Intelligence

Intelligence is the application of cognitive skills and knowledge to learn, solve problems and obtain ends that are valued by an individual or culture.

It is multifaceted- it can expressed in one or more domains.

It is functional- it is goal orientated for solving problems or accomplishing a task.

It is defined and shaped by culture.

Gall: Phrenology, early 1800's

-The shape of the skull is determined by dominant brain regions related to abilities

Vaught: Applied phrenology, early 1900's

-Systematic study of face and head type

-Created a manual for identifying your friends 'type' for both personality and intelligence

Intelligence was used for political, social and racial agenda

Bean experimented on the intelligence of black people and white people by looking at the size of two parts of the corpus callosum, the genu and the splenum. If the genu is bigger than the splenum, it means that there are more frontal brain connections, meaning higher intelligence. If the genu is smaller than the splenum, then there are less frontal brain connections, meaning lower intelligence. He 'found' that white people tended to have a larger genu and so were more intelligent. This data was used to encourage racism and discrimination and to show that black people were inferior. 

Mall (Bean's supervisor) conducted a blind experiment were he tested people and was not shown the colour of their skin. He found no difference between the races.

1) Galton- first popularised intelligence testing

• Mass testing
• Devised statistical procedure to examine relation between simple measures of intelligence
• He did not correlate with social class or anything else
• Behavioural tests such as hand squeeze (dynamometer), lung capactiy, visual acuity, highest audible tone, speed of blow, reaction time to visual and auditory stimuli.
• His purpose was to show British Aristocracy was the most advanced.
• He thought intelligence was inherited
• He thought school was wasted on the lower class

2) Binet- 1904, Binet & Simon

• French gov wanted to establish schools for intellectually disabled children and they needed a way to measure it.
• Mental age concept- MA=average age at which children achieve an actual score
• 58 'items' ordered from easiest to hardest, E.g.
• -Follows moving object with eyes
• -Names objects in picture
• -Repeated a sentence of 15 words
• -Compares 5 blocks and puts them in order to weight
• Reconstructing scrambled sentences
• Test was 'standardised' on 300 normal children aged 3-13 years.
• Compare meantal age to chronological age

3) Terman- Stanford-Binet IQ test

To allow for comparios of test scores, he devised the concept of intelligence quotient (IQ):

IQ= (MA/CA) x 100 

MA= mental age

CA= chronological age

Terman and Galton had very similar ideas of the prevention of lower class 'mental degenerates'

This means that scientists should indentify the 'useless and stupid' and find some way of preventing them having children.

Binet tests were administered one on one- very time consuming

Yerkes and Terman convinced the US army to test millions- could get a sense of what normal intelligence was.

3 types of test:

• The Army Alpha- written test taken by literate recruits- 8 parts
• The Army Beta- pictorial test for illiterate or those who failed the alpha test
• Spoken test administered to those who fail other 2. Said to measure native intellectual ability.

He claimed the average IQ of the American Male was 13

The thoughts- Eugenics predicted doom and lamented our declining intelligence, caused by the unconstrained breeding of the poor and feeble-minded, the spread of ***** blood through interracial breeding, and the swamping of an intelligent native stock by the immigrating dregs of southern and eastern europe.

Highest IQ- Northern Europe (England, France, Germany and Scandinavia)

2nd- Slavic nations and Southern Europe (Italy, Greece)

Lowest IQ- Black people- almost all given the oral test, and their data most stongly related to the opinions of white officers overseeing the testing.

Father of the SAT

Explained the differences in terms of racial superiority

His views led the US gov to restrict immigration from certain parts of Europe based on the IQ data of Terman's testing

-Immigration act 1924 limited Jews

-After WW2, rules weakened but still discriminatory against jews.

Intelligence assumed to be 100% hereditary with racial and class distinctions.

IQ test commercialised in 1921. Education institutions started using them.

Eugenics movement: IQ + Darwinism + Racism + Elitism

1930's becomes central position of Nazi philosophy

Used for social and political purposes.
-'Fitter family' contests run at state fairs- grade B+ received a medal and pronounced fittest fam

Movement advocated- those with the richest genetic inheritance should mate and reproduce white those 'born to be a burden to others' should be discouraged or prevented from having children.

=sterilisation, institutionalise or murder the 'mentally disabled' 

Mental Deficiency Bill (1939)- aimed to institutionalise and sterlise a sig proportion of the population- those seen as inefficient. Included in the group were slum dwellers, homosexuals, prostitutes, alcoholics, those with small heads and with low IQs.

=stolen generation- Australia.

Intelligence assumed to be 100% hereditary with racial and class distinctions.

IQ test commercialised in 1921. Education institutions started using them.

Eugenics movement: IQ + Darwinism + Racism + Elitism

1930's becomes central position of Nazi philosophy

Used for social and political purposes.
-'Fitter family' contests run at state fairs- grade B+ received a medal and pronounced fittest fam

Movement advocated- those with the richest genetic inheritance should mate and reproduce white those 'born to be a burden to others' should be discouraged or prevented from having children.

=sterilisation, institutionalise or murder the 'mentally disabled' 

Mental Deficiency Bill (1939)- aimed to institutionalise and sterlise a sig proportion of the population- those seen as inefficient. Included in the group were slum dwellers, homosexuals, prostitutes, alcoholics, those with small heads and with low IQs.

=stolen generation- Australia.

Intelligence assumed to be 100% hereditary with racial and class distinctions.

IQ test commercialised in 1921. Education institutions started using them.

Eugenics movement: IQ + Darwinism + Racism + Elitism

1930's becomes central position of Nazi philosophy

Used for social and political purposes.
-'Fitter family' contests run at state fairs- grade B+ received a medal and pronounced fittest fam

Movement advocated- those with the richest genetic inheritance should mate and reproduce white those 'born to be a burden to others' should be discouraged or prevented from having children.

=sterilisation, institutionalise or murder the 'mentally disabled' 

Mental Deficiency Bill (1939)- aimed to institutionalise and sterlise a sig proportion of the population- those seen as inefficient. Included in the group were slum dwellers, homosexuals, prostitutes, alcoholics, those with small heads and with low IQs.

=stolen generation- Australia.