1What Is Intelligence?Intelligence•An intelligent person would invent a bomb, but a wise person would know when and how to use it. – Einstein (not direct)•Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them - EinsteinIntelligence• Do you think our intelligence is relatively stable, or fixed?•Or• Do you think intelligence is relatively dynamic, or flexible?2The Influence of Heredity and Environment• Genetic InfluencesThe Influence of Heredity and Environment• Environmental Influences• NPR segment:• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7406521Infant Intelligence• Bayley Scales of Infant Development– Mental scale– Motor scale– Behavior profile– Ages 12-42 months– Able to predict later intelligence?– Other measures that focus on speed of processing (Fagan test using habituation)3Adult Intelligence – Ways of Viewing1. G-Factor• Average ‘overall’ score on an intelligence test is 100.• The Binet Tests – Intelligence Quotient (IQ)• Mental age – Chronological ageThe Normal Curve and Stanford-Binet IQ ScoresThe Concept of IntelligenceFig. 8.1Intelligence- Ways of Viewing2. Crystallized & Fluid Intelligence– Crystallized abilities reflect the information, skills, or strategies adults have learned throughout their life (i.e., life experiences).• Examples of Crystallized exam items• Primarily the ‘verbal scale’ on WAIS– Fluid abilities reflect abstract thinking and speed of processing (SOP) of new information. Prior experience does not really help for fluid abilities.– Examples of Fluid exam items– Primarily ‘performance scale’ on WAIS4Fluid v. Crystallized Items on the WechlserAdult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)• Fluid – Decline– Picture arrangement (no change)– Object Assembly (no change)– Picture completion (mixed)– Digit symbol (decline)– Block design (decline)– Why a decline?• Crystallized – Improvement– Arithmetic (no change)– Similarities (no change)– Digit span (no change)– Information (improve)– Comprehension (improve)– Vocabulary (improve)But keep in mind….cross-sectional…Fluid and Crystallized Intellectual Development Across the Life SpanFig. 8.7Fluid v. Crystallized on the 5 Primary Mental Abilities• Begun in 1956 by K. Warner Schaie• 3. 5 Primary Mental Abilities (PMAs): – Verbal Meaning (synonyms) - crystallized– Spatial Relations (rotated letters) - fluid– Inductive Reasoning (series completion) -crystallized– Number (arithmetic) – fluid & crystallized – Word Fluency (list words that start with “B”) -fluid5Seattle Study (cont.)• Ages 20 to 70 at 7-year increments• Tested every 7 years• New participants added: Time-lag/ Sequential DesignLongitudinal Changes in Six Intellectual AbilitiesFig. 8.8Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Comparisons of Intellectual ChangeFig. 8.96Results from SLS• At Wave 5, 35 years of longitudinal data, we see gains until the early 40s, stability through the 60s, and declines after age 60. Almost a terminal drop after age 70.• Different PMAs show different rates of decline, which are similar to the trends for Gc and GfCan intellectual abilities be improved?• Project ADEPT – Adult Development and Enrichment Project at Penn State Univ– Train on fluid abilities – Saw improvement in (a) spatial relations and (b) inductive reasoning– 4 out of 10 regained abilities they had 14 years priorOther Types of Intelligence• Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner)– Linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, personal• Emotional Intelligence (Goleman)– Aware of needs, feelings, and emotions in self and others• Triarchic Theory of Intelligence (Sternberg)– Analytic, creative, practical7Biases in Intelligence Testing?• What are some major problems with infant and/or adult intelligence testing?Final Considerations• Does intelligence decline, improve, or stay the same over the lifespan?• Comparison of studies on intelligence (crystalized vs. fluid - longitudinal vs. cross-sectional)• Can we improve intelligence in late life (plasticity)• Is intelligence mostly due to nature, nurture, or both? Explain?• What are some major problems with intelligence testing?