Summary of Key Concepts Nature, Nurture, and Intelligence
• The ability to retain information is an important part of what we refer to as intel- ligence. Traditionally, psychologists have viewed intelligence as innate, and twin studies also suggest a strong biological component to intelligence. However, psychol- ogists have determined that the environment (e.g., family, schooling, socioeconomic group, culture, etc.) also plays a large role in intelligence.
• While traditional measures of intelligence suggested that intelligence was mostly fixed at birth, there is convincing evidence that learning is an integral part of cogni- tive development.
Traditional Models of Intelligence
• Measuring intelligence by standardized tests is called psychometrics. An intelligence quotient (IQ) is a number that compares a person’s cognitive ability to an average score.
• The Stanford-Binet and Wechsler Scales remain the mostly widely used measures of intelligence. Rather than simply providing one IQ number that signifies intelligence, modern versions of these instruments address strengths and weaknesses in several areas.
Extremes of Intelligence
• The lower end of the intelligence scale is defined by intellectual disability, whereas the upper end defines giftedness.
• Both ends of the extremes of intelligence are entitled to special services so that edu- cation is appropriate to their needs. There are different approaches for educational services depending on the type of behavior exhibited and available resources.
mos82599_09_c09_297-326.indd 321 2/11/16 8:37 AM
© 2016 Bridgepoint Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution.
322
Summary & Resources
Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
• Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences describes eight types of intelligences: verbal–linguistic, logical–mathematical, spatial, bodily–kinesthetic, musical, inter- personal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.
• This theory highlights many ways to be smart and has implications for instructional approaches in schools and problem solving in workplaces.
Triarchic Model of Intelligence
• Sternberg’s triarchic model of intelligence consists of traditional analytical intelli- gence, practical intelligence, and creative intelligence. Overall intelligence is a func- tion of the balance among the three components.
• Analytical abilities, which are important in math and science, are useful in analyzing, evaluating, and comparing and contrasting things.
• Practical intelligence involves solving practical problems in everyday life. It tends to grow in early adulthood and decline in late adulthood.
• Creative intelligence, involved in exploring, discovering, and imagining, helps people react to new situations and adapt to or improve their environment.
Other Types of Intelligence
• Emotional intelligence, which increases with age, is a set of abilities that enables a person to process and use emotional information.
• One model of emotional intelligence has four different factors—perceiving emotions, reasoning about emotion, understanding emotion, and managing emotion—that describe our emotions as a form of intelligence.
• Some theorists emphasize creativity as a unique form of intelligence that increases across the lifespan as the result of hard work or focused motivation.
The Influence of Advancing Age on Cognition
• We now understand that there are distinct cognitive differences between young and old and there are both cognitive gains and losses as we age.
• Research (particularly the Seattle Longitudinal Study) has shown that aging does not always lead to cognitive decline; rather, there is much individual variation due to personal factors such as biology, genetics, personality, and relationships.
• While we may associate aging with memory loss, older adult students often have cognitive advantages over younger students because of their life experiences.
• Fluid and crystalized forms of intelligence show different trajectories as we age, but their combined effect may offer more insight about the practical effects of age- related changes in cognition.
• Cognitive training has been found to have some preventive effect against cognitive decline and dementia, though laboratory results are hard to generalize.