Whether Intelligence Can be Defined and Measured Accurately or Not
In this essay I will look at whether intelligence can be defined and
measured accurately through looking at various definitions of
intelligence; including definitions from Binet, Wechsler, Terman,
Hebbs, Cattel and Vernon. I will discuss a selection of more well
known and popular intelligence tests ranging from Galton to Wechsler,
what they measure and what they don’t measure. I will look at an
example of a famous person renowned for being intelligent and what
there IQ test result would likely of been, if tested.
Starting with a definition from the oxford dictionary we can then go
on to see how varied the definitions of intelligence can be.
Intelligence, meaning “the mental ability the power of learning and
understanding” (Hawkins, 1988).
In 1905 Binet suggested that intelligence is the ability to
comprehend, judge and reason well (1905, cited in P, Smith et al,
2003) and Wechsler describes intelligence along a similar line
agreeing that the ability to adapt to circumstances and rational
thinking are part of intelligence (cited in Gross, 1992).
Three definitions that follow a similar line, the first being from
Piaget who sees intelligence as an ongoing process of learning,
organising, developing and adapting to situations (Pyle, 1979). The
definition from Hebb is that it has two meanings, one being “an
innate potential, the capacity for development, a fully innate
property that amounts to the possession of a good brain & a good
neural metabolism”(cited in Heim, 1970, p24) the second meaning is,
the functioning of the brain which has developed with the infl...
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(1) Kellner distinguishes between “functional” and “critical oppositional public intellectuals. What are the major distinctions? Which of the two styles of theorizing most appeals to you? Why?
The death penalty was brought to America in the 17th century. As of January 1, 2011, more than three thousand people were sentenced under the death penalty in the United States (Death Penalty Information Center). There are currently thirty-four states with the death penalty and out those states 1,272 inmates have been executed to date (Death Penalty Information Center). A number of inmates have perhaps been on death row for more than a decade. With the increase public support for the death penalty and the growing number of executions indicate there is an issue for competency (Bonnie, 1990). Therefore, “many states have begun to encounter some condemned inmates asserting that their prolonged confinement under sentence of death has left them mentally incompetent (Small & Otto, 1991)”. These inmates on death row live with the knowledge of their approaching death and some of these inmates are often mentally incompetent.
In his article, “None of the Above: What IQ Doesn’t Tell You about Race” journalist Malcolm Gladwell refutes the notion that intelligence is based on genetics and argues that IQ is not just based on an individual’s level of thinking but also on the location where an individual resides. In 1984, James Flynn discovered that over the years, the IQ of people around the world had been increasing by three points per decade. This is now known as the Flynn effect. The IQ fundamentalists around the world believe that IQ score shows an individual’s level of thinking and it is based on genetics. However, Flynn effect disproves this
Intelligence tests have been developed by scientists as a tool to categorize army recruits or analyze school children. But still discussing what intelligence is, academics have a difficult time defining what intelligence tests should measure. According to the American researcher Thorndike, intelligence is only that what intelligence tests claim it is (Comer, Gould, & Furnham, 2013). Thus, depending on what is being researched in the test and depending on the scientist’s definition of intelligence the meaning of the word intelligence may vary a lot. This essay will discuss what intelligence is in order to be able to understand the intelligence theories and aims of intelligence tests.
...gists have debated the explanation of intelligence for hundreds of years, with its discovery promising to unlock the secret to understanding why we do what we do. A social construct known as race, showing discrepancies of intelligence, further complicates the mystery. After thorough analysis of the available data, it is evident that IQ scores do not indicate a fundamental intellectual ability as such as phenomenon does not exist. Intelligence is a multifaceted concept, and IQ tests only assess one dimension of learning. I have demonstrated that racial differences are an ever-present element of our society, and must be considered when creating intelligence measurement tools due to the vast variation in perceptions of intelligence. Despite race being a social construct, group differences in IQ are the result of both genetic determinants, and environmental influences.
