Give Intelligence Its Due, But Put it In Its Place

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Give Intelligence Its Due, But Put it In Its
Place

• Linda S. Gottfredson
• University of Delaware
• Newark, DE

New Voices in Intelligence Creativity
Conference University of Kansas, Lawrence,
KS November 3, 2009
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Homo sapiens big brain
Modern chimp
Hominid line
Modern human
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Lots of human abilities, talents
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But g is chief source of human cognitive
diversity
the can do
g

• DOMAIN GENERAL

IQ
V
Q
S
M
Others
DOMAIN SPECIFIC
Phenotypic structure appears to be replicated at
genetic level
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Structure of differences in ability
Which differences matter most, where?
g

• DOMAIN GENERAL

IQ
Single most powerful, pervasive
V
Q
S
M
Others
DOMAIN SPECIFIC
6
Structure of differences in ability
Which differences matter most, where?
g

• DOMAIN GENERAL

IQ
V
Q
S
M
Others
Less impact, domain specific
DOMAIN SPECIFIC
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Structure of differences in ability
Which differences matter most, where?
g

• DOMAIN GENERAL

IQ
V
Q
S
M
Others
DOMAIN SPECIFIC
Task specific
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g has pervasive, persistent effect on life
chances
Why? g is ability to catch on, figure things
outrequired everywhere, always!
And Premium on g keeps rising in modern world,
information age
Tail wind
Head wind
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Effect sizes vary systematically by life arena,
task complexity
correlation with IQ

• Standardized academic achievement .8
• Job performancecomplex jobs
• Years of education .6
• Occupational level
• Job performancemiddle-level jobs .4-.5
• Income .3-.4
• Delinquency -.25
• Job performancesimple jobs .2

• g

Diabetes self-care?
Correlations corrected for attenuation
restriction in range
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Higher g always helps (on average)
Achievements
Can do
g
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High g never sufficient
Achievements
Can do
Will do

e.g., conscientiousness practice
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But g necessarynothing can compensate for not
catching on, etc.
Achievements
X
X
Can do
Will do

e.g., conscientiousness practice
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Need to invest in domain specific experience,
however
Achievements
Can do
Will do
Have done


Domain-specific knowledge, expertise
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Social constraints on investment
Achievements
Social circumstances
Can do
Will do
Have done


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Domain-specific tilt channels the will do
Achievements
Where is creativity? In emergenesis?
Social circumstances
Can do
Have done
Will do


Gm
Gc
Gv
Gr
Ga
other
Your flow Domain-specific talents, passions
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Domain-specific tilt channels the will do
Achievements
Where is creativity? In emergenesis?
So, give g its due, but put it in its place
Social circumstances
Can do
Have done
Will do


Gm
Gc
Gv
Gr
Ga
other
Your flow Domain-specific talents, passions
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Criterion problem, too
Achievements
? g predicts outcomes that are
mostly Individual Instrumental Independent Mater
ial Economic
Social circumstances
Can do
Have done
Will do


Gm
Gc
Gv
Gr
Ga
other
Your flow
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What makes us human?Cant be just our smarts or
achievements
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Non-material outcomes matter, too E.g.,
social-emotional connectedness
IQ doesnt predict happiness

• bb
  

Parental love
Family commitment
True friendship
Mutual joy
Minimizing conflict
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Final thought

• Shunning social isolation physical death
  when humans evolved
• Humans are acutely sensitive to social isolation
• Being different, odd, out-of-step, unusual can
  isolate a person
• Extremely high (or low) IQ makes one unusual
• Attributes that lead to creativity (marching to
  own drummer) makes one unusual
• So, high intelligence and creativity can pose
  psychic and emotional challenges
• Those challenges are manageable if understood

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Thank you.

• www.udel.edu/educ/gottfredson