Variations in Psychological Attributes

Introduction

• Individual differences in human functioning.
• Assessment of psychological attributes.
• Intelligence and theories of intelligence.

Individual Differences in Human Functioning

• Individual differences refer to distinctiveness and variations among people's characteristics and behavior patterns.
• Situationism: Behavior influenced by situational factors.
• Variability is common and natural.
• Observing variability in intelligence, personality, creativity, etc.

Assessment of Psychological Attributes

• Measurement of psychological attributes using various methods.
• Formal Assessment: Objective, standardized, and organized.
• Informal Assessment: Subjective and varies between assessors.
• Psychological assessment uses systematic procedures for evaluation.

Domains of Psychological Attributes

• Intelligence: Cognitive competence and schooling.
• Aptitude: Potential to acquire skills.
• Interest: Preference for specific activities.
• Personality: Enduring characteristics and behavior.
• Values: Beliefs about ideal behavior.

Methods of Assessment

• Psychological Tests: Measure mental/behavioral attributes.
• Interviews: One-on-one information gathering.
• Case Studies: In-depth individual studies.
• Observation: Systematic recording of behavior.
• Self-Report: Individual provides personal information.

Intelligence

• Intelligence involves understanding the world and adapting to it.
• Various theories propose different aspects of intelligence.

Theories of Intelligence

• Uni-factor Theory: Intelligence as a single set of abilities.
• Two-factor Theory (Spearman): General (g-factor) and specific (s-factors) abilities.
• Thurstone's Theory: Seven primary mental abilities.
• Structure-of-Intellect Model (Guilford): 180 factors based on operations, content, and products.
• Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner): Eight independent intelligences.
• Triarchic Theory (Sternberg): Componential, Experiential, Contextual intelligence.
• PASS Model (Das, Naglieri, Kirby): Involves Planning, Attention-arousal, Simultaneous-successive processes.

Individual Differences in Intelligence

• Intelligence influenced by heredity and environment.
• Studies on twins and adopted children show both genetic and environmental impacts.

Assessment of Intelligence

• Mental Age (MA) and Chronological Age (CA) concepts.
• IQ (Intelligence Quotient): MA/CA × 100.
• IQ distribution in population follows a normal curve.
• Intellectually Gifted: IQ above 130.
• Intellectually Disabled: IQ below 70.

Variations of Intelligence

• Intellectual Deficiency: Classified by severity (mild, moderate, severe, profound).
• Intellectual Giftedness: High performance and potential.

Types of Intelligence Tests

• Individual Tests: Administered one-on-one.
• Group Tests: Administered to multiple people.
• Verbal/Non-Verbal/Performance Tests: Based on response type.
• Culture-Fair or Culture-Biased Tests: Sensitivity to cultural contexts.

Culture and Intelligence

• Intelligence as a product of culture.
• Western vs. Non-western cultural intelligence.
• Indian Tradition: Integral intelligence (buddhi).

Emotional Intelligence

• Emotional intelligence involves processing emotional information.
• Important for interpersonal relationships and success.

Special Abilities

• Aptitude: Unique potential for skills; measured by tests.
• Creativity: Ability to produce novel and useful ideas.
• Relationship between creativity and intelligence.

Conclusion

• Psychological attributes encompass a wide range of human traits.
• Understanding these attributes aids in personal development and societal roles.

Key Terms

• Aptitude, Emotional Intelligence, Intelligence Quotient (IQ), etc.

Review Questions

• Cover various aspects of intelligence, assessment methods, cultural influences, etc.

Project Ideas

• Observing and interviewing people to understand psychological differences.
• Analyzing vocations to understand required psychological attributes.