Psychology 110-04 Chapter 9 Extremes of Intelligence 1-29-02

  1. Low Intelligence
    1. Mental retardation subaverage general mental ability accompanied by deficiencies in adaptive skills, originating before age 18.
    2. IQ below 70-75, 1-3% of population, 85% are mildly retarded (51-70), 10% moderately (36-50), 4-6% profoundly (< 20)
    3. Causes
      1. Common Causes
        1. Down's Syndrome
        2. Phenylketonuria, inherited metabolism
        3. Hydrocephaly
      2. Organic causes < 25%.
      3. Class and unfavorable environments (Popper and Steingard, 94)
  2. High Intelligence
    1. Upper 2-3%, IQ > 130
    2. Differences between gifted and profoundly gifted (IQ>180)
      1. Profoundly introverted and socially isolated
    3. Life achievement, higher success, no great contributions
      1. Renzulli (86) indicates combination of high intelligence, high creativity and high motivation necessary for great achievements
  3. Nature vs. Nurture
    1. Heredity
      1. Galton's original study
      2. Twins, nature laboratory, identical (genetic, womb), fraternal (womb), rearing
      3. McGue et al 93, diminishing correlation with less genetics and environment
      4. Burt's data controversy, importance and inconsistency of peer scrutiny
        1. Adoption, supports genetic connection
        2. Heredity ratio 50-70%, but limited population basis
    2. Environment
      1. Adoption studies, greater than expected by chance correlation with adopted parents
      2. Cumulative deprivation hypothesis, erode IQ scores, Eastern Europe
      3. Enrichment shows improvements, but limits
      4. Expectations, teacher and parent
      5. Generation effects, knowledge vs. intelligence, Flynn Effect
    3. Interaction
      1. Heredity as a limiting factor Scarr, 91
      2. Cultural differences, ethnic differences, Jensen non-PC solution, good intent, bad politics
      3. Murray, Bell Curve asserts genetic limitations
      4. Socioeconomic disadvantage, confusion of factors
        1. Stereotypes, women and pay, Steele & Aronson, performance based on expectations
    4. Cultural bias of instruments (tests), estimates are of modest effects
      1. Asian American above average discounts cultural effects
      3. New directions in assessment and study of intelligence
    5. Specific abilities
      1. Factor analysis, clusters together related groups of variables, Spearman g
      2. Fluid vs. crystallized intelligence
      3. Guilford's model operations, content, products
        1. Biological Indices of intelligence
      4. Jensen and processing time
    6. Cognitive processes
      1. Sternberg's triarchic theory of human intelligence,
      2. context subtheory - behaviors considered intelligent
        1. experiential subtheory - experiences affect intelligence & visa versa
        2. Componential subtheory - cognitive processes
        3. Meta components, performance, knowledge acquisition
      3. Gardner's Eight Intelligences
        1. Logical math
        2. Linguistic
        3. Musical
        4. Spatial
        5. Bodily kinesthetic
        6. Interpersonal
        7. Intrapersonal
        8. Naturalist
  4. Idea is intelligence is complex, multifaceted
    1. Creativity
    2. Generation of ideas that are original, novel and useful
    3. Sources, deep consideration
    4. Unconsciousness, dreams
    5. Divergent thinking, expanding the range of alternatives by generating may possible solutions
      1. Measuring difficult, largely based on divergent thinking, detecting connections, difficult
      2. Personality correlates, necessary intelligence
      3. Mental illness, high incidence in gifted

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