INTELLIGENCE

DEFINITION
• The ability to learn from one’s experiences,
acquire knowledge, and use resources
effectively in adapting to new situations or
solving problems.
(Sternberg & Kaufman, 1998; Wechsler 1975)

• These are the characteristics that people need

to survive in their culture.
 MEASURING INTELLIGENCE
• 1. Alfred Binet’s mental ability test. 1904
• 2. IQ : The term was devised by William Stern in
1912.
Intelligence Quotient: Is a number representing a
measure of intelligence, resulting from the
division of one’s mental age by one’s
chronological age and then multiplying it by 100.
Mental Age: The average age at which a child could
successfully answer a particular level of
questions.
 STANFORD BINET AND IQ
• Lewis Terman of Stanford university applied
the concept of IQ and developed the Stanford
– Binet test of Intelligence.
• IQ = MA / CA X 100
• Nowadays NORM referenced, that is, the
average performance of a group is calculated,
and then individual comparison is made.
 INTERPRETATION OF IQ SCORES: -

• Over 130 - Very superior

• 120 - 129 - Superior
• 110 - 119 - High average
• 90 - 109 - Average
• 80 - 89 - Low average
• 70 - 79 - Borderline
• Under 70 - Extremely low/intellectually
deficient
 THE WECHSLER TESTS
• David Wechsler designed a series of tests for
people of different age groups.
• WAIS – Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
• WISC – Wechsler Intelligence scale for
Children
• WPPSI – Wechsler Preschool and Primary
Scale of Intelligence
 Principles of psychological testing
• Proper psychological testing is conducted after vigorous
research and development and  consists of the following:
• Standardization - All procedures and steps must be
conducted with consistency and under the same
environment to achieve the same testing performance
from those being tested.
• Objectivity - Scoring such that subjective judgments and
biases are minimized, with results for each test taker
obtained in the same way.
• Test Norms - The average test score within a large group
of people where the performance of one individual can be
compared to the results of others by establishing a point
of comparison or frame of reference.
• Reliability is the degree to which an
assessment tool produces stable and
consistent results.
 
• Validity refers to how well a test measures
what it is purported to measure. 
NORMAL DISTRIBUTION CURVE
 NORMAL DISTRIBUTION CURVE

• A symmetrical, bell shaped curve, with

majority of scores falling in the middle of the
possible range and few scores appearing
towards the extreme of the range.
 CULTURAL BIAS IN TESTING
• It is extremely difficult to develop a test that
measures innate intelligence without
introducing cultural bias. This has been
virtually impossible to achieve.
• One attempt was to eliminate language and
design tests with demonstrations and pictures.
• Another approach is to realize that culture-
free tests are not possible and to design
culture-fair tests instead.  These tests draw on
experiences found in many cultures.
 Buddhi- The Indian Concept Of
Intelligence
• Intelligence is usually thought and connected with
only academic achievements.
• The Indian concept of intelligence has shown a
great concern for human potential and explored its
nature in the context of self, society, universe and
beyond.
• The Indian view is holistic and emphasises on
mental abilities both in the cognitive and non-
cognitive domains and their integration.
• The word commonly used to identify this concept of
intelligence in all its breadth and scope is ‘Buddhi’.
• Buddhi can be defined as the mental
vigour or power of forming and
retaining conceptions and general
notions, reason, intellect, judgement,
perception, knowledge of one’s self
consciences , will and desire,
presence of mind, ready wit and skill.
The Indian view emphasises on four
competencies characterizing an
intelligent person –
• Cognitive- Includes sensitivity to context,
comprehension, discrimination, problem
solving and effective communication.
• Social – Following social norms, service to
elders, obedience, helping the needy,
showing concern for the environment.
• Entrepreneurial – Hard work, commitment,
vigilance and goal directed behaviour.
• Emotional – Control of emotions, honesty,
politeness, realistic self appraisal, good
conduct.
• The Indian concept is thus not
restricted to cognitive domains only.
• It emphasises connectivity with social
aspects and the work environment.
• The tests today, whether in schools or
in screening, only focus on the
cognitive aspects.
• Testing a person’s ‘Buddhi’ would give
a more holistic picture of the person’s
abilities.
 THEORIES OF INTELLIGENCE
• While intelligence is one of the most talked about
subjects within psychology, there is no standard
definition of what exactly constitutes 'intelligence.‘
• Some researchers have suggested that intelligence
is a single, general ability; while others believe that
intelligence encompasses a range of aptitudes,
skills and talents.
• The following are some of the major theories of
intelligence that have emerged during the last 100
years
 Charles Spearman - General Intelligence

• British psychologist Charles Spearman (1863-

1945) described a concept he referred to
as general intelligence, or the g factor.
• People who performed well on one cognitive
test tended to perform well on other tests,
while those who scored badly on one test
tended to score badly on others. He concluded
that intelligence is general cognitive ability that
could be measured and numerically expressed.
Louis L. Thurstone - Primary Mental Abilities

• Psychologist Louis L. Thurstone (1887-1955) offered a

differing theory of intelligence. Instead of viewing
intelligence as a single, general ability, Thurstone's theory
focused on seven different "primary mental abilities." The
abilities that he described were:
• Verbal comprehension
• Reasoning
• Perceptual speed
• Numerical ability
• Word fluency
• Associative memory
• Spatial visualization
 Howard Gardner - Multiple Intelligences

