Intelligence: Intelligence Chapter 10
intelligence test: intelligence test A method for assessing an individual's mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others, using numerical scores.
intelligence: intelligence Mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations.
general intelligence (g): general intelligence (g) A general intelligence factor that, according to Spearman and others, underlies specific metal abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test.
factor analysis: factor analysis A statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called factors) on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie one's total score.
savant syndrome: savant syndrome A condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in computation or drawing.
creativity: creativity The ability to produce novel and valuable ideas.
emotional intelligence: emotional intelligence The ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions.
mental age: mental age A measure of intelligence test performance devised by Binet ; the chronological age that most typically corresponds to a given level of performance. Thus, a child who does as well as the average 8-year-old is said to have a mental age of 8.
Stanford-Binet: Stanford- Binet The widely used American revision (by Terman at Stanford University) of Binet's original intelligence test.
intelligence quotient (IQ): intelligence quotient (IQ) Defined originally as the ratio of mental age (ma) to chronological age ( ca ) multiplied by 100 [thus, IQ = (ma/ ca ) x 100]. On contemporary intelligence tests, the average performance for a given age is assigned a score of 100.
achievement tests: achievement tests A test designed to assess what a person has learned.
aptitude tests: aptitude tests A test designed to predict a person's future performance; aptitude is the capacity to learn.
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS): Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) The WAIS is the most widely used intelligence test; contains verbal and performance (nonverbal) subtests.
standardization: standardization Defining meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested group.
normal curve: normal curve The symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes. Most scores fall near the average, and fewer and fewer scores lie near the extremes.
reliability: reliability The extent to which a test yields consistent results, as assessed by the consistency of scores on two halves of the test, on alternate forms of the test, or on retesting.
validity: validity The extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to.
content validity: content validity The extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest.
predictive validity: predictive validity The success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict; it is assessed by computing the correlation between test scores and the criterion behavior. (Also called criterion-related validity.)
mental retardation: mental retardation A condition of limited mental ability, indicated by an intelligence score of 70 or below and difficulty in adapting to the demands of life; varies from mild to profound.
Down Syndrome: Down Syndrome A condition of retardation and associated physical disorders caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21.
stereotype threat: stereotype threat A self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype.