Intelligence & Creativity

Defining Intelligence The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test

• Order of increasing difficulty• Test-item construction• Mental Age Determined (no longer used)• Intelligence Quotient

(MA/CA)*100=IQ

**No Longer Used**

The Wechslter Intelligence Test• Verbal• Performance: Problem solving

Picture completion Object assembly

WAIS: Adult• verbal, performance and a combined total

WISC: Children• 6-16

Other Theories• Spearman• Thurstone/Guilford• Gardner• Sternbert

Qualities of a Test

Reliability

Validity

Standardization

What is Intelligence? Influence of Society on Definition of

Intelligence• What is worthwhile at the time

Is Intelligence Inherited?• Heredity• Twin Studies

Issues in Intelligence Testing

• Individual v. Group Testing Individual: One examiner, one test taker Group: highly verbal test (less $$$$)

Issues in Intelligence Testing• Uses and Limits of IQ scores• Court Cases

WASP Cultural Bias – unfair measurement of cultural

groups’ abilities

The Effects of Mental Challenge• Stimulation is important• Development of brain cells

• Also: heredity, education, social class, environment, nutrition)

Personal Characteristics• High Self-esteem• Less gullible• Harder to persuade

• Extremely intelligent people are actually quite well adjusted

Present at birth Mental Retardation

• Subaverage intellectual functioning so that such a person is not able to perform at the level appropriate for his/her age

Basic Classifications• IQ 70-90: Boderline Mental Retardation• IQ 52-69: Mild Mental Retardation• IQ 36-51: Moderate Mental Retardation• IQ 20-35: Severe Mental Retardation• IQ 19>: Profound Mental Retardation

Physical Defects20% suffer from physical defect

Environmental Factors• Nutrition is critical to brain development• Infection• Alcohol/drug abuse by pregnant mothers• Lack of brain stimulation• Poverty

Methods of Treatment• Mainstreaming: Keeping mentally retarded

children in regular academic classrooms• Social programs

Creativity: Mental processes that result in original, workable ideas

Tests of Creativity• Set: solve problems similarly each time• Breaking set: original, unusual, unexpected ideas to

solve a problem Creative Students

• Unpredictable, disruptive

• No relationship between creativity & IQ (correlation close to 0)