IQ Basics
What is intelligence and how is the term used?
The ability to learn from experience, reason, solve problems, and adapt - in practice, what intelligence tests measure.
Fixed vs growth mindset - what is the difference?
Fixed = intelligence is unchangeable, so effort feels pointless. Growth = intelligence can be developed through effort and strategies.
What is reliability?
Consistency of a test - it gives similar results on repeated administrations.
What is relational reasoning and why is it important for numerical processing?
Recognizing relationships/patterns between quantities; math requires comparing, ordering, and operating on relations, not just knowing numbers.
Do humans and non-human animals have innate number sense?
Yes. Infants and many animals can estimate quantities and detect changes in number without counting or language.
What is the typical distribution of IQ scores?
Normal (bell) distribution: average is 100, standard deviation is 15, and about 68% of people score between 85 and 115.
How is mindset related to academic performance?
Growth mindset students persist after failure, use better strategies, and tend to achieve more over time than fixed mindset students.
What is validity?
A test measures what it claims to measure and predicts what it should predict.
What is numerical magnitude and how does it relate to relational reasoning?
Magnitude = mental representation of a number's size. Understanding relations between magnitudes is the basis for comparing and estimating numbers.
What is the approximate number system (ANS)?
An innate, approximate system for estimating large quantities; it is ratio-dependent and does not require exact counting.
Why are IQ tests potentially problematic?
They can have cultural bias, measure only some abilities, be affected by education/test familiarity, and scores can be misused as a fixed label.
What is Spearman's two-factor theory of intelligence?
Intelligence consists of a general factor (g) that affects all cognitive tasks, plus specific abilities (s) for particular tasks.
Aptitude test vs achievement test - what is the difference?
Aptitude = predicts future ability to learn/perform. Achievement = measures what has already been learned.
What is whole number bias and how does it affect fractions?
Applying whole-number rules to fractions, e.g. thinking 1/4 is bigger than 1/3 because 4 is bigger than 3, which causes fraction errors.
What is metacognition?
Thinking about your own thinking - monitoring, evaluating, and controlling your cognitive processes.
Are IQ tests reliable and valid?
Reliability is high - scores are consistent over time. Validity is moderate - they predict school/job performance reasonably, but do not capture all intelligence.
Fluid vs crystallized intelligence - what is the difference?
Fluid (gF) = solving new problems/logic, peaks earlier and declines with age. Crystallized (gC) = accumulated knowledge/vocabulary, increases with age.
What does an IQ test actually sample?
Mainly verbal comprehension, working memory, perceptual reasoning, and processing speed - not creativity, practical, or social intelligence well.
What is the distance effect?
Comparing numbers is faster/easier when the numerical distance between them is large (2 vs 9) than when it is small (8 vs 9).
What is metacognition's role in math cognition and problem solving?
It helps you check your work, notice errors, choose strategies, and know when an answer does not make sense.
Is intelligence largely inherited?
Partly. Genetics account for a substantial share (roughly half or more in adults), but environment, education, and nutrition also matter, and genes and environment interact.
What is Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences?
People have multiple relatively independent intelligences - e.g. linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic - not just one g.
Why can a test be reliable but not valid?
It can consistently measure the wrong thing - e.g. consistently measuring test-taking familiarity instead of intelligence.
What is the size effect?
For the same distance, comparing larger numbers (8 vs 9) is slower/harder than comparing smaller numbers (2 vs 3).
How do the distance and size effects support an innate number system?
They show numbers are represented mentally by magnitude on a mental number line, not just as symbols - comparison depends on magnitude, as ANS predicts.