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Defining and Measuring Intelligence

21 September, 2015 - 16:42
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
  1. Define intelligence and list the different types of intelligences psychologists study.
  2. Summarize the characteristics of a scientifically valid intelligence test.
  3. Outline the biological and environmental determinants of intelligence.

Psychologists have long debated how to best conceptualize and measure intelligence (Sternberg, 2003). 1 These questions include how many types of intelligence there are, the role of nature versus nurture in intelligence, how intelligence is represented in the brain, and the meaning of group differences in intelligence.