Joan Aubrey

Eportfolio 3
Assessing Human Intelligence

IQ tests measure ones capacity to learn.

Figure 1

1. Why would it be important to be able to measure human intelligence? Use

evidence from class content to support your response.

Our brains are all made up differently. We have different strengths and weaknesses. It is
important to study human intelligence can help us to maximize our strengths. This knowledge
can result in a positive impact on our personal lives and society. Intelligence tests are also
helpful for diagnosing those who may need help in different areas of life and to develop
solutions to allow them to cope socially (Why Study Intelligence, Week 3).

1. Explain HOW and WHY IQ tests were first developed by referring to class content,
and how they were meant to help children in school. Do you support the use of IQ
tests for this purpose? Why or Why Not?
Intelligence testing has been around for centuries. Psychologist Alfred Binet was asked by the
French government to rank students based on their intelligence with a goal of helping those who
needed more academic help (class content slides). I support IQ tests for this purpose as it was
implemented to ensure that children were put in the program that was right for them at their
development and learning stage. It helped to develop specialized programs that met a child at
his/her learning stage. Validity and reliability is important to prevent stereotyping.
 2. Were you surprised by the information on brain size and intelligence presented in
this weeks content? Why or why not? Is the flow of information in the brain a
better explanation of how intelligence works?
Yes, I was a bit surprised by that information having learnt somewhere before that a bigger brain
has more grey matter which is critical for thinking and problem solving. I love British detective
stories and reading this material reminded me of one of my favorite characters, Hercule Poirot
who always referred to his abundance of grey matter for his success in crime solving. The
information that has been concluded by Dr. Rex Jung of the Mind Institute, makes sense to me,
that if information is organized efficiently it makes for faster recall of that information(class
content). I was however unclear if brain capacity is part of inherited gene?

3. Do you think intelligence is something that is physically located in the brain? Or is

intelligence more about our thought processes? Use class content to explain
your response.
Based on experiment done by the Mind Institute of Albuquerque (Dr. Rex Jung), New Mexico,
referenced in content of this course, normally in brains, bigger is better as the more grey matter
that we are the more intelligent we are, however, this experiment uncovered that people with
high IQ have smaller brains (class content). The conclusion is that the brains of people with high
IQ are organized in a highly efficient manner that causes the bran to recall information faster.

Part B: Think about the following questions and

answer AT LEAST four (4) of them in your e-
portfolio entry:

1. What challenges did you face in completing the entry?

I had a challenge in uploading my information on the Weebly site, which was ironic as this
course is about Human Intelligence I and I just couldnt seem to be able to master than task.
2. How did you address or overcome these challenges?
I read course information, a couple of u-tube videos and asked a friend to help.
3. What could you have done differently in completing this entry?
When I had completed my first entry I would have uploaded the information then, instead of
waiting to do so on the due date. Had I done that, I would have realized that I had a challenge in
adding my information to the site.
4. How can you use your successes in future entries?
Managing my projects and timelines better. Allow more time to complete and submit before due
date.