Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, extra MCQs, PDF for chapter 11 Intelligence: NBSE Class 12 Education, which is part of the syllabus for students studying under NBSE (Nagaland Board). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
Summary
Intelligence is the way a person understands and deals with the world. It is the ability to learn new things, adjust to different situations, and solve problems. Psychologists have defined it in several ways, including the ability to adapt, the ability to learn, and the ability to think using ideas and symbols.
There are different kinds of intelligence. Abstract intelligence is being good with words and numbers. Mechanical intelligence is the skill of working with tools and objects. Social intelligence is the ability to understand and get along with other people. One psychologist, Howard Gardner, suggested there are many types of intelligence. These include being smart with language, logic, music, body movements, nature, understanding others, and understanding yourself.
Some ideas suggest intelligence has two parts. One part is a general intelligence, called the ‘g-factor’, which is like a main power source for all mental tasks. The other part is specific abilities, or ‘s-factors’, which are like special tools for certain jobs like art or math. Another idea is that intelligence is made of many separate abilities working together. Intelligence is partly inherited from parents, but it is also shaped by a person’s environment and experiences.
We can measure intelligence using special tests. Some tests are given to one person at a time, while others are for large groups. Verbal tests use words, while non-verbal and performance tests use pictures, puzzles, and blocks. These are helpful for young children or people who have difficulty with language.
The result of these tests is often given as an IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, score. IQ compares a person’s mental age with their actual age. Mental age shows the level of a person’s performance on the test. An average IQ score is 100. These tests can be useful in schools for guiding students. However, they have limitations. They may not be perfectly reliable, can be influenced by a person’s background, and do not measure a person’s complete abilities or creativity. When many people take an IQ test, their scores often form a bell-shaped curve, with most people scoring near the average.
Textual
Very Short Answer Questions
1. What is intelligence?
Answer: In general terms, intelligence means the manner in which an individual deals with facts and situations. Intelligence is defined in terms of observable objective behaviour. Most definitions refer to an individual’s capacity to learn and to knowledge that has already been acquired. Many definitions also suggest that the ability to adapt to the environment is a sign of intelligence.
2. Who proposed the theory of intelligence?
Answer: The English psychologist, Charles Spearman, proposed his theory of intelligence called the two-factor theory in 1904.
3. Name the theory which can be used to construct of a set of ability tests.
Answer: The Two-factor theory can be used to guide and construct a set of ability tests.
4. Write the formula to find IQ.
Answer: The formula to find IQ is:
IQ = (Mental Age / Chronological Age) x 100
5. In which field do girls excel?
Answer: Girls excel in materials that deal more directly with humanities.
6. Why do we multiply the formula of IQ by 100?
Answer: The formula of IQ is multiplied by 100 in order to remove the decimal point.
7. Write two definitions to prove that intelligence is an ability to learn.
Answer: Two definitions that prove intelligence is an ability to learn are:
- According to Buckingham, intelligence is the learning ability.
- According to Gardner, intelligence is the ability to respond successfully to new situations and the capacity to learn from one’s past experiences.
8. Write the definition of intelligence according to Binet.
Answer: According to Alfred Binet, intelligence is the ability of an individual to direct his behaviour towards a goal.
Short Answer Questions
1. In defining intelligence Thurstone used the letter ‘S’. What is the meaning of ‘S’ according to him?
Answer: In defining intelligence, Thurstone used the letter ‘S’ to mean ‘space factor’.
2. What is the general belief about inheritance of intelligence?
Answer: The general belief about the inheritance of intelligence is that the amount of intelligence a person possesses is inherited and fixed. It is also believed that the growth of intelligence stops and it reaches its limit at the age of sixteen.
3. What is the relevance of Spearman’s two-factor theory?
Answer: Spearman’s two-factor theory gives a better insight to the teacher about the nature of intelligence. It explains that the general ability (‘G’ factor) and specific abilities (‘S’ factor) differ from individual to individual. The ‘S’ factor can be modified by learning or habitual training. The theory suggests that a child requires different amounts of ‘G’ and ‘S’ factors for achieving success in different subjects, and that a high quality of ‘G’ factor is required for success in life. This theory could also be used to guide and construct a set of ability tests.
