Introduction to Developmental Psychology
Intelligence: What is it? Why does it matter? Why are we so different from each other?
A reminder about correlations
Correlation (r) is a way of describing the relationship between two things
It tells us the strength and direction of the relationship between variables: -1 to +1
These are group-level statistics
Psychometrics
Psychometrics is the science of psychological assessment
It is primarily concerned with individual differences
How to know something is reliable and a good measure
Reliability
o The extent to which a measure yields the same result on repeated trials
Validity
o The extent to which an instrument measures what it claims to measure
What intelligence is and what it is not
“Individuals differ from one another in their ability to understand complex ideas, to
adapt effectively to the environment, to learn from experience, to engage in various
forms of reasoning, to overcome obstacles… Concepts of intelligence are attempts to
clarify and organise this complex set of phenomena” (Neisser et al. 1996, p77).
Psychometric intelligence refers to the human differences measured by mental
ability tests.
The tests do not attempt or claim to measure all human capabilitie4s.
The characteristics measured by ‘emotional intelligence’ or ‘multiple intelligences’
(Gardner, 1999) are arguably personality traits and not cognitive abilities per se.
The early history of intelligence testing
1904 – commissioned by French government to develop intelligence tests to identify
children in need of special education
1916 – adapts Binet-Simon tests to develop the Stanford-Binet intelligence test
Thorndike (1921) and Spearman (1914, 1927) debate the structure of intelligence –
how to define it
Wechsler introduces the Wechsler-Bellevue Test (1939) and later the Wechsler
Intelligence Scale for Children (1949). Developed deviation IQ.
How is intelligence measured?
There are numerous standardised tests of intelligence available to trained
psychologists – rigorous, precise way of measuring IQ
There are individual tests for one-to-one testing and group-level tests
There are single item type tests (e.g., then Ravens Progressive Matrices Test)
, There are multiple item type tests designed to measure wide-ranging cognitive
abilities:
o Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (ages 2.5-7.5)
o Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (ages 6-16)
o Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (ages 16-90)
Verbal Ability
Similarities Test - Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (ages 6-16)
o In what way are RED and BLUE alike?
o In what way are APPLE and BANANA alike?
Receptive Vocabulary Test - Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence
(ages 2.5-7.5)
o “Show me the easel”
Non-Verbal Reasoning Skills
Matrix Reasoning Task
o Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of
Intelligence (ages 4-7.5)
Block Design Task
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (ages 6-16 years)
Working memory
Intelligence: What is it? Why does it matter? Why are we so different from each other?
A reminder about correlations
Correlation (r) is a way of describing the relationship between two things
It tells us the strength and direction of the relationship between variables: -1 to +1
These are group-level statistics
Psychometrics
Psychometrics is the science of psychological assessment
It is primarily concerned with individual differences
How to know something is reliable and a good measure
Reliability
o The extent to which a measure yields the same result on repeated trials
Validity
o The extent to which an instrument measures what it claims to measure
What intelligence is and what it is not
“Individuals differ from one another in their ability to understand complex ideas, to
adapt effectively to the environment, to learn from experience, to engage in various
forms of reasoning, to overcome obstacles… Concepts of intelligence are attempts to
clarify and organise this complex set of phenomena” (Neisser et al. 1996, p77).
Psychometric intelligence refers to the human differences measured by mental
ability tests.
The tests do not attempt or claim to measure all human capabilitie4s.
The characteristics measured by ‘emotional intelligence’ or ‘multiple intelligences’
(Gardner, 1999) are arguably personality traits and not cognitive abilities per se.
The early history of intelligence testing
1904 – commissioned by French government to develop intelligence tests to identify
children in need of special education
1916 – adapts Binet-Simon tests to develop the Stanford-Binet intelligence test
Thorndike (1921) and Spearman (1914, 1927) debate the structure of intelligence –
how to define it
Wechsler introduces the Wechsler-Bellevue Test (1939) and later the Wechsler
Intelligence Scale for Children (1949). Developed deviation IQ.
How is intelligence measured?
There are numerous standardised tests of intelligence available to trained
psychologists – rigorous, precise way of measuring IQ
There are individual tests for one-to-one testing and group-level tests
There are single item type tests (e.g., then Ravens Progressive Matrices Test)
, There are multiple item type tests designed to measure wide-ranging cognitive
abilities:
o Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (ages 2.5-7.5)
o Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (ages 6-16)
o Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (ages 16-90)
Verbal Ability
Similarities Test - Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (ages 6-16)
o In what way are RED and BLUE alike?
o In what way are APPLE and BANANA alike?
Receptive Vocabulary Test - Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence
(ages 2.5-7.5)
o “Show me the easel”
Non-Verbal Reasoning Skills
Matrix Reasoning Task
o Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of
Intelligence (ages 4-7.5)
Block Design Task
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (ages 6-16 years)
Working memory