Evolution has been the product of genetic mutation and natural selection since life first appeared on Earth 3,6 billion years ago, in the form of prokaryotic bacteria. Over the last 4,5 million years, the newly bipedal and most primitive hominid, Australopithecus, developed into the modern human, Homo Sapiens Sapiens, as a result of these two factors. However, due to growing speed at which new technological innovations arise (such as medical advances and their augmentative effect on longevity, the curing of previously fatal diseases and the use of genetic modification on crops to increase agricultural yield), the driving force behind evolution is quickly becoming technology rather than biology (Dorey, 2009). Yet research
The article Anti-intellectualism: Why We Hate the Smart Kids, written by Arizona State University student Grant Penrod, describes the culture of negatively viewing intellectuals in the United States. The author writes that intellectual achievements are often valued less than athletics. Anti-intellectualism is shown to be very common in our society. Penrod gives examples of aggression against intellectuals and stresses that it is a prominent problem. He also describes how smart kids are viewed as anti-social; this stereotype leads to them being excluded by their peers. Penrod believes that anti-intellectual feelings may come from the media’s presentation of public figures who do not say that academics have contributed to their success, or that the wealth and fame of uneducated celebrities causes the general public to question whether intellectualism is of any importance. Overall, Penrod
There are two views about intelligence: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, but only one of these views has negative consequences on a student’s academic performance. One of the most basic beliefs that society holds about intelligence is that people are born with a certain amount of intelligence and no amount of learning can change that, which illustrates a fixed mindset. However, many people will argue that intelligence has the ability to grow and expand throughout life, which demonstrates a growth mindset. A student’s outlook on intelligence influences how he or she performs academically. Students who consider intelligence as fixed are disheartened by mistakes and hardships, while students who consider intelligence as changeable learn from
What is true in the eyes of one, can be seen as a delusion in another.
pass tasks that an average 9 year old can pass, then the child has a
Artificial intelligence, first developed in 1950s, is defined to be man-made stuff with high-level intelligence. Recently, people in the present day thought about using robots for advanced tasks, like driving from point A to point B, and make decisions during a financial crisis. However, in the present day, they lack the ability to solve problems and reason.
Intelligence by definition is “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills” (Oxford Dictionary, 2014). However, many psychologists argue that there is no standard definition of ‘intelligence’, and there have been many different theories over time as psychologists try to find better ways to define this concept (Boundless 2013). While some believe in a single, general intelligence, others believe that intelligence involves multiple abilities and skills. Another largely debated concept is whether intelligence is genetically determined and fixed, or whether is it open to change, through learning and environmental influence. This is commonly known as the nature vs. nurture debate.
Intelligence is the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment.’ (Wechsler, 1944, p. 3)
The concept of intelligence is not generally considered to be controversial. However, it is an idea that can be very tricky to define. Different psychologists have come up with several different theories to answer the question "What is intelligence?", and, though they overlap, there is no universally accepted definition. Additionally, because it is difficult to quantitatively measure intelligence, the connotation of the word “intelligence” must be taken into account in the definition. A possible definition of intelligence is "the ability to excel in a certain area that involves rational thought." Because excellence is subjective, it is important to note that this definition requires that a comparison be used. For instance, an intelligent person is someone who excels above the norm in a certain subject or area involving rational thought. A dolphin is very intelligent in the realm of other animals, but a specific dolphin might not be intelligent compared to other dolphins.
In today’s society the average parent’s main focus is to ensure that their child does remarkably well in school. With the basic grading scheme being “A” for excellent and “F” for failure, can this be used to measure someone’s intelligence? How many of the A grades you have achieved in school helped you with your job today? Did finding “x”, or finding Pythagoras Theorem helped you to figure out what to say to your big marketing meeting? While growing up, society has taught us that in order to get a job you needed to obtain a degree and in order to gain that degree you needed good grades, however, does grades really matter? Does getting that letter grade on your final exam truly define your future and the way you think? How can you believe a society that tells us that natural beauty is everything however, applies make up and Photoshop to a model to make them “perfect”. Society is quite biased therefore how can this society define the comprehension and intellect of your brain based on how well you did in school? Although the author does agree that qualifications are needed to be hired on a job, an individual’s intelligence cannot be measured by the amount of good grades, certificates and degrees one possess.