Unit 1- Variations in

Psychological Attributes

Sonia David
Psychology Faculty
Capstone High
 Introduction

Individual Differences: Individual differences refer to distinctiveness and

variations among people’s characteristics and behaviour patterns.

Situationism: Situations and circumstances in which one is placed influence

one’s behaviour
Different traits can exist in varying degrees
in an individual
Video
 Assessment of Psychological Attributes
Assessment refers to the measurement of psychological attributes of individuals and their
evaluation, often using multiple methods in terms of certain standards of comparison.

Formal: Objective and organised and standardised tests and assessments

Informal: Subjective interpretation

Psychological assessment uses systematic testing procedures to

• evaluate abilities
• behaviours
• personal qualities
Domains of Psychological Attributes
Intelligence

Values Aptitude

Domains

Personality Interest
Activity
 Assessment Methods
Assessment
Methods

Methods of
Psychological
Assessment

Psychological Test Interview Case Study Observation Self-Report

Systematic + Factual
Standardised
One-on-one basis In-depth study Organised + information about
measure
Objective themselves

Assess mental and

behavioural Record in real time
characteristics
 Intelligence

Binet: the ability to judge well, understand well, and reason well.

Wechsler: The global and aggregate capacity of an individual to think

rationally, act purposefully, and to deal effectively with her/his
environment.
 Early Theories of Intelligence

Albert Binet Wechsler

• Judge + Understand + • functionality (how do
Reason people function when
they are intelligent?)

Gardner +
Sternberg
• Modifies + Shapes
Environment
 Theories of Intelligence

Psychometric Multiple
Approach Intelligences

Binet's One- Jensen's Gardner's Theory

Spearman's Two Thurstone's Sternberg's
Factor of Hierarchical Guildford of Multiple
Factor Theory Theory Triarchic Theory
Intelligence Model Intelligence
 Psychometric Approach
• Binet’s One-Factor Theory

Direction
Compre- Self- Intellige-
Reasoning of
hension Critical nce
Thoughts
 Psychometric Approach
• Spearman’s Two-Factor Theory
g-Factor
(General
factor)
• Inborn

Intelligence

s-Factor
(Specific
Factor)
• Environment
 Psychometric Approach
• Thurstone’s Theory
Word
Fluency,
Spatial Verbal
Ability, Comprehe
Perceptual nsion
Speed
Numerical
Ability,
Inductive
Reasoning
Memory

Intelligence
 Psychometric Approach
• Jensen’s Hierarchical Model

2. Cognitive
Competency
1. Associative • Higher order
Learning skills
• Output similar
to input
 Psychometric Approach
• Guildford’s Structure-of-Intellect Model
Intelligence

3 dimensions

Operations Contents (type of Products (how do we

(Behaviour) information) process this information?)

Auditory
Cognitive Classes
Information

Visual
Relations
Information
Memory

Spatial
Tranformations
Information
Retention
 Theory of Multiple Intelligences
• Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Linguistic Logical and Spatial Bodily

Mathematical Kinaesthetic

Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalistic

Video
 Theory of Multiple Intelligences
• Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory

Intelligence

Experiential
Componential Contextual
Intelligence
(Analytical) (Practical)
(Creative)

Knowledge-
Metacomponents Performance
Acquisition
Components
Control + Monitor Encode +
Execute
+ Evaluate Combine +
metacomponents
Compare
Video
 PASS Model (JP Das)
• Interdependent functions of three neurological systems
Input   Output

(3rd) Frontal Lobe (Planning) (1st) Brain Stem (Attention)

(2nd)
Occipital, Parietal, Temporal
Simultaneous ≈ Successive
(Knowledge Systems)
 Individual Differences in Intelligence
• Nature v/s Nurture
Video
 Individual Differences in Intelligence
• Twins Studies (Thorndike)
Video
 Assessment of Intelligence

• We assess intelligence with be measuring mental retardation.

