The controversy over intelligence testing is more often influenced by political considerations than empirical research. A survey of 1,020 experts found that a majority agree that (1) intelligence can be defined; (2) heredity plays a role in individual and group IQ differences; and (3) intelligence testing in schools should continue at its present…

The importance and consequences of raising the average ability level (IQ) of the population requires consideration of the ability level that society requires, how the relevant abilities are distributed, and the efficiency of the current educational process. Within the framework of these factors, the document discusses the determinants of mental…

The major emphasis of this study is on the comparative validities of paired-associate learning tests and IQ tests in predicting reading achievement. The study engages in a brief review of earlier research in order to examine the validity of two assumptions--that the construction and/or the use of a tactic that simplifies a learning task is one of…

We need to find out the extent to which individual differences, social class differences and race differences in rates of cognitive development, and differential patterns of relative strength and weakness are attributable to genetically conditioned biological growth factors. The answers to this question might imply differences in our approach to…

The scientific concept of intelligence has been heavily influenced by the technology of measurement. The variables which can be measured have been made the operational definition of intelligence. This approach differs from a deductive approach, in which a theory of cognition in general is used to derive the sorts of measurements that must be taken…

Retarded subjects were compared with mental- and chronological-age matched controls on serial short-term memory (STM) tasks. Retarded subjects were inferior to the control groups on both primacy and recency items, under two recall conditions. These data are discussed in relation to possible mechanisms underlying IQ-related individual differences…

This overview of recent research on individual differences especially concerns that research which relates to human learning and instruction. Several major areas of research are identified, and within each area various issues related to that area and representative studies are discussed. Whenever possible, references to more comprehensive reviews…

This four-part guide is designed to help community college instructors understand and respond to individual differences in their students. First, the preface lays out a framework for an in-depth examination of individual learning differences by posing the following questions: (1) Is learning a single function or a composite of different types of…

Differences in learning processes were studied in more versus less intellectually able undergraduate students. Thirty subjects were selected to represent a wide range of general and mathematical reasoning abilities, based on the following test scores: Necessary Arithmetic Operations and Vocabulary Test V2 from the Educational Testing Service ETS…

Discussed are the theoretical explanations of the observation that low intelligence quotient (IQ), low socioeconomic status children appear to be brighter in certain ways than low IQ middle class youngsters. The two different theories on IQ as a function of socioeconomic status--environmental or cultural vs. genetically determined biological…

The principal task of this book was to examine some of the research evidence concerning the relation between personality and school achievement. Its source was the empirical research which bears on this issue rather than the various theories of personality. The reason for this was that the implications of many theories of personality for…

The two articles in this newsletter issue focus on and discuss the multiple intelligences (MI) theory and its application in schools. Developed by Howard Gardner at Harvard University, the theory argues that individuals differ in their abilities, learning styles, and interests, and that these differences need to be acknowledged and nurtured in…

Noting that the collective stories of special education have grown out of a tradition that, by its nature tends to perpetuate problems, this book examines such narratives and how they influence thinking and belief about intelligence and learning. It begins by examining how the current story of intelligence developed and illustrates some of the…

A FIVE-YEAR LONGITUDINAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED OF 1550 CHILDREN, 384 OF WHOM WERE INTENSIVELY STUDIED AFTER BEING IDENTIFIED BY THEIR TEACHERS AS DEMONSTRATING SOCIALLY APPROVED OR SOCIALLY DISAPPROVED BEHAVIOR. AFTER 5 YEARS, THE SOCIALLY DISRUPTIVE GROUP OF 192 STUDENTS WAS LOWER IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT THAN THEIR APPROVED…

Explores the application of Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) in developing a community college curriculum that enhances an educator's ability to teach students based upon their dominant intelligences, such as verbal/linguistic or musical/rhythmic. (VWC)