304: Theories of Intelligence and the Binet Scale

 WHAT IS INTELLIGENCE?

“general potential, independent of previous learning” ~ Saccuzzo

INTELLIGENCE

In class there was a general consensus that intelligence has a lot to do with cognitive functioning.  But where intelligence begins or ends is much more difficult to decide.  For example, at what point can we say that a person’s response is an intelligent response?  Is it just when the answer is correct or is there more to it?  Another example would be from a gymnast (Jennifer in class) who is flying through the air in a flip that almost any other person could not do.  Is this an example of intelligence?  How much of a physical flip is cognitive and how much is physiological?

Saccuzzo, the author of the text we are studying, said that intelligence is a person’s  “general potential, independent of previous learning.”  If intelligence is independent of previous learning, then why is there an information section on current intelligence test that look at your acquired knowledge?  Alfred Binet has given an alternate definition of intelligence when he said it is “the tendency to take and maintain a definitive direction; the capacity to make adaptations for the purpose of attaining a desired end, and the power of autocriticism.”  This definition is one that is much more recognized in the psychological community.

TYPES OF INTELLIGENCE

There are three main ways to define intelligence; the psychometric approach, the information-processing approach, and the cognitive approach.  The first is the psychometric approach.  This is the oldest approach and the focus of chapter 8. 

The second is the information-processing approach.  This approach is the newest approach that is used most often today.  They believe that the scores a person receives are interesting but even more interesting is the way that the participant approaches the test. 

The last is the cognitive approach.  This focusing on how people adapt to real world demands.

GENERAL ABILITIES INDEX (GAI) – on the test!!!

The general abilities index (GAI) is what you calculate when the four scores on the full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) are not lining up.  The FSIQ is scored on working memory, processing speed, verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ), and the (PIQ).  You use the GAI usually because working memory and processing scores are not reliable so the GAI ignores those two scores.  This seems to provide good evidence that one need not concern themselves with a FSIQ and just concern themselves with individual scores and what those specifically mean.  However, this would eliminate the concept of spearman’s g.

THE HISTORY OF INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONING

Alfred Binet defined intelligence as the capacity to 1. Find and maintain a definite direction or purpose 2. Make necessary adaptation to achieve that purpose and 3. Engage in self-criticism so necessary adjustments in strategy can be made.  He believed that intelligence expressed itself through judgment, attention, and reasoning.  It is guided by 2 principles underlying all modern intelligence theories; age differentiation and general mental ability.

Age differentiation’s goal was to find tasks in which the age group completion would be 66.67 to 75% (2/3 to ¾)  General mental ability is the total product of the various separate and distinct elements of intelligence.  Binet essentially wanted talks with a strong correlation with each other.

The next big contribution to intelligence testing after Binet came from Spearman.  As we all know Charles Darwin theorized about natural selection.  His brother, Sir Francis Galton, took this idea and wanted to come up with a way to decide which humans are better than others.  Spearman is a student of Galton.  Spearman came up with the positive manifold where he took two tests and if you did well on one test then you could do well on the other.  From this relationship between these two tests he he started to come up with the concept of a general intelligence which he called g.