SYC A100 | Lectures 7-12:Study Guide
P 1
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Intro to Psychology:Exam Study Guide
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Lecture 7: Group Differences in Intelligence-
● E
ugenics:Eugenicspromoted reproduction of peoplewith
desirable traitswhile discouraging reproduction inothers.
○ E
x.Only promoting the reproduction of individualswith
certain qualifying IQ scores on one extreme of the
distribution
● G
roup Differences:(Goddard & US Public Health Service)
Studiessuggested large groups, such as immigrants,were
labeled as having lower intelligencebased on biasedmethods.
○ In 1912, Goddard worked with the US Public Health Service
to administer intelligence tests to immigrants arriving at
Ellis Island in New York.
○ H
e suggested that83% of Jews, 80% of Hungarians,79% of
Italians, and 87% of Russianswho were tested were
classified as"morons"(a term used at the time todescribe
those considered mentally deficient).
● T
he Bell Curve:African-Americans historically underperformon
standardized tests, possibly due to social factorslikestressor
socioeconomic status(SES).
● F
lynn Effect:Over time, average IQ scores have increased
worldwide, indicating environmental effects on intelligence.
○ a
verage IQ scores have been rising at a rate of
approximately 3 points per decade
○ Possible Environmental Effects:
■ Access and quality of education
■ Exposure to testing
■ Tech advancements
■ Improved nutrition
■ etc.
, SYC A100 | Lectures 7-12:Study Guide
P 2
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● N
ature vs. Nurture:Intelligence is influenced by bothgenetics
(heredity) and theenvironment.
○ Genetics = Nature ; Environment = Nurture
○ ^ They are CONFOUNDED (intertwined / inextricably
linked)
○ * Heritability-the degree to which a characteristiccan be
attributed to genetic factors.
■ S
tudies showaround 50% of cognitive abilities are
heritable, but environment plays a crucial role in
maximizing potential.
■ Ex. Tod: “What is theheritabilityof his addiction?”
■ uzy: “Probably very high, his mother was an
S
alcoholic during pregnancy”
○ * Gene-environment interaction-an effect is due toa
mixture of environmental factors (nurture) and genetic
factors (nature)
■ G
enes provide a range of possible outcomes (i.e.,
one’s IQ could be 40 – 160). This genetic makeup
interacts with the environment one is raised in.
● Poor-quality upbringing -> possible IQ of 40
● High-quality upbringing -> possible IQ of 160
● C
ultural Test Bias:Traditional IQ tests measure cultural
knowledge (ex. “Who wrote Huckleberry Finn?”), which may
disadvantage those from different backgrounds. Culture-fair
tests, like Raven’s Progressive Matrices, were developed to
address this.
Lecture 8: Intelligence and Testing
● * Intelligence:Intelligence is one’s ability to solveproblems,
adapt, and learn from experiences. It encompasses
psychological factors like memory, perception, and language.
● H
istory:Alfred Binetdeveloped the first intelligencetest to
identify children needing remedial education in France. He
P 1
—-—-
-—-—-—-
—
Intro to Psychology:Exam Study Guide
—-—-—-—-
Lecture 7: Group Differences in Intelligence-
● E
ugenics:Eugenicspromoted reproduction of peoplewith
desirable traitswhile discouraging reproduction inothers.
○ E
x.Only promoting the reproduction of individualswith
certain qualifying IQ scores on one extreme of the
distribution
● G
roup Differences:(Goddard & US Public Health Service)
Studiessuggested large groups, such as immigrants,were
labeled as having lower intelligencebased on biasedmethods.
○ In 1912, Goddard worked with the US Public Health Service
to administer intelligence tests to immigrants arriving at
Ellis Island in New York.
○ H
e suggested that83% of Jews, 80% of Hungarians,79% of
Italians, and 87% of Russianswho were tested were
classified as"morons"(a term used at the time todescribe
those considered mentally deficient).
● T
he Bell Curve:African-Americans historically underperformon
standardized tests, possibly due to social factorslikestressor
socioeconomic status(SES).
● F
lynn Effect:Over time, average IQ scores have increased
worldwide, indicating environmental effects on intelligence.
○ a
verage IQ scores have been rising at a rate of
approximately 3 points per decade
○ Possible Environmental Effects:
■ Access and quality of education
■ Exposure to testing
■ Tech advancements
■ Improved nutrition
■ etc.
, SYC A100 | Lectures 7-12:Study Guide
P 2
—-—-
● N
ature vs. Nurture:Intelligence is influenced by bothgenetics
(heredity) and theenvironment.
○ Genetics = Nature ; Environment = Nurture
○ ^ They are CONFOUNDED (intertwined / inextricably
linked)
○ * Heritability-the degree to which a characteristiccan be
attributed to genetic factors.
■ S
tudies showaround 50% of cognitive abilities are
heritable, but environment plays a crucial role in
maximizing potential.
■ Ex. Tod: “What is theheritabilityof his addiction?”
■ uzy: “Probably very high, his mother was an
S
alcoholic during pregnancy”
○ * Gene-environment interaction-an effect is due toa
mixture of environmental factors (nurture) and genetic
factors (nature)
■ G
enes provide a range of possible outcomes (i.e.,
one’s IQ could be 40 – 160). This genetic makeup
interacts with the environment one is raised in.
● Poor-quality upbringing -> possible IQ of 40
● High-quality upbringing -> possible IQ of 160
● C
ultural Test Bias:Traditional IQ tests measure cultural
knowledge (ex. “Who wrote Huckleberry Finn?”), which may
disadvantage those from different backgrounds. Culture-fair
tests, like Raven’s Progressive Matrices, were developed to
address this.
Lecture 8: Intelligence and Testing
● * Intelligence:Intelligence is one’s ability to solveproblems,
adapt, and learn from experiences. It encompasses
psychological factors like memory, perception, and language.
● H
istory:Alfred Binetdeveloped the first intelligencetest to
identify children needing remedial education in France. He
