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'What is intelligence?' may seem like a simple question to answer, but the study and measurement of human intelligence is one of the most controversial subjects in psychology. IQ and Human Intelligence provides an authoritative overview of the main issues surrounding this fascinating area.
Beyond I.Q.: A Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence contends that the influence of certain psychological factors upon intelligence is strong enough to be considered highly significant in the evaluation of I.Q. The triarchic theory of human intelligence, accordingly, reaches "beyond I.Q".
Emotional intelligence is an important trait for success at work. IQ tests are biased against minorities. Every child is gifted. Preschool makes children smarter. Western understandings of intelligence are inappropriate for other cultures. These are some of the statements about intelligence that are common in the media and in popular culture. But none of them are true. In the Know is a tour of the most common incorrect beliefs about intelligence and IQ. Written in a fantastically engaging way, each chapter is dedicated to correcting a misconception and explains the real science behind intelligence. Controversies related to IQ will wither away in the face of the facts, leaving readers with a clear understanding about the truth of intelligence.
This book is a comprehensive survey of our scientific knowledge about human intelligence, written by a researcher who has spent more than 30 years studying the field, receiving a Lifetime Contribution award from the International Society for Intelligence. Human Intelligence takes a non-ideological view of a topic in which, too often, writings are dominated by a single theory or social viewpoint. The book discusses the conceptual status of intelligence as a collection of cognitive skills that include, but also go beyond, those skills evaluated by conventional tests; intelligence tests and their analysis; contemporary theories of intelligence; biological and social causes of intelligence; the importance of intelligence in social, industrial, and educational spheres; the role of intelligence in determining success in life, both inside and outside educational settings; and the nature and causes of variations in intelligence across age, gender, and racial and ethnic groups.
This book turns the corner and finally provides a convincing explanation of IQ and human intelligence. It begins by rejecting some of the most basic assumptions that psychologists make about intelligence, including that intelligence should be defined by behavior. Instead, it argues that intelligence is about the ability to understand. It then uses recent scientific findings about the brain to show how changes in the brain lead to understanding. Readers will find that this book contains many revelations that will profoundly change their perception of how their own brain works. This book will also explore the startling implication of a sensitive period for developing intelligence, arguing that children can learn differently than adults. Anyone who is interested in how the brain works, why people differ in intelligence, and how a child can be a genius will want to read this book.
An accessible review of genetic and neuroimaging research that explains what determines intelligence and how we might enhance it.
Since the turn of the century, the idea that intellectual capacity is fixed has been generally accepted. But increasingly, psychologists, educators, and others have come to challenge this premise. Outsmarting IQ reveals how earlier discoveries about IQ, together with recent research, show that intelligence is not genetically fixed. Intelligence can be taught. David Perkins, renowned for his research on thinking, learning, and education, identifies three distinct kinds of intelligence: the fixed neurological intelligence linked to IQ tests; the specialized knowledge and experience that individuals acquire over time; and reflective intelligence, the ability to become aware of one's mental habits and transcend limited patterns of thinking. Although all of these forms of intelligence function simultaneously, it is reflective intelligence, Perkins shows, that affords the best opportunity to amplify human intellect. This is the kind of intelligence that helps us to make wise personal decisions, solve challenging technical problems, find creative ideas, and learn complex topics in mathematics, the sciences, management, and other areas. It is the kind of intelligence most needed in an increasingly competitive and complicated world. Using his own pathbreaking research at Harvard and a rich array of other sources, Perkins paints a compelling picture of the skills and attitudes underlying learnable intelligence. He identifies typical pitfalls in multiple perspectives, and neglecting evidence. He reveals the underlying mechanisms of intelligent behavior. And he explores new frontiers in the development of intelligence in education, business, and other settings. This book will be of interest to people who have a personal or professional stake in increasing their intellectual skills, to those who look toward better education and a more thoughtful society, and not least to those who follow today's heated debates about the nature of intelligence.
Nisbett debunks the myth of genetic inheritance of intelligence and persuasively demonstrates how intelligence can be enhanced : the anti-Bell Curve book.--From publisher description.
`In this remarkably economical, clear and informed book, Mike Howe... sets about unravelling the formidable semantic, logical and empirical knots into which IQ testers and their supporters have tied themselves.... Howe suggests that we have, for decades, been asking the wrong kinds of questions. He points to the number of alternative, theoretically richer, views of human intelligence that don′t reduce all to a single dimension... this is rendered with an easy, readable style which assumes no previous technical knowledge′ - British Journal of Educational Psychology In this provocative and accessible book, Michael Howe exposes serious flaws in our most widely accepted beliefs about intelligence. He shows that crucial assumptions are simply wrong and have had destructive social consequences. IQ is real enough, but the common idea that a quality of intelligence is the underlying cause of people′s differing abilities is based on poor science as well as faulty reasoning. Offering a powerful case for a better understanding of human intelligence, IQ in Question contradicts erroneous and destructive claims such as: IQ tests provide a measure of inherent mental capacities; intelligence and `race′ are linked; IQ measures are good predictors of a person′s success; intelligence cannot be changed; there is a `gene for intelligence′; and low IQ always means restricted capabilities.
