Psychology2016

296 CHAPTER 7

between race and IQ, not race and intelligence. Second, they assumed that intelligence itself

is very heavily influenced by genetics, with a heritability factor of about .80. The current

estimate of the heritability of intelligence is about .50 ( Plomin & DeFries, 1998; Plomin &

Spinath, 2004).

Herrnstein and Murray also failed to understand that heritability only applies

to differences that can be found within a group of people as opposed to those between

groups of people or individuals (Gould, 1981). Heritability estimates can only be made

truly from a group that was exposed to a similar environment.

One of their findings was that Japanese Americans are at the top of the IQ

ladder, a finding that they attribute to racial and genetic characteristics. They seem

to ignore the cultural influence of intense focus on education and achievement by

Japanese-American parents (Neisser et al., 1996). Scientists (Beardsley, 1995; Kamin,

1995) have concluded that, despite the claims of The Bell Curve, there is no real sci-

entific evidence for genetic differences in intelligence between different racial groups.

A series of studies, using blood-group testing for racial grouping (different racial

groups have different rates of certain blood groups, allowing a statistical estimation

of ancestry), found no significant relationship between ethnicity and IQ (Neisser

et al., 1996).

Although The Bell Curve stated that Japanese

Americans are genetically superior in

intelligence, the book’s authors overlook the

influence of cultural values. Many Japanese

American parents put much time and effort

into helping their children with schoolwork.

Concept Map L.O. 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9, 7.10

Interactive

Intelligence

(the ability to learn from one’s experiences, acquire knowledge, and use resources effectively)

uses a variety of verbal and performance subtests to

provide an overall score of intelligence and index scores

related to specific cognitive domains

key element to be tested was child’s mental age

now uses

age-group

comparison

norms as the

Wechsler does

Spearman’s g factor: intelligence comprises two different abilities

Gardner’s multiple intelligences: overall intelligence comprises nine different types

Sternberg’s triarchic theory: intelligence comprises three different aspects

theories

g factor: general intelligence

s factor: specific intelligence

Terman (researcher at Stanford) translated and revised Binet’s test

first test to adopt intelligence quotient (IQ):

IQ 5 mental age/chronological age 3 100

uses a variety of verbal and nonverbal

subtests to provide an overall estimate

of intelligence and scores related

to five areas of cognition

good tests are both valid and reliable

standardized administration, scoring, and comparison against norms

intelligence is assumed to follow a normal curve

is challenging

Measuring

first formal test

created by

Alfred Binet and

Theodore Simon

to help identify

French students

who needed more

help with learning

test construction

Binet’s Mental Ability Test

Stanford-Binet

Wechsler Tests

analytical

creative

practical

tests

different definitions of intelligence and multiple ways to assess them

difficult to design tests that are completely free of cultural bias

nature and nurture

individual differences

IQ tests can be used

to identify individuals

who differ significantly

from those of

average intelligence

giftedness

other factors

intellectual

disability/

intellectual

developmental

disorder

emotional

intelligence

criteria

classifications

causal factors

awareness of and ability to manage one’s own emotions,

self-motivation, empathy, and social skills

may be related to traditional intelligence but data is still

being collected

typically grow up to be well-adjusted adults EXCEPT

when “pushed” to achieve at younger and younger ages

extreme geniuses may experience social

and behavioral adjustment issues as children

environmental

biological

toxins such as lead or mercury

poverty

IQ. 130 (2 SD above mean)

IQ. 140 are called geniuses

criteria

characteristics

current heritability

estimate is about .50

correlation is not 1.00, so environment also

has to play a part

IQ , 70 (2 SD below mean)

adaptive skills significantly below age-appropriate level

onset of deficits must occur during childhood or adolescence

Down syndrome

fetal alcohol syndrome

fragile X syndrome

identical twins

reared together

show a correlation

of .86 between

their IQs

heritability estimates apply within groups

of people, not between groups, not to

individuals, and only in a general sense

range from mild to profound, depending on severity

of deficts or level of support required

M07_CICC7961_05_SE_C07.indd 296 9/2/16 7:15 PM