• One of the more recent ideas to emerge

is Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple
intelligences.
• Instead of focusing on the analysis of test
scores, Gardner proposed that numerical
expressions of human intelligence are not a full
and accurate depiction of people's abilities. His
theory describes eight distinct intelligences that
are based on skills and abilities that are valued
within different cultures.
The eight intelligences Gardner described are:
• Visual-spatial Intelligence
• Verbal-linguistic Intelligence
• Bodily-kinaesthetic Intelligence
• Logical-mathematical Intelligence
• Interpersonal Intelligence
• Musical Intelligence
• Intra personal Intelligence
• Naturalistic Intelligence
 Robert Sternberg - Triarchic Theory of
Intelligence
• Psychologist Robert Sternberg defined
intelligence as "mental activity directed
toward purposive adaptation to, selection and
shaping of, real-world environments relevant
to one’s life." While he agreed with Gardner
that intelligence is much broader than a
single, general ability, he instead suggested
some of Gardner's intelligences are better
viewed as individual talents.
• Sternberg proposed what he refers to as
'successful intelligence,' which is comprised of
three different factors:
• Analytical intelligence: This component refers
to problem-solving abilities.

• Creative intelligence: This aspect of intelligence

involves the ability to deal with new situations
using past experiences and current skills.

• Practical intelligence: This element refers to

the ability to adapt to a changing environment.
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN INTELLIGENCE

• Basically two groups of individuals:-

• 1. The gifted (IQ score above 130) and
• 2. The developmentally delayed (IQ score
below 70)
• Developmental Delay is defined in two ways:
• 1. the person’s IQ score must fall below 70.
• 2. The person’s adaptive behavior is severely
below a level appropriate for the person’s age.
 DIAGNOSIS
• Diagnosis should not depend on IQ scores
alone but also on the strengths and
weaknesses of the person in four areas:
• 1. Intellectual and adaptive behavioral skills
• 2. Psychological and emotional considerations
• 3. Physical and health considerations
• 4. Environmental considerations
CLASSIFICATION
 CAUSES
• 1. Familial retardation is a delay related to
living in poverty conditions and one that
usually produces relatively mild retardation.
• The three most common biological causes are
• 1. Down syndrome
• 2. Fragile X syndrome and
• 3. Fetal alcohol syndrome
• Down Syndrome:
• Down syndrome is a developmental disorder
caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21
(which is why the disorder is also called
"trisomy 21"). Having an extra copy of this
chromosome means that individuals have
three copies of each of its genes instead of
two.
• People with Down syndrome have distinct facial features:
a flat face, a small broad nose, abnormally shaped ears, a
large tongue, and upward-slanting eyes with small folds of
skin in the corners.
• People with Down syndrome have an increased risk of
developing a number of medically significant problems,
including respiratory infections, gastrointestinal tract
obstruction (blocked digestive tract), leukemia, heart
defects, hearing loss, hypothyroidism, and eye
abnormalities. They also have moderate to severe
intellectual disability; children with Down syndrome
usually develop more slowly than their peers and have
trouble learning to walk, talk, and take care of themselves.
• Because of these medical problems, most people with
Down syndrome have a decreased life expectancy. About
half live to be 50 years of age.
• Other causes of developmental delay are
• lack of oxygen at birth,
• Damage to the fetus in the womb from
diseases, infections or drug use by the mother,
• And diseases and accidents during childhood.
 THINGS TO REMEMBER
• Developmental delay is a condition, not a
disease.
• It affects only the intellectual capacities.
• They are just as responsive to love and
affection as anyone else.
• Intelligence is only one characteristic; warmth,
caring, compassion, friendliness also count for
a great deal and should not be under rated.
 GIFTEDNESS
• IQ above 130
• IQ above 140 – Genius
• FALSE BELIEFS:
• Early ripe, early rot.
• Weird and socially awkward
• Physically weak.
• Suffer from mental illness.
 TERMAN’S TERMITES
• A longitudinal study started in 1925 at
Stanford University by Lewis Terman.
• 1,528 children participated.
• 857 boys and 671 girls.
• Continues till today.
• Demonstrated that gifted were socially well
adjusted and often skilled leaders.
• They were also successful as adults.
 TERMAN’S TERMITES
• Put to rest the myths associated with the gifted.
• Genius is not the only factor that influences
success in life – personality and experiences are
strong factors as well.
• There is more to success in life than intelligence
and high academic achievement.
• Liking one’s work, having a sense of purpose in
one’s life, a high energy level and persistence are
very important factors.
 EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
• David Goleman….1995
• The awareness of and ability to manage one’s own
emotions as well as the ability to be self motivated, able
to feel what others feel and socially skilled.
• Includes five attributes:
• 1. Self awareness
• 2. Social empathy
• 3. Self motivation
• 4. Social skills
• 5. Self regulation
• Self awareness refers to recognising one’s
emotions, strengths and limitations and
capabilities and how these affect others.
• Social empathy refers to sensing what others
need in order for them to develop.
• Self motivation refers to being result oriented
and pursuing goals beyond what is expected.
• Social skills refers to the ability of a person to
influence others.
• Self regulation is the ability to master
emotions and impulses. People who self-
regulate typically think before they act.
Characteristics of self-regulation are
thoughtfulness, comfort with change,
integrity, and the ability to say no.