Discussion Questions

  1. Your textbook explains that there are many types of intelligence.  What factors do you believe are the most important in deciding how intelligent a person is?
     
  2. Think about your own life.  Provide examples of your ability to use fluid and crystallized intelligence.
     
  3. Explain the difference in using a mental age when discussing IQ and using a deviation IQ.
     
  4. Discuss when you would give a standardized test, a dynamic assessment, and an authentic assessment.
     
  5. What do you think about the fact that research has found difference in intelligence scores among people of different racial groups.
     
  6. Do you think that an individual born to parents with low intelligence can develop an IQ higher than his/her parents? Explain your answer.
     
  7. What factors do you think influence the Flynn effect?
     
  8. Have you always put forth the amount of effort needed to perform well in courses?  Do you spend three hours of studying for every one hour you are in class?  Why or why not? Also, is your motivation intrinsic or extrinsic? Explain.
     
  9. Provide an example of a moment you used convergent thinking and an example of a moment you used divergent thinking.
     
  10. Think about each type of intelligence discussed in chapter 8.  On which type do you think you would score the highest, if given multiple intelligence tests?
     
  11. Have you ever met someone with an intellectual disability or specific learning disorder?  What is life like for this person? What have been some of his or her challenges?
     
  12. What are ways in which to enrich the education of a gifted child, so the child does not become bored in school?
     
  13. Provide an example of a time you used small-c creativity and a time you used big-C creativity.
     
  14. Think about the classroom environment of each of your college classrooms.  Do you feel that each instructor provides students with the optimal environment for learning? Why or why not?  What would you change in classes that do not provide the optimal environment?
     
  15. What is your opinion of grade retention and social promotion?  Explain your answer.
     
  16. Was the transition from high school to college stressful for you?  What have been your obstacles?
     
  17. Do you think your gender influenced your academic success? Why or why not?