What is aptitude?
One’s potential for learning, mastering an activity
What is ability?
One’s current performance level in an activity
What is achievement?
The accumulated products of one’s practice, learning in an activity over time, timeline = on other side of aptitude
How can ability testing be defined?
can be thought of as testing any psychological variable that has a “right” or “wrong” answer; one’s performance on a task
EX. intelligence testing
How does Cohen (2025) define intelligence?
A “folk concept”—arising outside of science and varying across cultures and contexts.
What does Oppong (2020) define intelligence as?
“Valued human cognitive abilities.”
What do Matsumoto & Juang (2007) define intelligence as?
Skills and abilities needed to effectively accomplish cultural goals.
According to Cohen (2025), intelligence consists of the abilities to:
- Understand complex ideas.
- Adapt effectively to the environment.
- Learn from experience.
- Engage in various forms of reasoning.
- Overcome obstacles by taking thought.
What is important to remember about measuring intelligence?
We never measure intelligence directly—only performance on tasks requiring intelligence and other skills (memory, attention, etc.).
EX. say numbers and letters and have to say them back in numerical and alphabetical order but also testing crystalized intelligence (know what numbers and letters are), ability to pay attention, memory, etc.
What do factor-analytic theories of intelligence attempt to identify?
Underlying abilities based on correlations among test performances.
What is factor analysis?
Statistical techniques that identify underlying relationships among variables.
What did Spearman (1927) propose?
A general intelligence factor (g) influencing all cognitive tasks.
What are group factors?
Abilities shared by some tasks but not all—neither as general as g nor as specific as s.
What is the positive manifold?
all tests of cognitive ability are positively correlated.
What tests correlate most with g?
abstract-reasoning tests as they rely heavily on general cognitive ability.
What influences performance on each test in Spearman’s model?
the general ability factor g and a specific ability s unique to each test.
In each test there is also measurement error.
What does CHC (Cattell-Horn-Carroll) propose?
A hierarchical model with g at the top, broad abilities beneath (e.g., fluid, crystallized, processing speed), and specific skills below.
What role does attention play in CHC?
It acts as a gatekeeper to higher-level cognitive processing.
What key aspects do factor-analytic theories miss?
- “Conative” aspects of intellectual functioning
- Mental effort, persistence, drive, stick-to-it-ness
- “Cognitive misers;” fast, associationistic problem-solving (Stanovich)
- Factors that cause otherwise reasonable people to believe/do foolish things
- Ability to perceive, respond to “social, moral, and aesthetic values” (Wechsler)
- Inter/intrapersonal skills, other specific skills (H. Gardner)
Who created the first English version of the Binet-Simon?
Binet-Simon scale was translated into English in 1916 by L. Terman at Stanford U: Hence “Stanford-Binet”
What is ratio IQ?
The ratio of the test taker’s mental age divided by his or her chronological age multiplied by 100 to eliminate decimals
Mental age ÷ chronological age × 100
What type of IQ does the SB5 now use?
Deviation IQ (standardized).
What is the most commonly used intelligence test in North America?
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS).
What type of scoring do Wechsler tests use?
- Norm-referenced IQ scores (point scaled): mean = 100, SD = 15
- Continues to use age norms
