intelligence
mental quality consisting of the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations
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
general intelligence (g)
a general intelligence factor that according to Spearman and others underlies specific mental abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test
savant syndrome
a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in computation or drawing
analytical (academic problem-solving) intelligence
according to Sternberg, a type of intelligence that is assessed by intelligence tests, which present well-defined problems having a single right answer
creative intelligence
according to Sternberg, a type of intelligence that is demonstrated in reacting adaptively to novel situations and generating novel ideas
practical intelligence
according to Sternberg, a type of intelligence that is often required for everyday tasks, which are frequently ill-defined, with multiple solutions
Spearman's general intelligence (g)
intelligence theory that a basic intelligence predicts our abilities in varied academic subjects
Thurstone's primary mental abilities
intelligence theory that our intelligence may be broken down into 7 factors: word fluency, verbal comprehension, spatial ability, perceptual speed, numerical ability, inductive reasoning, and memory
Gardner's multiple intelligences
intelligence theory that our abilities are best classified into 8 independent intelligences, which include a broad range of skills beyond traditional school smarts
Sternberg's triarchic
intelligence theory that our intelligence is best classified into 3 areas that predict our real-world success: analytical, creative, and practical
emotional intelligence
the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions
intelligence test
a method of assessing an individual's mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others, using numerical scores
mental age
a measure of intelligence test performance devised by Binet; the chronological age that most typically corresponds to a given level of performance
Stanford-Binet
the widely used American revision of Binet's original intelligence test
intelligence quotient (IQ)
defined originally as the ratio of mental age (ma) to chronological age (ca) multiplied by 100; on contemporary intelligence tests, the average performance for a given age is assigned a score of 100
aptitude test
a test designed to predict a person's future performance
achievement test
a test designed to assess what a person has learned
WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale)
the most widely used intelligence test; contains verbal and performance subtests
standardization
defining meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested standardization group
normal curve
the symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes
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
the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to
content validity
the extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest (such as a driving test that samples driving tasks)
criterion
the behavior (such as future college grades) that a test (such as the SAT) is designed to predict; thus the measure used in defining whether the test has 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 criterion behavior
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
a condition of retardation and associated physical disorders caused by an extra chromosome in one's genetic makeup
stereotype threat
a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype