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Intelligence Lecture notes: Intro To Psychology Part 2 (PSY1005S)
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Focuses on the topic of Intelligence. Includes the theories and some examples from the South African context.
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IntelligenceWhat is Intelligence?
Two dozen prominent theorists were asked to define intelligence
They gave two dozen somewhat different definitions
Social Intelligence
being good in social contexts
Makes you adaptable
Can tests tell us how smart we are?
Which tests would those be?
Intelligence is fluid- what is intelligent in one community won’t be intelligent in another
Broad definition
The ability to acquire knowledge, to think and reason effectively, and to deal adaptively with the
environment
ability to solve problems
ability to understand and learn complex material
ability to adapt to one’s environment
mental quickness
Intelligence is a socially constructed concept
Skills necessary for success vary from culture to culture
1. within a culture (subcultures)
2. across time
What constitutes intelligence is culture specific
Early misuse
Early misuse to prove social and political ideologies, and consolidate stereotypical beliefs
Eugenics
In SA racial segregation policies informed the development and use IQ tests:
1925: SB test normed for use on white children ⇒ Fick Scale: Then later used on Black, Coloured,
Indian, and White Children
Bantu education was based on notions of Black Intellectual inferiority based on Fick’s test
Effects still linger today, with consequent racial, socioeconomics, and cultural stereotyping.
Tests of mental skills
Tests of mental skills have become an important part of our lives:
Educational
Occupational
Intelligence 1
, Clinical
Social policy decisions
1. Is intelligence a single aptitude or many abilities?
Many abilities
E.g. Some cognitive functions may not work when the brain is damaged
emotional intelligence
2. Why do individuals differ in intelligence (tests)?
3. Is intelligence innate or a product of upbringing?
a bit of both
4. What brain processes underlie intelligence?
5. Can psychometric tests capture intelligence(s)?
a. What do IQ scores mean? What do they predict and how well do they predict it
6. Do various ethnic groups display different performance in I-tests and if so what may explain those
differences?
Intelligence from a historical perspective
Early work on intelligence can be traced to Sir Francis Galton and Alfred Binet.
Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911)
Genetics/eugenics
His idea was that imminence and ‘genius’ ran in families and was hereditary
He thought certain “inherited” mental capacities made eminent people more fit for thinking
To investigate his hypothesis he made physical/sensory measurements on members of eminent family
trees.
Reaction speed, hand strength, sensory acuity, skull size
Results from his tests had poor predictive power but triggered a tradition of controversy
What are the weaknesses in Galton’s methodology?
biases
learning disabilities
different ethnicities and cultural differences
Alfred Binet (1857-1911)
Mental abilities test
His task was to develop an objective intelligence test for school children
Key: Quantification of a child’s current performance
Produced the first workable intelligence test in 1905
Binet’s approach was simple:
1. Test large numebrs of children of various age groups
Intelligence 2
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