Chapter 9

Intelligence and Creativity

Chapter 9 – Intelligence and Creativity

• What is intelligence?

– Adaptive thinking or behavior (Piaget)

– Ability to think abstractly, solve problems? (Sternberg)

• Genetics x Environment

(interaction)

RAISED

TOGETHER

RAISED APART

IDENTICAL

TWINS

.86 .72

FRATERNAL

TWINS .60 .52

Theories and Tests of Intelligence

• IQ tests– Intelligence quotient (IQ) tests attempt to

measure an individual’s probable performance in school and similar settings.

Binet (1857-1911) and Simon created 1st IQ ← test in 1905

4.4

Binet Intelligence Tests

Mental Age

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

• An individual’s level of mental development relative to others

MentalAgeIQ = 100

Chronological Age

Theories and Tests of Intelligence

• The Stanford-Binet test– The Stanford-Binet test - V (2-85)– The mean or average IQ score for all age

groups is designated as 100 ± 15 (85-115).– Given individually

A Normal Distribution Score

Normal DistributionNormal Distribution

4.8

© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update

Bell Curve

Individual Intelligence TestsThe Wechsler Scales

Overall IQ and also verbal and performance IQs.

(WPPSI-IV) Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised. Ages 2 ½ to 7 years, 7 months

(WISC-IV) Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. Ages 6 to 16 years, 11 months

(WAIS-IV) Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised

Ages 16 to 90 years, 11 months

WPPSIWPPSI-III

4.13

4.14

WAIS-III

WISC-IV

• Word Reasoning—measures reasoning with verbal material; child identifies underlying concept given successive clues.

• Matrix Reasoning—measures fluid reasoning a (highly reliable subtest on WAIS® –III and WPPSI™–III); child is presented with a partially filled grid and asked to select the item that properly completes the matrix.

• Picture Concepts—measures fluid reasoning, perceptual organization, and categorization (requires categorical reasoning without a verbal response); from each of two or three rows of objects, child selects objects that go together based on an underlying concept.

• Letter-Number Sequencing—measures working memory (adapted from WAIS–III); child is presented a mixed series of numbers and letters and repeats them numbers first (in numerical order), then letters (in alphabetical order).

• Cancellation—measures processing speed using random and structured animal target forms (foils are common non-animal objects).

WAIS - IV

Theories and Tests of Intelligence

• Raven’s Progressive Matrices

– Psychologists created “culture-reduced” tests without language. It tests abstract reasoning ability (non-verbal intelligence or performance IQ)

4.22

The Psychometric Approach

Intelligence -

• A single attribute?

– Spearman (1863-1945)

2 – factor theory of intelligence

“g” = general ability

“s” = special abilities

Measurements of sprinting, high jumping, and long jumping correlate with one another because they all depend on the same leg muscles.

• Many attributes?

– Thurstone: 7 primary mental abilities

• Spatial ability, perceptual speed, numeric reasoning, verbal meaning, word fluency, memory, inductive reasoning

What is Intelligence?

• Fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence– Cattell & Horn believed that the “g” factor has

two components:

- Fluid intelligence is the power of reasoning, solving unfamiliar problems, seeing relationships and gaining new knowledge

- Crystallized intelligence is acquired knowledge and the application of that knowledge to experience.

Which of the Numbered Pieces Completes the Design?

Concept Check:

A 16-year-old is learning to play chess and is becoming proficient enough to be accepted into the school’s chess club. Is this fluid or crystallized intelligence?

Concept Check:

• Ten years later, the chess player achieves grandmaster status. Is this a result of fluid or crystallized intelligence?

Savant Syndrome condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental

ability has an exceptional specific skill Calculation abilities Drawing Musical

Synesthesia in Daniel Tammet

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory

• Contextual Component (“street smarts or practical”)

– Adapting to the environment

• Experiential Component: (creative)

– Response to novelty

– Automatization (not best method for Automatization (not best method for intelligence testing)intelligence testing)

• Componential Component (“academic or analytical”)

– Information processing

– Efficiency of strategies

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

Figure 9.2

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

TABLE 9.2 Four theories of intelligence

The Infant

• Developmental Quotients (DQ)

– Bayley Scales: Ages 2-30 months

– Correlations with Child IQ – low to 0

– Useful for diagnostic purposes

• *Best predictors

– From measures of information processing

– E.g., attention, speed of habituation, preference for novelty

The Child

• DQ does not predict later IQ

• IQ gains

– Parents foster achievement

– Neither strict nor lax parenting

• IQ drops: Poverty

– Cumulative deficit hypothesis

AGE OF CHILD

CORREL-ATIONS WITH IQ AT AGE 9

CORREL-ATION WITH IQ AT AGE 12

4 .46 .42

7 .81 .69

9 ---- .80

The Adolescent

• Brain growth spurt at age 11/12 (puberty)

– Formal operational thinking

– Improved memory and processing skills

– Stability of IQ evident

• IQ score a good predictor of school achievement

• +.50 correlation between IQ score and grades

• Adolescents with high IQ less likely to drop out of high school and more likely to go to college

Flynn Effect

• Flynn effect– Phenomenon over the 20th century, average IQ scores

have increased in all countries studied– In the U.S., increase is 3–4 IQ points per decade– Children today are better educated– Improved nutrition and living conditions

How 10 Environmental Risk Factors Affect IQ of Children at Age 4

Race and Ethnicity

• Most studies find racial and ethnic differences in IQ scores– Group averages

• Why do the group differences exist?– Bias in the tests– Motivational factors– Genetic differences among groups– Environmental differences among groups

Race and Ethnicity

• Stereotype threat– Fear that that one will be

judged to have the qualities associated with negative stereotypes

The Adult

• Strong relationships between

– IQ and occupational prestige

– IQ and job performance

– IQ and good health/longevity

Intellectual disabilities

• Below-average intellectual functioning: IQ 70

• Limited adaptive behavior: before age 18

– Self-care and social skills

• Below age-appropriate expectations

• Causes

– Organic: e.g., Down syndrome

– Cultural-familial: genes & environment

Levels and Characteristics of Intellectual Disability

The Dynamics of Intelligence

Creativity

• Creativity– Ability to produce novel responses appropriate in context

and valued by others– Some have concerns about what is useful to others

• IQ scores and creativity scores do not correlate very well– IQ tests measure convergent thinking– Creativity requires divergent thinking

Fostering Creativity

• Creative individuals have:– Talent and powerful motivation to develop talent– Environments that recognize, value, and nurture their

creative endeavors

• Parents can help foster creativity– Give children freedom to explore

• Schools can help foster creativity– Encourage idea generation, multiple correct answers, and

elaboration of ideas

Potential for Wisdom

• Wisdom (Baltes)– Constellation of rich factual knowledge about life

combined with procedural knowledge such as strategies for giving advice and handling conflicts

• Wisdom (Sternberg)– Someone who can combine successful intelligence with

creativity to solve problems that require balancing multiple interests or perspectives

Creative Endeavors

• Creative production increases from the 20s to early 40s, then gradually declines

• Peak times of creativity vary from field to field– Humanities scholars peak in their 60s– Productivity in arts peaks in 30s and 40s

• Creative behavior is possible throughout life

Giftedness

• Giftedness– High IQ or showing special abilities in areas valued in

society– Has been identified in early childhood

• Highly curious and motivated to learn

• Advanced language skills

Giftedness

• The Characteristics of Giftedness Scale– Rapid learning– Extensive vocabulary– Good memory– Long attention span– Perfectionism– Preference for older companions– Excellent sense of humor– Early interest in reading

Integrating Cognitive Perspectives