4. What is the role of financial status in influencing intelligence?
Answer: The financial status of parents and of other adults in the neighbourhood environment can influence intelligence by providing for a child’s poor, relatively meagre, or an extremely rich series of experiences. However, drive and motivation can operate to overcome social and economic handicaps.
5. Write the characteristics of ‘G’ factor.
Answer: The characteristics of the ‘G’ factor are:
- It has universal inborn ability.
- It has general mental energy.
- It is constant.
- The amount of ‘G’ differs from individual to individual.
- It is used in every activity of life.
- Greater the ‘G’ in an individual, greater is his success in life.
6. What are the four basic attributes of Anarchic Theory?
Answer: The Anarchic or Multifactor theory was put forward by E.L. Thorndike, who distinguished four basic attributes of intelligence:
- Level: The level of intelligence is proportional to the level of difficulty of a problem solved. It cannot be measured in perfect isolation.
- Range: It refers to the number of problems of a given degree that one can solve. An individual having a certain level of intelligence should be able to solve the whole range of problems at that level.
- Area: Area counts the total number of situations at each level through which the individual is able to respond.
- Speed: This means the quickness on speed with which a problem is solved.
7. Describe the type of Intelligence test you can use to test the intelligence of illiterate and language handicapped children. Give two examples.
Answer: To test the intelligence of illiterate and language handicapped children, a Performance Test can be used. These tests are designed to test problem-solving ability using certain objects such as pictures and blocks, instead of words. Two examples of such tests are Kohl’s Block Design test and The Cube Construction Tests.
8. What is the shape of a graph plotted between population and IQ score?
Answer: The shape of a graph plotted between population and IQ score is a bell-shaped distribution.
9. Explain the meaning and nature of intelligence.
Answer: In general terms, intelligence means the manner in which an individual deals with facts and situations. It is defined in terms of observable objective behaviour, an individual’s capacity to learn, knowledge that has already been acquired, and the ability to adapt to the environment.
The nature of intelligence can be understood through the following points:
- Intelligence is inherited: The amount of intelligence that a person possesses is inherited and fixed. The general belief is that the growth of intelligence stops and it reaches its limit at the age of sixteen.
- Intelligence is influenced by environment factors: A poor environment can retard the development of intelligence. Heredity provides the physical body to be developed with certain inherent capabilities, while the environment provides for the maturation and training of the organism.
- Intelligence helps in adjustment and inventions: An intelligent person has the ability to adjust himself to the changing circumstances with ease, efficiency, and speed and can cope with new situations very successfully.
- Intelligence has no sex differences: Research studies show that the difference in sex does not contribute towards a difference in intelligence, though on scientific items of intelligence tests, boys may show a slight superiority in questions involving mathematical material and scientific concepts, and girls may excel in materials that deal more directly with humanities.
- Intelligence has no racial or cultural differences: The results of earlier studies proved that intelligence is not the birthright of any particular race or group. The ‘bright’ and the ‘dull’ can be found in any race, caste, or cultural group.
- Intelligence is very much related to social and economic conditions: Family conditions, including the financial status of parents, can influence a child’s behaviour and attitudes by providing for a poor, meagre, or extremely rich series of experiences.
10. Explain the different types of intelligence tests with examples.
Answer: The general intelligence tests have been classified into three groups: Individual, Group, and Performance tests.
Individual Test: This test is administered to only one individual at a time by a trained psychologist. These tests cover the age group from 2 years to 18 years. Examples include The Binet Simon tests, Revised tests by Terman, Mental Scholastic Tests of Burt, and the Weschler test.
Group Test: These tests are meant for assessing the intelligence of a large number of individuals in one sitting. They can be verbal or non-verbal. Examples include The Army Alpha and Beta test, Terman’s group tests, and Otis Self administrative tests.
Performance Test: These tests are designed to test problem-solving ability using objects such as pictures and blocks, instead of words. They are especially useful for young children, illiterates, and persons with speech defects. Examples include Kohl’s Block Design test, The Cube Construction Tests, and The Pass Along Tests.
11. What are the characteristics of ‘s’ factor in the two-factor theory?
Answer: The characteristics of the ‘s’ factor are:
- It is learned and acquired in the environment.
- It varies from activity to activity in the same individual.
- Individuals differ in the amount of ‘S’ ability.
12. Give a brief description of a ‘Group test’.
Answer: Group intelligence tests are meant for assessing the intelligence of a large number of individuals in one sitting. These tests had their birth in America when the intelligence of the recruits who joined the army in the First World War was to be calculated. There are two kinds of group intelligence tests: verbal and non-verbal. Examples include the Army Alpha and Beta test and Terman’s group tests.
13. How can we calculate intelligence quotient of a person?
Answer: We can calculate the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of a person by expressing intelligence as the ratio of the mental age (M.A.) with the chronological age (C.A.). The mental age is divided by the chronological age, and the quotient is multiplied by 100 to remove the decimal point. The formula is:
IQ = (Mental Age / Chronological Age) × 100
14. Explain ‘intelligence’.
Answer: In general terms, intelligence is the manner in which an individual deals with facts and situations. It is defined by observable objective behaviour, an individual’s capacity to learn, knowledge that has already been acquired, and the ability to adapt to the environment.
Psychologists have suggested various definitions that can be classified into groups:
- Ability to Adjust: This group of definitions sees intelligence as general and mental adaptability to new problems and situations of life. For example, Alfred Binet defined it as “the ability of an individual to direct his behaviour towards a goal”.
- Ability to Learn: This group of definitions stresses the ability to learn. For instance, Buckingham stated, “Intelligence is the learning ability”.
- Ability to do Abstract Reasoning: This group defines intelligence as the ability to carry on abstract thinking, which implies the effective use of ideas and efficiency in dealing with symbols. L. M. Terman said, “An individual is intelligent in proportion as he/she is able to carry on abstract thinking”.
Psychologists also distinguish between different kinds of intelligence:
- Abstract intelligence: It is the ability to understand and deal with verbal and mathematical symbols.
- Mechanical intelligence: It is the ability to understand and deal with things and objects.
- Social intelligence: It is the ability to understand and deal with persons and to apply psychological principles of human relationship.
Long Answer Questions
1. Write short notes on the following:
(a) Uses of intelligence tests
(b) Intelligent quotient
(c) Performance test of intelligence
Answer: (a) Uses of intelligence tests: Intelligence tests in schools are very important for the students. The uses of these tests are given below:
- For Classification: In schools, these tests are useful to categorise the students. This classification is done on the basis of intelligence. The classes of the students with higher intelligence can be arranged separately from that of lower intelligence separately. In this way the teaching-learning can be made more effective.
- For Guidance Purposes: Intelligence tests are needed for educational and vocational guidance to the students. On the basis of these tests, it is possible to provide proper guidance to them so that they may be able to select the courses of their choice.
- For Selection Purposes: Intelligence tests are held for selecting various courses, subjects, scholarships, or co-curricular activities. Children are selected on the basis of their IQ. In most of the courses the use of intelligence test is unavoidable.
- To Know the Individuals: The intelligence tests are used to know the individuals and their potentialities. For child-centered education, it is essential to know the children and the intelligence tests. These tests are of immense importance to assess the overall child personality.
- To Establish Aspiration Level: On the basis of results of the intelligence tests, the aspiration levels of the individuals can be established. The establishment of higher aspiration of persons with lower intelligence would be an injustice with the person. In the same way for persons with higher intelligence, lower aspiration level would be improper.
- For Promotions: It is always proper to use the tests to promote students to the next classes. In the vocational fields, the use of these tests is always advantageous so that the person may be promoted according to his/her abilities.
- For Research Purpose: Intelligence tests are used for many important research studies too.
(b) Intelligent quotient: In 1912, William Stern, a German psychologist, devised the concept of Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Intelligence quotient represents the degree of brightness possessed by an individual. It is a measure of a person’s intellectual development relative to people of her/his age group. It expresses intelligence as the ratio of the mental age with the chronological age. When the mental age is divided by the chronological age and the quotient is multiplied by 100, the result is the IQ. The fraction is multiplied by 100 in order to remove the decimal point and find the IQ. The formula of IQ is as given below:
IQ = (Mental Age / Chronological Age) × 100
For example, a child who is 4 years old but possesses a mental age (M.A.) of 5 years, his IQ will be calculated with the help of the following equation:
IQ = 5/4 × 100 = 125
The IQ of this child shows that he/she is an extraordinary child.
A value of 100 is given when mental age is equal to chronological age. Thus, if the M.A. is above the Chronological Age (C.A.), the IQ will be above 100. If the M.A. is less than the C.A., the resulting IQ will be less than 100. The scale has the same meaning from one age to another. IQ may also be regarded as an index of brightness.
(c) Performance test of intelligence: Performance tests are designed to test problem-solving ability using certain objects such as pictures and blocks, instead of words. These tests are especially useful for young children, illiterates, persons with speech defects, and persons who do not have proficiency in language. Some of the famous tests are Kohl’s Block Design test, The Cube Construction Tests, and The Pass Along Tests.
Performance tests are useful for those who have language handicaps for the following reasons:
- They may belong to any foreign language speaking groups.
- They may be illiterates not knowing how to read and write.
- They may have difficulties in reading, writing, and listening due to defects in their sense organs (Persons like deaf, dumb, etc.).
- They may be younger children who are not yet able to read and write well.
- They may be mentally retarded or mentally deficient children and therefore, are very slow in grasping and responding to the verbal items.
- They may belong to an unprivileged class or state of the society and hence have got limited education opportunities.
Non-verbal and performance tests are more or less language and culture-free and hence can be used for cross-cultural and linguistic study of intelligence. They can also prove useful in the efforts to determine aptitude and promise in shop work, mechanical jobs, etc.
2. What are the types of intelligence as described by Gardner?
Answer: According to Gardner, all human beings possess at least eight intelligences. Intelligence is not a single entity; rather distinct types of intelligences exist. Each type of intelligence is an independent one. The multiple intelligences as classified by Gardner can be explained in the following terms:
- Linguistic (skills involved in the production and use of language): It is the capacity to use language fluently and flexibly to express one’s thinking and understand others.
- Logical-Mathematical (skills in scientific thinking and problem solving): It is the ability to think logically and critically.
- Spatial (skills in forming visual images and patterns): It refers to the abilities involved in forming, using, and transforming mental images.
- Musical (sensitivity to musical rhythms and patterns): It is the capacity to produce, create, and manipulate musical patterns.
- Bodily-Kinesthetic (using whole or portions of the body flexibly and creatively): This consists of the use of the whole body or portions of it for display or construction of products and problem solving.
- Naturalistic (sensitivity to the features of the natural world): This involves complete awareness of our relationship with the natural world.
- Interpersonal (sensitivity to subtle aspects of others’ behaviours): This is the skill of understanding the motives, feelings, and behaviours of other people so as to bond into a comfortable relationship with others.
- Intrapersonal (awareness of one’s own feelings, motives, and desires): This refers to the knowledge of one’s internal strengths and limitations and using that knowledge to effectively relate to others.
3. Differentiate between verbal and non-verbal tests.
Answer: Verbal tests gave emphasis on linguistic ability and were loaded with verbal material, words, and numericals. A verbal group test requires an individual to read out certain problems and write out solutions to these problems.
Non-verbal tests were constructed to address the limitations of verbal tests, where persons with linguistic superiority had an advantage. Non-verbal group tests present similar problems as the verbal test but in a different way. The problems are presented in the form of pictures, diagrams, puzzles, and mazes. It does not require the individual to read or write, but only to be able to make a mark with a pencil. These tests are more or less language and culture-free and can be used for cross-cultural and linguistic study of intelligence.
4. What do you understand by non-verbal or performance test? Discuss in brief any Individual non-verbal test of intelligence.
Answer: Non-verbal or performance tests are designed to test problem-solving ability using objects such as pictures, diagrams, puzzles, mazes, and blocks, instead of words. These tests are especially useful for individuals who have language handicaps, such as young children, illiterates, persons with speech defects, or those who do not have proficiency in the language of the test.
An example of an individual non-verbal test is a performance test like the Kohl’s Block Design test. This test is designed to assess problem-solving ability using objects like blocks, rather than words. It is administered to one individual at a time, allowing a trained psychologist to establish close contact and observe the person’s approach to solving the task. Such tests are particularly useful for testing individuals who may have language handicaps for various reasons.
5. How can intelligence be measured if it is a ‘vague concept’?
Answer: Intelligence is a vague concept because it refers to unseen mental abilities. However, it can be measured by being inferred from a variety of elements, such as behaviour and the speed of doing things correctly.
Today, many intelligence tests are carried out which primarily measure:
- Abstract intelligence (competence in dealing with symbols in a meaningful way).
