Personality and Individual Differences Intelligence

• Intelligence


  Various definitions due to being so multifaceted and largely up to perspective
• Gottfredson (1994): 'A very general mental capacity that involves the ability to plan, solve problems and comprehend complex ideas'
• Latent cause of intelligence and how its found:

  • is the hidden factor which affects a person's intelligence that is not directly observable
  • can find it from psychometric instruments like test scores
  • is the relationship between test scores and other criteria predict the actual intelligence of the person
• Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911)


  • Father of genetics, made assertions that intelligence affects selection and competition for survival
• Types of intelligence


  • Fluid - capacity to learn new things, less affected by culture or experiences
  • Crystallised - learned knowledge, more affected by experience and culture
• Fluid intelligence tests

  • reaction time
  • visual inspection test
• Crystallised intelligence tests

  • Knowledge test
  • academic performance
  • uni entry test
• Similarities between fluid and crystallised intelligence tests

  • Both have large samples = more validity
  • Fulfil certain psychometrics = stats criteria
  • Showed using a bell curve
  • Aimed to assess individual differences in ability
• Differences between fluid and crystallised intelligence tests

  • Overall scope, format, length
  • Type of tests
  • Kind of intelligence
  • Either group or individually administered
• Criticisms of concept of intelligence

  • More to intelligence than a IQ test
  • doesn't answer to whether there is multiple intelligences
• Correlation


  A measure of covariation = the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables
• John B Carroll (1993) - Hierarchical factors model

  • Did the most extensive analysis on the structure of human mental abilities
  • General intelligence 'g'
  • Broad cognitive abilities
  • Narrow cognitive abilities
• Applications of the Hierarchical factors model

  • intelligence testing/assessments
  • Guides the development of intelligence tests
  • Helps understand individual cognitive strengths and weaknesses
• Practical implications of the Hierarchical factors model


  • Enhances education by identifying learning needs
  • Informs career counselling and job placement
  • Support cognitive training programs
• Critiques of the Hierarchical factors model


  • Simplifies complex cognitive process
  • Doesn't fully capture cultural and individual differences
• Implications of the Hierarchical factors model


  • Provides framework for understanding intelligence
  • Stimulates research into specific cognitive abilities
  • Highlights consideration of multiple factors of intelligence
• Gardner's Multiple Intelligence theory


  • Intelligence is not singular and consists of multiple distinct abilities
  • Eight types of intelligences
  • practical applications in education = teaching methods
  • advocated for more personalised teaching methods
  • Highlights importance of recognising and supporting individual strengths and talents
• what is intelligence also known as?


  'g' for general intelligence
• what is meant by intelligence and health outcomes?

  that higher intelligence in youth is better physical health at age 50
• what did Wraw et al (2018) show for intelligence and health outcomes?

  • higher youth IQ increased likelihood of cardiovascular activity for strength training
  • higher youth IQ increased likelihood of flossing and reading nutritional information on food packaging
  • higher youth IQ decreased likelihood of sugary drink consumption, heavy alcohol drinking and smoking
• what did Wraw et al (2018) show for skipping meals?

  • that higher IQ was shown to be beneficial and detrimental to dietary behaviours like skipping meals or snacking between meals
  • found that there was a U shapes association between IQ and how many meal were skipped a week
• what U shape was found between IQ and number of cigarettes smoked a day?

  • inverted U shape which shows that higher IQ means lower amount of cigarettes per day but it will increase again at a certain point
  • due to high IQ individuals having potential career or success stresses
• why would Wraw et al (2018) suggest people with higher IQ although will reduce smoking at some stage will then see an increase in smoking after?

  • due to people with higher IQ having more career stress or success
• what did Wraw et al (2018) overall conclude?

  • that higher IQ in adolescents is associated with healthier behaviours in middle age
• what did Wraw et al (2018) look at?

  • health behaviours and IQ in youth and middle aged individuals
  • exercise, diet, oral health, smoking and drinking
• what are the 8 types intelligences in gardeners multiple intelligences?

  1. linguistic
  2. musical
  3. bodily-kinethetic
  4. mathematical
  5. interpersonal
  6. intrapersonal
  7. naturalistic
  8. visual-spatial
• what are some limitations for Gardners multiple intelligence?

  • thought to have a lack of empirical evidence to support intelligence
  • needed more extensive experiments but had been adapted by others now
  • cultural bias - may not be applicable for other cultures
• what kind of approach does Gardner multiple intelligence theory provide?

  • holistic and inclusive perspective on human abilities
• what did Gardner's multiple intelligences argue?

  • that intelligences can be nurtured and developed throughout life
• similarities between Carroll and Gardner?

  • both acknowledge individuals may vary in cognitive abilities and strengths
  • emphasises the role of environment factors like education or upbringing to the development of intelligence
  • both suggest intelligence is multifaceted and influenced in different ways
• differences between carroll and gardner?

  • gardner's theory suggest intelligence has several distinct types
  • carroll thinks intelligence is singlular with 'g' underlying all cognitive abilities
  • gardner's theory proposes different intelligences operate independently
  • carroll theory that there is a hierarchal structure with 'g' effecting all cognitive abilities
• what are some limiations for Wraw et al 2018?

  • was based on a self report so is subject to recall bias and social desirability
  • also does not take genetic factors or mental health into account
• what are some implications of Wraw et al 2018?

  • gives health interventions tailored to cognitive abilities for different IQ levels
  • gives understanding of pathways of intelligence like cognitive decision making or health literacty