Dynamics of Intelligence

Definition of the Dynamics of Intelligence

Psychologists want to understand what intelligence is all about. There are so many theories about intelligence and types of intelligence! What is it? Intelligence is the ability to learn from your life experiences, adapt to new circumstances in life, and solve life problems. In the past, some scientists argued that intelligence is one general ability. We now have a richer understanding of intelligence as a dynamic concept that includes many factors.

Psychologist Alfred Binet created the first intelligence test. To identify students in the Paris school system who were struggling and might benefit from extra help, Binet developed a formal intelligence test designed to determine a child's mental age.

Binet believed that intelligence was an expression of multiple mental abilities. His test included reasoning questions and problem-solving questions. Binet's test was designed to help identify children who might need more help in the school system. Other intelligence tests are designed to yield an Intelligence Quotient or IQ score.

$IQ=chronologicalage÷mentalage\times 100$

IQ scores are measured against a normal distribution or bell curve. You might remember this term from research statistics. It means that most people score somewhere in the middle in terms of IQ. Some people score very low, and some people score very high. The rest of us score somewhere in the middle. In intelligence tests, the average score is 100.

The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale is an intelligence test that measures five mental abilities: knowledge, quantitative reasoning, fluid reasoning, visual-spatial processing, and working memory. Scores are collected in all five categories and combined to give a person's intelligence score.

Today's most commonly used intelligence test is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), created by psychologist David Wechsler. This test includes four categories: verbal comprehension, processing speed, working memory, and perceptual organization. It also has a section that measures non-verbal skills to help eliminate educational and cultural biases.

Fg. 1 Alfred Binet created the first intelligence test, pixabay.com

Types of Intelligence in Psychology

What makes us intelligent? How can we know for sure that we are intelligent? Maybe we do well if someone tests us verbally, but we have a hard time with written tests. We may feel like an expert in some fields and a beginner in others. Is intelligence a single quality that we either have or not? Researchers believe many types of intelligence play a part in our overall cognitive ability. Here are a few dynamics of intelligence:

• Fluid Reasoning - Reasoning and problem-solving without previously-acquired knowledge.

• Visual-Spatial Processing - The ability to accurately perceive objects in a spatial environment, including judging distance, body movements, map directions, and spatial patterns.

• Working Memory - The relatively small amount of information that we hold in our minds for a few seconds to do certain tasks.

• Quantitative Reasoning - The ability to solve everyday problems using mathematical concepts.

• Knowledge - How much we know about specific topics.

Emotional Intelligence

Psychologist Daniel Goelman studied one specialized area of intelligence. Our emotional intelligence pertains to our social skills and encompasses things like emotional regulation and understanding, and appropriately responding to the emotions of others. Psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer took Goleman's idea even further. They created the Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS) to measure emotional intelligence. They argued that emotional intelligence comprises four abilities: perceiving, understanding, managing, and using emotions.

• Perceiving - Correctly perceiving the emotional state of others, empathy

• Understanding - The interpersonal skill of recognizing relationship dynamics and another person's emotional patterns

• Managing - The ability to appropriately express emotions and respond to the emotions of others.

• Using - How we respond to our own emotions and use them creatively or effectively.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of study focused on imitating human reasoning, learning, and language ability through computers and technology. AI scientists work on developing computer programming that can effectively problem-solve. The computers developed so far can intelligently learn and adapt in limited ways.

The Dynamics of Intelligence and Age

How does intelligence hold up over time? Can we gain more intelligence and cognitive abilities as we get older? Based on intelligence testing, cognitive abilities seem to stabilize around ages 4-6. As children grow into teens, their intelligence becomes even more stable. Those who score high on intelligence tests as children tend to score high throughout their lives.

Wait. Does this mean that adults are no more intelligent than kids? Well, yes and no. Some types of intelligence decrease with age; other types increase with age! Psychologist Raymond Cattell divided intelligence into two categories: crystallized and fluid intelligence.

Crystallized intelligence is based on facts and experiences. It encompasses language, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. This type of intelligence increases with age! As we age, we are exposed to new situations and collect more experiences. We develop a richer vocabulary, and our experiential knowledge deepens. So, those who have lived more life than you are generally more intelligent than you in some ways.

Fluid intelligence involves abstract reasoning. This intelligence encompasses creativity, solving problems, and figuring out puzzles. Figuring out the answer to a problem in your mind that you have never solved before is an example of fluid intelligence at work. This type of intelligence decreases slowly and gradually as we age. We may not be as quick at solving problems or processing information as we get older, but we continue to expand our knowledge and vocabulary.

Fg. 2 Intelligence will decrease as we age, pixabay.com

Examples of the Dynamics of Intelligence

Each person's intelligence is unique since so many dynamics are in play. You might score high on verbal reasoning but low on reading comprehension. This is normal! What about those who score extremely high or low on an intelligence test?

Those who score 70 or below on IQ tests may have an intellectual disability. In general, individuals with very low intelligence scores struggle with social, practical, and conceptual skills to some degree. Those with a mild intellectual disability can usually care for themselves, graduate high school, hold a job, and maintain relationships. Individuals with a significant intellectual disability have more limited social and practical skills and may need full-time care.

Have you heard of something called savant syndrome? You may have heard someone call a person a savant. This means that the individual's overall intelligence is lower than average, but they possess exceptional abilities. For example, someone with savant syndrome may not be able to care for themselves entirely; at the same time, they may have excellent math or art skills.

At the other extreme of intelligence are people who score very high. These individuals are often called gifted. Longitudinal studies found that children who score exceptionally well on IQ tests usually achieve high academic or professional success levels later on. Gifted individuals are different than someone with savant syndrome—a person who is gifted scores high on overall intelligence.

Group Differences in Intelligence

Have you ever wondered if women are smarter than men or if men are smarter than women? In terms of intelligence, men and women generally score the same. Interestingly, though, men and women tend to excel in different areas. Women generally score higher in tests of verbal fluency, spelling, perceiving emotions, and sensitivity to taste, touch, and color. Men score higher in tests of spatial ability. When the scores on each ability are combined together, however, men and women are just as smart.

Scientists who studied IQ in the US found differences in intelligence scores from one racial group to another. In other words, they found racial disparities in IQ scores. Some racial groups scored 10 to 15 points below the average for Caucasian test-takers. How do we make sense of these findings? The within-group differences are much more significant than the between-group differences.

Even though there was a difference between racial groups, the range of IQ scores within each racial group was way bigger than the differences between each group. This means that when all IQ scores are combined together across racial groups, the differences even out. Your intelligence does not depend on your race or ethnicity! Environmental factors play a big role in intelligence. Family income, parent occupation, area of residence, physical exercise, and nutrition all influence a child's intelligence.