- Social intelligence.
- Mechanical intelligence.
These general intelligence tests are classified into three groups: Individual, group, and performance tests, which can be further divided into verbal and non-verbal types. A trained psychologist administers these tests for a definite period and interprets the results to assess an individual’s intelligence.
6. What do you understand by the term ‘Mental Age’?
Answer: The term ‘Mental Age’ (M.A.) refers to a scale of units developed by Binet for categorising children of different abilities. A child’s intelligence is determined by the mental age level which he could attain on a test. For example, a mental age of 12 means that a student’s performance on an intelligence test equals the average performance level of a group of 12-year-olds.
If a child’s mental age is higher than their chronological age, they are described as a bright child. If a child’s mental age is lower than their chronological age, they are described as slow or retarded. Mental age is a simple and useful concept for interpreting intelligence, especially when dealing with children who differ in mental ability.
Additional
Extra Questions and Answers
1. What are the subjective tendencies that are the concern of psychology?
Answer: The subjective tendencies that are the concern of psychology are intelligence, attitude, aptitude, creativity, and interest.
2. How is intelligence defined in general terms?
Answer: In general terms, intelligence means the manner in which an individual deals with facts and situations. It is defined in terms of observable objective behaviour, and most definitions refer to an individual’s capacity to learn and to knowledge that has already been acquired. Many definitions also suggest that the ability to adapt to the environment is a sign of intelligence.
3. What is the role of education in the development of an individual?
Answer: In the development of an individual, the decisive role is played by education, which is purposeful, planned, professional, and institutionalised.
4. What is William James’s definition of intelligence?
Answer: According to William James, it is the ability to adjust oneself successfully to a relatively new situation.
5. How did J. Piaget define intelligence?
Answer: J. Piaget defined intelligence as an adaptation to the physical and social environment.
74. Explain the concept of the bell-shaped distribution of IQ scores. What do the different IQ ranges and standard deviation signify for the population?
Answer: There is a bell-shaped distribution for IQ scores. Most people are in the centre, but some people score really well, and some people score really poorly. By having the IQ average at 100, scores can go high or low and still make sense because of their relationship to 100. The different region of this graph shows standard deviations.
Standard deviation is a mathematical way of grouping people together. The middle black line shows the IQ 100. The group right to it is considered as positive standard deviation which consists of 34.1% of the population. Similarly, in the left portion to the middle line, you have everything within one standard deviation of the average (average is 100), or 68.2% of the population. One standard deviation is equal to 34.1%, and by combining both the portion above and below the standard deviation, you get 68.2%.
The different IQ ranges and their classification signify the percentage of the population that falls into each category:
- IQ Range 140 and above: Very superior (1.5% of population)
- IQ Range 129-139: Superior (11% of population)
- IQ Range 110-119: High average (18% of population)
- IQ Range 90-109: Average (47% of population)
- IQ Range 80-89: Low average (14% of population)
- IQ Range 70-79: Borderline weak (6% of population)
- IQ Range Below 70: Mentally weak (2.5% of population)
The lowest classification of mentally weak is sometimes subdivided into three classes:
- Moron: IQ – 50 – 70
- Imbecility: IQ – 20-50
- Idiot: IQ – Below 20
Extra MCQs: Knowledge-Based
1: Who defined intelligence as “the ability to adjust oneself successfully to a relatively new situation”?
A. Alfred Binet
B. William James
C. J. Piaget
D. Sternberg
Answer: B. William James
38: The __________ theory, put forward by E.L. Thorndike, considers intelligence to be a combination of numerous separate elements or factors.
A. unitary
B. two-factor
C. monarchy
D. multifactor
Answer: D. multifactor
Extra MCQs: Competency-Based
39: Assertion (A): According to Alfred Binet, intelligence is the ability of an individual to direct his behaviour towards a goal.
Reason (R): Binet’s definition is part of a group of definitions that categorize intelligence as a general mental adaptability to new problems and situations.
A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is true, but R is false.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Answer: A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
87: A student from a rural, agrarian community performs poorly on an intelligence test that contains questions about navigating a subway system. This scenario highlights which major limitation of intelligence tests?
A. Lack of reliability
B. Emphasis on speed
C. Cultural bias
D. Teacher bias
Answer: C. Cultural bias
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