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11. IQ

IQ means “Intelligence Quotient.” IQ can only be accurately

measured using standardized intelligence tests administered

1:1 by a psychologist. Internet tests that say they are IQ tests

are not valid

There are two main IQ tests — the Stanford- Binet and the Wechsler tests. The average human IQ is 100. More than half the people in the world have IQs of 100 or less. About half the people in the world have above-average IQs. Many researchers believe that IQ is influenced by genes inherited from one’s parents, but life experiences and motivation can significantly raise or lower one’s IQ. IQ scores are good predictors of GPA, job performance, and income. However, other factors, such as motivation, people skills, and physical appearance are also good predictors of the same successes in life. IQ tests are culturally biased and therefore, when interpreting IQ for members of minority groups in the USA, it is important to be aware that the IQ score itself may not be a valid measure of the person’s true intelligence.

Researchers' understanding of the complexities of the human brain has evolved, and so too has the notion of IQ, what it really means, and how it is most accurately captured.

“There are multiple types of intelligence,” says researcher Adam Hampshire, PhD. He is a psychologist at the Brain and Mind Institute Natural Sciences Centre in London, Ontario, Canada. “It is time to move on to using a more comprehensive set of tests that can measure separate scores for each type of intelligence.”

http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20121218/iq-test-really-measure-intelligence

10. Experiment

An Experiment is a carefully designed and controlled study that is able to isolate an exact cause-and-effect relationship through the following steps:

1. Pose a question to be researched.

1. Do Background Research

1. Construct a Hypothesis (an educated guess to answer the research question.

1. Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment

1. Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion

1. Communicate Your Results

Every formal experiment has at least two variables. The independent variable is what the researcher arranges to allow a comparison of the participants’ behavior under different conditions. In the case of the two experiments on media violence, the independent variable was the type of film (violent or nonviolent). It is called the independent variable because the researcher has independent control over it—in this example, the researcher can choose which participants are shown each film. The dependent variable is the measure of the specific behavior of interest that may (or may not) be related to the independent variable.

In the simplest formal experiments, one group is placed in the condition that is hypothesized to influence the behavior of the participants and it is called the experimental group. A second group receives none of the supposedly “active” condition of the independent variable and is called the control group. If the behavior of the participants in the experimental group differs from the behavior of the participants in the control group, the hypothesis that differences in the independent variable cause differences in the dependent variable is supported, but under only two circumstances:

1. Formal experiments are valid only when the participants are randomly assigned to the experimental or the control group. The experimenter must follow a random procedure, such as putting the names of all participants in a hat and drawing the names of the participants in the two groups without looking.

1. Formal experiments are valid only if all alternative explanations for the findings have been ruled out through strict experimental control.

Lahey, Benjami. (2009). Psychology an introduction tenth edition. McGraw Hill, New York.