What do intelligent mean

Criticisms have ranged from the claim that IQ tests are biased in favor of white, middle-class people. Although you may be wondering if you take an intelligence test multiple times will you improve your score and whether these tests even measure intelligence in the first place, research provides reassurance that these tests are both very reliable and have high construct validity.

Reliability simply means that they are consistent over time. In other words, if you take a test at two different points in time, there will be very little change in performance or, in the case of intelligence tests, IQ score. Additionally, intelligence tests also reveal strong construct validity , meaning that they are, in fact, measuring intelligence rather than something else.

Researchers have spent hours on end developing, standardizing, and adapting these tests to best fit into the current times. But that is also not to say that these tests are completely flawless. Research documents errors with the specific scoring of tests, interpretation of the multiple scores since typically an individual will receive an overall IQ score accompanied by several category-specific scores , and some studies question the actual validity, reliability, and utility for individual clinical use of these tests Canivez, Additionally, intelligence scores are created to reflect different theories of intelligence, so the interpretations may be heavily based on the theory upon which the test is based Canivez, There are issues with intelligence tests beyond looking at them in a vacuum.

These tests were created by western psychologists who created such tools to measure euro-centric values. Different cultures hold different values and even have different perceptions of intelligence, so is it fair to have one universal marker of this increasingly complex concept?

For example, a study found that Kenyan parents defined intelligence as the ability to do without being told what needed to be done around the homestead Harkness et al. Together, these examples illustrate the flexibility of defining intelligence, making it even more challenging to capture this concept in a single test, let alone a single number.

And even within the U. An example is in San Jose, California, where Latino, Asian, and Anglo parents had varying definitions of intelligence. That is, students whose families had more similar understandings of intelligence were doing better in the classroom.

Intelligence takes many forms, ranging from country to country and culture to culture. IQ tests may accurately measure academic intelligence, but more research must be done to discern whether they truly measure practical intelligence, or even just general intelligence in all cultures. Another important part of the puzzle to consider is the social and environmental context in which an individual lives and the IQ test-related biases that develop as a result.

These might help explain why some individuals have lower scores than others. For example, the threat of social exclusion can greatly decrease the expression of intelligence. After a second test, those who were told they would be loveless and friendless in the future answered significantly fewer questions than they did on the earlier test. And these findings can translate into the real world where not only the threat of social exclusion can decrease the expression of intelligence but also a perceived threat to physical safety.

Stereotype threat is a phenomenon in which people feel at risk of conforming to stereotypes about their social group. Negative stereotypes can also create anxiety that result in lower scores. In one study, Black and White college students were given part of the verbal section from the Graduate Record Exam GRE , but in the stereotype threat condition, they told students the test diagnosed intellectual ability, thus potentially making the stereotype that Blacks are less intelligent than Whites salient.

And even just recording your race can also result in worsened performance. While an IQ score has many benefits in measuring intelligence, it is critical to consider that just because someone has a lower score, does not necessarily mean they are lower in intelligence. There are many factors that can worsen performance on these tests, and the tests themselves might not even be accurately measuring the very concept they are intended to.

IQ scores are generally normally distributed Moore et al. Those individuals who have scores below 70 do so because of an intellectual disability, marked by substantial developmental delays, including motor, cognitive, and speech delays De Light, Down syndrome, for example, resulting from extra genetic material from or a complete extra copy of the 21st chromosome, is a common genetic cause of an intellectual disability Breslin, As such, many individuals with down syndrome have below average IQ scores Breslin, Savant syndrome is another example of an extreme of intelligence.

Despite having significant mental disabilities, these individuals demonstrate certain abilities in some fields that are far above average, such as incredible memorization, rapid mathematical or calendar calculation ability, or advanced musical talent Treffert, The fact that these individuals who may be lacking in certain areas such as social interaction and communication make up for it in other remarkable areas, further illustrates the complexity of intelligence and what this concept means today, as well as how we must consider all individuals when determining how to perceive, measure, and recognize intelligence in our society.

Today, intelligence is generally understood as the ability to understand and adapt to the environment by using inherited abilities and learned knowledge. Humans are incredibly intelligent beings and we rely on our intellectual abilities every day. Although intelligence can be defined and measured in countless ways, our overall intelligence as a species makes us incredibly unique and has allowed us to thrive for generations on end. Charlotte Ruhl is a member of the Class of at Harvard University.

She studies Psychology with a minor in African American Studies. On campus, Charlotte works at an implicit social cognition research lab, is an editor for the undergraduate law review, and plays softball. Ruhl , C. Intelligence: definition, theories and testing.

Simply Psychology. Anastasi, A. Baumeister, R. Effects of social exclusion on cognitive processes: anticipated aloneness reduces intelligent thought. Journal of personality and social psychology, 83 4 , Binet, A. A method of measuring the development of the intelligence of young children. Chicago medical book Company. Breslin, J. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and cognition in Down syndrome. Brooks, B. Assessment, 18 2 , Canivez, G.

Psychometric versus actuarial interpretation of intelligence and related aptitude batteries. Governor Jindal seems like a good guy, intelligent , reasonable. I thought he was very intelligent , very gentle, soft-spoken, precise. Genuinely funny and intelligent and navel-gazing and strange, these parts might eventually add up to something truly big.

All our intelligent students will insist upon learning what they can of these discussions and forming opinions for themselves. So intelligent were her methods that she doubtless had great influence in making the memory of his art enduring. His dark, shining, almost too intelligent eyes looked at Nigel, and looked away.

With less intelligent children traces of this tendency to take pictorial representation for reality may appear as late as four. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen On the other hand, the research team also identified brain regions that are more strongly 'de-coupled' from the rest of the network in more intelligent people. AudioEnglish Definitions Just One Click Away! Click here to add the AudioEnglish.

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