Intelligence

Question 1

Outline some of the key definitions of intelligence.

Answer 1

• What an intelligence test measures
• Usually assess IQ which is standardised to mean of 100 and SD of 15
• IQ questions often depend on knowledge and culture
• Raven’s progressive matrices aim to get rid of these biases

Question 2

What are the theories and models of intelligence?

Answer 2

General intelligence
Crystal vs. fluid intelligence 
Biology and genetics
Multiple intelligences
PPIK Theory (investment theories)
Trait complexes

Question 3

What is IQ split into?

Answer 3

• Crystal (Gc) – learnt (83-93%)

- Fluid (Gf) – biological potential (7-17%)

Question 4

What skills are part of crystal intelligence?

Answer 4

Spelling, writing and oral style.

Question 5

What skills are part of fluid intelligence?

Answer 5

Reading speed, Piagetian reasoning, sequential and inductive reasoning.

Question 6

Outline fluid intelligence.

Answer 6

• Focuses on process independent of context or knowledge domain
  
  • Seen to include executive control and working memory tasks, e.g. holding objects in memory (may be referred to as fluid cognition)
• Seen as biologically instantiated in the prefrontal cortex
• Declines later in life
• Measured by Raven’s progressive matrices - fill in the gap, spatial reasoning.

Question 7

Outline crystal intelligence.

Answer 7

• A product of Gf - Investment theory (Cattell)
• Gc test: vocabulary etc. and as such represent acquired knowledge and not ‘intelligence’
• Knowledge (acquired) increases over life

Question 8

What support is there for Gf-Gc theory?

EXTRA

Answer 8

According to Blair (2006), psychometric data generally supports the Gf-Gc theory - neuropsychological data shows that PFC damage leaves g intact but Gf substantially reduced, Gf and Gc have different developmental trajectories, and children with phenylketonuria (PKU) show Gf deficits

Question 9

Outline the Flynn effect.

Answer 9

A generational rise in IQ by on average of 10 points (range 5-20 points; SD = 15) which is seen across at least 14 different countries. It’s more substantial for Gf than Gc, and varies between countries - it’s highest in the Netherlands, below average in the UK, stopped in Sweden and reversed in Norway.

Question 10

What is the cause of the Flynn effect?

Answer 10

o Social Multipliers – environmental factor that cause IQ of some to increase
 Internet and information access, gaming (reaction times), schooling, group learning and studying, culture of educations
o Matching
 Gene-environment correlation – people seek out environments that match their phenotype
 Process by which the ability and the environment are matched produces increases in initial ability
 Therefore environment increase genetic ability
o Averaging
 As individual ability rises – will influence those around them
 Small effect over time will influence wider population
 Population average increases
 Genes and environment influence each other

Question 11

According to behavioural genetics, what amount of intelligence is heritable?

Answer 11

Heritability estimates range from .48-.62 (up to .80)

Question 12

What environmental factors affect heritability of ‘g’?

Answer 12

• Age - h2 increases with age from 40% in childhood to 60% in adulthood and 80% in old age
  This effect may represent a gene-environment correlation – genes need appropriate environments to express. High IQ people will seek out high IQ contexts so intelligence will show as they get older
• Socio-economic status - heritability and socio-economic status are positively correlated - 72% of high SES, 10% for low SES
  o May reflect a gene-environment interaction. More resources in high SES to allow genes for IQ to express. SES may reflect genetic effects also

Question 13

What did Sternberg et al. (2005) state about the heritability of intelligence?

Answer 13

• Heritability doesn’t allow inference to between group differences - heritability is the proportion of individual difference variation that’s attributable to genetic variation (50% heritability doesn’t mean 50% is inherited).
• It’s a population measure – cannot be applied to individuals - if certain ethnicities score lower, may reflect cultural issue not genetics
• heritability isn’t the same as genetic influence - it’s still affected by environmental factors.
• High heritability doesn’t mean that modification isn’t possible

Question 14

What brain regions biologically correlate to IQ?

EXTRA

Answer 14

According to a meta-analysis of brain volume:
- g correlates .33 with brain volume
- g correlates with genetically determined frontal regions (twin studies)
Grey matter (GM) positively correlated in all 4 lobes (primarily frontal) with IQ
Distributed white matter correlates but to less of an extent than for GM.

Question 15

Outline P-FIT (parietofrontal integration) theory (Jung and Haier, 2007).

Answer 15

Sensory information is gathered and fed forward to be analysed for symbolic meaning and eventually forward for solution, reflections and evaluation
– Step 1 [sensory]: Assumes that human attend to and gather salient information via auditory and visual processes (Temporal and Occipital lobes)
– Step 2: Feed forward to parietal lobes for symbolism, abstraction and elaboration
– Step 3: Parietal cortex interacts with frontal cortex for hypothesis testing of various solutions
– Step 4: Anterior cingulate constrains response selection to inhibit competing responses
– Step 5: Steps 1 to 4 require the fidelity of the underlying white matter for error free transmission

Question 16

What is the difference between typical and maximal performance?
EXTRA

Answer 16

Typical is how people behave in general, and maximal is a measure of the best you can do on a single assessment, e.g. IQ tests, exams, MCQs etc.

Question 17

What did Penke et al. (2010) find?

Answer 17

Faster information processing is associated with better white matter integrity
Faster reaction time in simple cognitive task associated with higher intelligence

Question 18

Personality and IQ - Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham (2008)

Answer 18

Conscientiousness explains an extra 27% of performance on exams once Gf is controlled for
Openness explains an extra 4%
Being hardworking, methodical and organised add significantly to exam performance above IQ

Question 19

Intelligence as Process, Personality, Interests and Knowledge - Ackerman

Answer 19

Stage 1: Basic IQ investment model - Gc (process) to Gf (knowledge)
Stage 2: Knowledge influences interests and this is mediated by personality

Question 20

Trait complexes in intelligence

Answer 20

Idea that individual differences in intelligence, personality and interests go together to create coherent complexes
Four have been identified by Ackerman & Heggestad (1997):
o Clerical/Conventional - control, conscientiousness, traditional
o Social - enterprising, extroversion
o Science/Maths - reasoning, perception, investigative
o Intellectual/Cultural - investigative, artistic