Question

From the text Psychology: Modules for Active Learning

1. How does intelligence vary from person to person?

2. What are some controversies in the study of intelligence?

Answer 1

1. It varies from person to person as people having IQ of more than 140 are considered superior and people falling below IQ of 70 are considered intellectually disabled but outside of IQ, children can be considered gifted in one way or other. The distribution of intelligence according to IQ scores is a spectrum on which different IQs classify whether a person is gifted, average, intellectually weak or retarded.

2. Some of the controversies are that IQ doesn't take cultural aspect into account, every culture has its own, distinct way of behaving. Heredity and environment both have important roles to play in the nurturing of intelligence. Research has found that children who are not good at reading are good at other things such as mathematics or dance, even if they are gifted in certain ways the standard intelligence testing will show them as falling behind the average score. So, the popular consensus is to improve and broaden the definition of intelligence. Gardner and his multiple intelligences is one step into that direction.