Psy/450 - Diversity Intelligence Worksheet

1. Define Intelligence. (200-300 words)

Shiraev and Levy (2010) explain that intelligence can have many different definitions, most of which will include the concept of knowledge. A generic and comprehensive explanation of what knowledge is would be an individual’s capability of using his mental abilities to acquire and use knowledge, perform tasks and understand and adapt to the world around him (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). It is impossible to understand intelligence without associating that concept to cognition, and both ideas are inseparable. Cognition can be explained as a “diversified process by which the individual acquires and applies knowledge” (Shiraev & Levy, 2002, p. 121). Based on this explanation, it is possible to understand why both concepts go hand in hand. Authors reject the idea that an individual’s intellectual functioning is only determined by a single factor, and defend the idea that factors like verbal, mathematical, and spatial skills impact someone’s intelligence levels, allowing for the possibility that individuals can be equally intelligent, in different ways (Thurstone, 1938). An interest definition of intelligence is the one presented by Ulric Neisser (1979), who explained that intelligence is nothing but the degree to which an individual resembles a prototypically intelligent person. This idea serves to show that the definition of “intelligence” is not an absolute idea, but one that can be adapted to different situations.

2. Identify/List two (2) theories of intelligence.

Two of the most popular theories of intelligence are Charles Spearman’s concept of general intelligence, and Louis L. Thurstone’s theory of primary mental abilities.

3. Discuss each identified theory of intelligence. (200-300 words)

Many authors and researchers have failed in crafting a comprehensive and appropriate theory to explain intelligence, perhaps because of the complexity of the topic (Warner, 2002). However, some theories of intelligence have succeeded in presenting ideas that explain the concept. British psychologist Charles Spearman (1863-1945) believed in the existence of general intelligence, or how he referred to it, the g factor. By analyzing a number of different aptitude tests using a factor analysis technique, he realized that the tests presented very similar scores. Based on his observations, he concluded that individuals who performed satisfactorily in one of the tests, would also have a good performance on the other tests. At the same time, if someone did poorly in one of the tests, they would most likely have bad results in all the other tests. Because of this, he concluded that intelligence can be measured numerically and can be considered a general cognitive ability (Spearman, 1904). Another popular theory of intelligence is the one presented by Louis L. Thurstone (1887-1955), who refused the idea that intelligence is a general ability. Instead, he believed that intelligence could be considered a combination of seven different primary mental abilities, such as verbal comprehension, reasoning, perceptual speed, numerical ability, word fluency, associative memory, and spatial visualization (Thustone, 1938).

4. Discuss the effectiveness of intelligence testing (200-300 words)

Intelligence testing has been a helpful took to help children with learning disabilities, students who need help shaping their educational choices, and adults looking to find careers that suit their abilities. There are endless advantages and benefits that can come from intelligence testing, but there are also negative perspectives that make researchers wonder how accurate and fair those tests can really be. Intelligence testing does not take in consideration the special characteristics that each individual has, and disregards the importance of creativity, the cultural influence, and the circumstances under which the test was taken – all factors that will most likely affect the results of the tests. The President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education (PCESE) has presented a report suggesting that using intelligence tests to diagnose learning disabilities should not happen anymore, due to the fact that those tests do not specify what kind of intervention a child with learning disabilities might need, and that child’s behavior is a better indicator of the disability than the test itself (Benson, 2003).  Examples like this show that although intelligence tests have proven to be helpful in certain situations, their use has been discredited under some circumstances, especially in the past decade. Individuals have different skills and abilities, and treating their intelligence as a fixed ability can be a mistake.

5. Identify two examples of intelligence tests (A SPECIFIC type of intelligence test used to measure intelligence – not personality, aptitude, achievement, etc.).

Two of the most popular intelligence tests are the Standford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Both tests use the psychometric approach to intelligence, as they focus on individuals’ performance on standardized tests.

6. Discuss the two examples of intelligence tests identified in #5. (200-300 words)

The first intelligence test that served as a model and starting point for future tests was the one created in France by Alfred Binet, and is referred to today as the Binet-Simon scale. After this test was brought to the United States, a psychologist from Stanford University named Lewis Terman adapted that test using American participants, and it soon became the standard intelligence test used in the United States. By using a single number known as the intelligence quotient (IQ), the test measures the individual’s intelligence level by dividing his mental age by his chronological age and multiplying the result by 100. The primary issue with this test is that it can’t be applied successfully in adults, since the mental age of a 50 year-old person is not so different than the one of a 60 year-old – although the test results would be different (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Another well-known intelligence test is the one published by David Wechsler in 1939, which differs from the Binet-Standford method by assessing nonverbal reasoning and depending less on the verbal abilities of the test taker. This test also uses an intelligence quotient, but the scores are presented on a bell-shaped curve that shows how the individual compares to the rest of the population. On the Wechsler test the score is also relative and is formulated in a way that two-thirds of the population will most likely score between 85 and 115 (Wechsler, 1949).

7. Using the two intelligence tests you have identified, discuss how they do or do not address cultural considerations. (200-300 words)

Standardized tests, like the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale it is common for racially and linguistically diverse students to perform poorly. The test bias controversy started when IQ scores of members of different ethnic and racial groups were compared, and results showed that in average, African-American students’ scored were lower by 15 points (Ford, 2004). Because they are culturally-loaded, students who are not part of the majority groups will most likely perform poorly on intelligence tests. These tests do not take in consideration cultural and language differences, factors that have been proven to affect the test results. The debate regarding whether intelligence tests are biased or not is one that has existed for many decades, and will probably not reach an end soon. In fact, there have been legal implications regarding test bias, since one judge in California ruled in 1979 that intelligence tests used for the assessment of Black children for special education classes for the educable mentally retarded are culturally biased, and a year later, one judge in Illinois judged the exact opposite in a different case (Ford, 2004). Intelligence tests must be used and played with caution, since the testing environment, the individual characteristics on individuals, and the characteristics of the test itself are factors that will most likely affect the results of the test. 

8. What have you learned about intelligence tests and testing that you did not know/that surprises you the most? (50-100 words)

The most surprising fact I learned after researching about intelligence tests is the idea that African-American students will not perform as well on those tests as white students. This information was very surprising, because I can’t seem to understand why. I can obviously understand why students who speak a different language than the one on the test would perform poorly, but students who were born in America, and speak English, still perform worse. I would like to do more research on this subject, and try to understand why this happens.

9. References

Benson, E. (2003, February). Intelligent intelligence testing. American Psychological Association, 34(2), 48.

Ford, D. Y. (2004). Intelligence testing and cultural diversity: Concerns, cautions, and considerations (RM04204). Storrs, CT: The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, University of Connecticut.

Neisser, U. (1979, July). The concept of intelligence. Intelligence, 3(3), 217-277.

Shiraev, E. B., & Levy, D. A. (2010). Cross-cultural psychology; Critical thinking and contemporary applications (4 ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn Bacon.

Spearman, C. (1904). "General intelligence," objectively determined and measured. American Journal of Psychology 15, 201-293.

Thurstone, L.L. (1938). Primary mental abilities. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Warner, M. (2002). Wanted: A definition of intelligence. Studies in Intelligence, 46(3).

Wechsler, D. (1949). Wechsler intelligence scale for children (4th ed.). San Antonio, TX: Psychological Coorporation.