of different skills and found that people who did well in one area also did well in another. Spearman speculated that these people had a high “g” (general intelligence). *Factor analysis refers to a statistical technique that determines how different variables relate to each other; for example whether they form clusters that tend to vary together.

Thurstone’s Seven Clusters of Abilities § Louis Thurstone (18871955) disagreed with the idea of one general measure and trait of overall intelligence. § Thurstone found that the results of 56 skill tests fell into 7 clusters. § However, further analysis showed that people who were strong in one cluster tended to be strong in other clusters. 1. Verbal comprehension 2. Inductive reasoning 3. Word fluency 4. Spatial ability 5. Memory 6. Perceptual speed 7. Numerical ability g

Multiple Intelligences The “savant syndrome” refers to having isolated “islands” of high ability amidst a sea of below-average cognitive and social functioning. Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences § Howard Gardner (b. 1943) noted that different people have intelligence/ability in different areas. § Research and factor analysis suggests that there may be a correlation among these intelligences.

Howard Gardner’s Eight Intelligences

Intelligence and Success “Success in life” is impossible to define. However, wealth tends to be related to intelligence test scores, PLUS: § focused daily effort/practice, taking 10 years to achieve success-level expertise. § social support and connections. § hard work and energetic persistence (grit). 11

Sternberg’s Intelligence Triarchy Robert Sternberg (b. 1949) proposed that “success” in life is related to three types of ability. Analytical intelligence: Practical intelligence: expertise and talent that help to complete the tasks and manage the complex challenges of everyday life solving a welldefined problem with a single answer Creative intelligence: generating new ideas to help adapt to novel situations

Creativity refers to the ability to produce ideas that are novel and valuable. [Creative intelligence involves using those ideas to adapt to novel situations. ] Convergent thinking is a left -brain activity involving zeroing in on a single correct answer. Creativity uses divergent thinking, the ability to generate new ideas, new actions, and multiple options and answers. Does chess involve creativity?

Robert Sternberg’s Five Components of Creativity Creative environment: having support, feedback, encouragement, and time and space to think Venturesome personality: tending to seek out new experiences despite risk, ambiguity, and obstacles Expertise: possessing a welldeveloped base of knowledge Intrinsic motivation: enjoying the pursuit of interests and challenge, without needing external direction or rewards Imaginative thinking: having the ability to see new perspectives, combinations, and connections

To Boost Creativity: Four Strategies § Pursue an interest until you develop expertise. § Allow time for incubation (“sleeping on it”) with your attention away from projects, during which unconscious connections can form. § Allow time for mental wandering and aimless daydreaming with no distractions. § Improve mental flexibility by experiencing other cultures and ways of thinking.

Social and Emotional Intelligence Social intelligence refers to the ability to understand navigate social situations. Emotional intelligence involves processing and managing the emotional component of those social situations, including one’s own emotions.

Components of Emotional Intelligence Perceiving emotions • Recognizing emotions in facial expressions, stories, and even in music Understanding emotions • Being able to see blended emotions, and to predict emotional states and changes in self and others Managing emotions • Modulating and expressing emotions in various situations Using emotions • Using emotions as fuel and motivation for creative, adaptive thinking Benefits of Emotional Intelligence People with high emotional intelligence often have other beneficial traits, such as the ability to delay gratification while pursuing long-term goals. The level of emotional intelligence, including the skill of reading the emotions of others, correlates with success in career and other social situations.

Intelligence and Brain Anatomy “Genius” seems to correlate with: § overall brain size. § the size of some brain regions such as the parietal lobe. § high brain activity in the frontal and parietal lobes. § extra gray matter (brain cell bodies, seen as more brain surface area/convolutions). § extra white matter (axons) leading to high connectivity among different regions. Intelligence and Brain Functioning Intelligence in action seems to involve: • activity of the front part of the frontal lobes to organize and coordinate information • “being in shape”; using less energy to solve problems than the brains of “normal” people.

Intelligence and Processing Speed Verbal and general intelligence test scores correlate with the: § speed of retrieving information from memory. § speed of receiving and processing sensory and perceptual information. Q: Did you process the tic tac toe game deeply enough to say whether it was an X or an O in each of the now -empty squares?