Week 7: Assessment of Intelligence and General Ability
In the now classic film Saturday Night Fever, paint store clerk/disco dancer Tony Manero (John Travolta) attempts to win over Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney), a fellow resident of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, who aspires to the life of a sophisticated Manhattanite. In a scene shortly after the two rehearse for an upcoming disco dance contest, Tony – perhaps feeling inadequate – asks Stephanie if she thinks that he is intelligent. Stephanie responds with a laugh and some indecision but ultimately concludes, “Yeah, maybe. Maybe intelligent.” We can learn a couple things from this – first, that the scene is a lesson in the relativity of the attribution of intelligence and second, that there is a lesson in the importance of keeping in mind not only the object of the assessment but also the frame of reference of the assessor!
There are widely differing views as to the meaning of “intelligence” exists among psychologists, educators, and lay people. Sternberg (1982) conducted a study with lay people and found definitions ranging from “ displays common sense” to “reads with high comprehension.” Even among psych professionals there are widely differing views on what constitutes “intelligence”. Some attribute it to biological or genetic bases, others attribute intelligence to environmental bases, and yet some others simply feel that “intelligence is whatever intelligence tests measure” (Cohen, 2005).
In this chapter, you will be exposed to the many and widely differing theories of intelligence, and this is seen best by the diversity of intelligence testing available for use in the U.S. and around the world today.
Session Objectives
By the end of this week, you will:
- Describe the various definitions of intelligence
- Explain the major theories of intelligence and describe their differences
- Define the g factor of intelligence
- Articulate Terman’s study and its relevance in the study of human intelligence
- Describe the various cognitive abilities measured in intelligence tests
- Describe individual intelligence tests and group intelligence tests and explain distinctions between the two
- Describe specialized tests of intelligence
- Identify and describe the major tests on intelligence, such as the Weschler scales and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
- Explain special issues in inteligence testing
- List and describe the statutes and regulations that impact assessment practice
