Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books Saylor.org
[53] Landy, F. J. (2005). Some historical and scientific issues related to research on emotional intelligence. Journal of
Organizational Behavior, 26, 411–424.
[54] Ayduk, O., Mendoza-Denton, R., Mischel, W., Downey, G., Peake, P. K., & Rodriguez, M. (2000). Regulating the
interpersonal self: Strategic self-regulation for coping with rejection sensitivity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
79 (5), 776–792; Eigsti, I.-M., Zayas, V., Mischel, W., Shoda, Y., Ayduk, O., Dadlani, M. B.,...Casey, B. J. (2006). Predicting cognitive
control from preschool to late adolescence and young adulthood.Psychological Science, 17(6), 478–484; Mischel, W., & Ayduk,
O. (Eds.). (2004). Willpower in a cognitive-affective processing system: The dynamics of delay of gratification. New York, NY:
Guilford Press.
[55] Mayer, J. D., & Cobb, C. D. (2000). Educational policy on emotional intelligence: Does it make sense? Educational
Psychology Review, 12(2), 163–183.
9.2 The Social, Cultural, and Political Aspects of Intelligence
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Explain how very high and very low intelligence is defined and what it means to have them.
- Consider and comment on the meaning of biological and environmental explanations for gender and racial differences
in IQ. - Define stereotype threat and explain how it might influence scores on intelligence tests.
Intelligence is defined by the culture in which it exists. Most people in Western cultures tend to
agree with the idea that intelligence is an important personality variable that should be admired
in those who have it. But people from Eastern cultures tend to place less emphasis on individual
intelligence and are more likely to view intelligence as reflecting wisdom and the desire to
improve the society as a whole rather than only themselves (Baral & Das, 2004; Sternberg,
2007). [1] And in some cultures, such as the United States, it is seen as unfair and prejudicial to
argue, even at a scholarly conference, that men and women might have different abilities in
domains such as math and science and that these differences might be caused by genetics (even
though, as we have seen, a great deal of intelligence is determined by genetics). In short,
although psychological tests accurately measure intelligence, it is cultures that interpret the
meanings of those tests and determine how people with differing levels of intelligence are
treated.