Chapter 9

Intelligence

Intelligence -refers to the capacity of the mind to rationalize, solving problems, learn new facts and
skills think abstractly and recall past events and experience.

Measuring intelligence

There are types and methods of psychological tests that had been devised from the past and
develop continuously to the present to human measure human intelligence.

Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) –British scientist, expounded the fundamental methods in
statistical measurement that specifically calculate the correlation between pairs of attributes
(heredity).

- Galton established the science of eugenics, which aims to improve the human species
through selective breeding of gifted individuals

Stanford–Binet Scale is an intelligence measurement comprising a number of verbal items (e.g

identify things) and performance items (picture or images completion)

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales-Revised (WAISR) and Wechsler Intelligence

scale for children-Revised (WISC-III) Include items both verbal and performance sections) that
are organized as subtest of general information, vocabulary, picture completion.

Intelligence test is one way to group or classify those who are mentally gifted and mentally
retarded.

Mentally gifted and exceptional children

- Mentally gifted children may be classified as individuals whose possess high intelligence
and high creativity and maturity responsible to other children.

Mentally Retarted

- Mentally retarded children may be categorized as individuals with subnormal intellectual

functioning and impaired adaptive behaviour. Children with mentally retardation lack of
fundamental skills in the following areas: communication, self-direction, health and safety,
academics leisure, and work.

Several and various causes of mental retardation may take place before and after birth
including genetic disorders like “down syndrome” that leads to mongolism or cretinism,
infectious diseases like meningitis, hormonal disorders.
Theories of intelligence

- Human is the highest creature in the animal kingdom that possess the ability to think, learn
facts and skills, capacity to rationalize, and capability to adapt in any environment.

General intelligence

- All mental ability tests, as Charles Spearman (1904) studied and observed, were positively
correlated. The British psychologist found out individuals who got high score on any of the
mental tests he gave tended to score high on all others. On the other hand individuals who
got low scores on any of the mental test tended to score low on all others.

Psychometrics

- Louis Thurstone (1938) devised and developed the science that measures the mental
functions and statistical techniques for multi-factor analysis of performance on
psychological test known as psychometrics
- His study focuses on measuring individuals attitude and intelligence

Fluid and Crystallized intelligence

- Two methods of factor analysis employed by Raymond Cattell (American psychologist).

Fluid intelligence denotes the biological basis of intelligence like speed in memory and alertness
in reasoning that increases into adulthood and decline due to the aging process

Crystallized intelligence refers to the knowledge and obtained through learning and experience
over years.

Multiple Intelligences – Howard Gardner (1983) recommended the theory of multiple

intelligences to broaden the range of human abilities that should be considered aspects of
intelligence.

- It also known as cognitive contextual theories which deal with the operation of cognitive
processes in different environmental situation.

Triarchic Theory

- Robert Stenberg (1985), perceived that mental tests are, most often than not, imperfect
predictors of real-world performance or success

American psychologist structured triarchic (three part) theory of intelligence that consist of three
main aspects namely:

 Analytic intelligence -skills in reasoning, processing information, and solving

problems
  Creative intelligence –skills in using past experience to achieve insights and deal with
new situation
 Practical intelligence –skills in everyday living adapting life demands, and ability to
succeed in real-world setting

Piaget’s intellectual development

- Jean Piaget pioneered his psychological work on the development of child intelligence in
which later on serves as reference on the growth and development of children in the fields
of psychology and education.

Two diff. but interrelated theories namely:

 Intellectual process
 Intellectual development

Intellectual Process

Assimilation is a process, in which a child incorporates new knowledge and discovery to the
existing data that he previously acquired.

Accommodation is a process which the child applies new knowledge that he learned. Application
of new information can be validated if the transfer of learning is efficient or defective.

Four stages in intellectual development

 Sensorimotor during this period of child intellectual development from birth through two
years of age, individuals learn how to adjust reflexes to make them more adaptive to his
new environment. He learns how to manipulate physical objects and control his reflexes
 Preoperational second stage in which a child from two to seven years of age, learns and
experiences languages, names physical objects, identifies the color and shapes of articles,
and reasons intuitively.
 Concrete Operational third phase of child intellectual development that lasts from seven
to twelve years of age shows that higher skills develop continuously in an individual. The
child deals with abstract ideas and relationship.
 Formal Operational from twelve years of age to death, an individual experiences the
period of formal operation, wherein he develops thinking skills in all logical combinations
and learns to think with abstract ideas. The reasoning of an individual during this last phase
is more systematic and orderly.

Influences of intelligences

- Several theories and speculations emanated regarding the nature and nurture of
intelligence. Some people claim that intelligence is hereditary.