Chapter 4: Intelligence

Summary: Intelligence 

Intelligence varies from person to person. There are many ways to gauge a person’s intelligence. Alfred Binet developed the first intelligence test with the help of his student Theodore Simon. They developed the 1905 scale which could calculate the mental age of a person, say a child who is ten gets an average of correct answers a normal ten year old would get, their mental age would be 10. However, in 1916, Lewis Terman revised the scale, renamed it, and it is the basic IQ test that we still take today. Another theorist, Joy Paul Giford came up with the theory for divergent and convergent thinking. Divergent thinkers can find many solutions to one problem while convergent thinkers will see many problems with only one solution. In 1999, Howard Gardner had a theory of eight different intelligences. Here is a video link that will explain his theory more clearly — Gardner’s 8 Intelligences Video . Intelligence across the lifespan varies for everyone, but for the most part, the longitudinal effect of intelligence is the same. As we reach the middle years of our life (25-30) our fluid intelligence reaches its peak and will slowly begin to decline over time. Fluid intelligence is linked to the biological integrity of an individual causing a natural decline as we get older. However, our crystallized intelligence increases more and more with age and never stops. Crystallized intelligence are the abilities linked to one’s prior learning and past experiences. Our intelligence can factor off of how we were raised, what schooling system we went through, and past experiences. (Magun-Jackson 2017)

Intelligence and My Development 

When I was younger I got an IQ score that was slightly above average. Because of this, my mom put me in advanced groups in school, but I slowly began to fall behind. MY interest in the subjects was so minimal it did not matter my intelligence. As a kid, you want to be interested in the things you are doing. I was very good at number facilities, reasoning, and perceptual speed. Standardized tests were always my strong suit. Verbal comprehension and word fluency also came naturally to me. However, I always found it quite difficult to remember things unless I was one hundred percent focused on the subject and interested. My memory has always been sub-par. I could not do well on material unless I actually fully knew it, not from a photographic memory or studying the night before. I do consider myself a divergent thinker though. I have always had multiple ways to solve a problem and it works very well for me.

Intelligence and My Work 

While working with children as an Early Intervention Specialist, if that is what I choose to do, I will go into that field knowing that the children I am working with most likely have a low IQ. This does not mean they are not smart though, this simply means they cannot think like average kids can. I will help them in ways they are not totally confident on like with word remembrance. The children who I will be working with may know they are not like other children so I need to ensure in them that they are just as smart and help them not feel bad about themselves.

 

Picture Reference:

https://tmhome.com/benefits/does-transcendental-meditation-increase-intelligence-research-review/