• Mental Retardation: Being two mental age years below the
chronological age
Normality Curve
Normality Curve in Psychology
 Variations of Intelligence

Intellectual
Deficiency
• Lack of Adequate Intellectual Giftedness
Intelligence • Increased adequate
intelligence
 Intellectual Deficiency
• Intellectual Deficiency (Mental Retardation (0-18 years) =  adaptive
behaviour (Adaptive behaviour refers to a person’s capacity to be
independent and deal effectively with one’s environment); intellect
(< 70))

Types of
MR

Mild Moderate Severe

Profound
(IQ=55- (IQ=40- (IQ=25-
(IQ=< 25)
69) 54) 39)
 Intellectual Giftedness
• Giftedness is exceptional general ability shown in superior
performance in a wide variety of areas.
• Talent is a narrower term and refers to remarkable ability in a specific
field (e.g., spiritual, social, aesthetic, etc.).
• The highly talented are sometimes called ‘prodigies’

High
High High
Commitm Giftedness
Ability Creativity
ent
 Characteristics of a Gifted Child

Advanced logical
High speed in Superior Advanced level of
thinking, questioning
processing generalisation and original and creative
and problem solving
information. discrimination ability. thinking.
behaviour.

x`Preference for
High level of intrinsic Independent and
solitary academic
motivation and self- non-conformist
activities for long
esteem. thinking.
period
 Types of Intelligence Tests
Types of Intelligence
Tests

Verbal, Non-Verbal or Culture-Fair or Culture- Intelligence Testing in

Individual/Group Tests
Performance Tests Biased Tests India

GMA (Jalota); Bhatia's

RPM; Koh's Block Design Questionnaires in Battery of Performance
or Rubic's Cube vernacular languages Tests; Draw a Man Test
(Pathak)
IQ Test
 Culture and Intelligence

Culture is a collective system of customs, beliefs, attitudes, and

achievements in art and literature.
 Culture and Intelligence
• Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development

Attitudes Achievements

Beliefs Customs

Culture
Video
 Technological Intelligence
• Persons are well-versed in skills of attention, observation, analysis,
performance, speed, and achievement orientation.
• Intelligence tests developed in western cultures look precisely for
these skills in an individual.
 Intelligence in India
• Intelligence in India: Buddhi (connectivity with social and world environment)

Entrepreneurial Emotional
Competence Competence
• patience, • self-regulation
hardwork,
vigilance,
persistence

Cognitive Capacity Social Competence

• sensitive to • social order;
context and others'
discrimination perspectives

Facets of
Intelligence
 Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence (Mayor & Salovey): “the ability to monitor one’s own and
other’s emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide
one’s thinking and actions”

Emotional Quotient (EQ) is used to express emotional intelligence in the same way
as IQ is used to express intelligence.
Video
Student Presentation: Emotional Intelligence
 Aptitude

Aptitude: It is a combination
Interest: Interest is a
of characteristics that
preference for a particular
indicates an individual’s
activity; aptitude is the
capacity to acquire some
potentiality to perform that
specific knowledge or skill
activity.
after training.
 Aptitude Tests

Intelligence is correlated to aptitude

Independent Aptitude Tests Clerical Aptitude, Mechanical

Types Aptitude, Numerical Aptitude,
(Specialised) and Typing Aptitude
Aptitude Tests
Differential Aptitude Tests
Multiple Aptitude Tests
(DAT), the General Aptitude
(Generalised)
Tests Battery (GATB)
Aptitude Test
 Creativity
• Creativity is intelligence in motion.

• intelligence ≠  creativity Creativity Tests

Divergent Thinking Open-Ended

 Creativity Testing
ability to see new
ability to guess
relationships
causes and
between seemingly
consequences
unrelated things

ideas which are off- ability to put things

the-beaten track in a new context
Creativity tests
assesses the
ability to
produce a
variety of ideas
Creativity and Intelligence