lachx016: November 2011 Archives

An intelligence test is a tool used to measure thinking ability in terms of a standardized measure. Since IQ tests do not directly assess the same things that are taught in the classroom, it is difficult to "study" for them. However, IQ tests are typically able to assess reasoning, comprehension, working memory, and processing speed. Good intelligence tests measure intelligence without relying on verbal expression and can be used for a number of populations.

Commonly used intelligence tests:

1. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Ages 2 to 90
   Measures:
   Fluid Reasoning (the capacity to learn new ways of solving problems)
   Knowledge
   Quantitative Reasoning (the application of mathematical concepts and skills to solve real-world problems)
   Visual-Spatial Processing (organizing visual information into meaningful patterns and understanding how they might change as they rotate and move through space)
   Working Memory (the ability of actively hold information in the mind needed to do complex tasks such as reasoning, comprehension, and learning)
   Also measures the ability to compare verbal and nonverbal performance.
   
2. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children: Ages 6 to 16
   Measures:
   Verbal comprehension
   Working memory
   Executive function skills
   
3. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS): Ages 16 to 89
   Measures:
   Verbal comprehension
   Perceptual organization
   Working memory
   Processing speed
   
4. Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities: Ages 2 to 90+
   Measures:
   General intellectual ability
   Working memory
   Executive function skills
   
5. Cognitive Assessment System (CAS): Ages 5 to 17
   Based on "PASS" theory, measures "Planning", "Attention", "Simultaneous", and "Successive" cognitive processes
   

What test would you take? What measure of ability are you most curious to find out about yourself?

Humans can be used as lie detectors. Albeit many of us think we're avid liars, there are many tells that could give us away to others. Being able to tell whether or not someone is lying is important to the relationships you hold with people. Honesty and communication are key to building strong friendships.
What can you do to tell if someone is lying? Although our textbook says that the best way of finding out whether or not someone is lying is to listen to what they're saying as opposed to how they're saying it, being able to read gestures and body language is fun and interesting. Here are a few tells that can show dishonesty:

• A person who is lying to you will avoid eye contact or turn their bodies away from you.


• Liars are unlikely to tough their chest or heart with an open hand, but they will touch their face, mouth, and throat. Scratching the nose or behind the ear is another common gesture of liars.


• The book uses the example of the Duchenne smile vs. the Pan Am smile. A real smile uses the entire face: eyes and mouth, but a fake smile involves just the mouth muscles.


• A liar might unconsciously place objects between themselves and you.

Here is a good site that can tell you more about body language and lying:
http://www.blifaloo.com/info/lies.php