Human Intelligence and Medical Illness: Assessing the Flynn Effect / Edition 1

by R. Grant Steen

Overview

As critics will note, psychometric tests are deeply flawed. Person-to-person differences in performance on a psychometric test are not informative about many things of great interest. An intelligence quotient (IQ) cannot characterize creativity or w- dom or artistic ability or other forms of specialized knowledge. An IQ test is simply an effort to assess an aptitude for success in the modern world, and individual scores do a mediocre job of predicting individual successes. In the early days of psychology, tests of intelligence were cobbled together with little thought as to validity; instead, the socially powerful sought to validate their power and the prominent to rationalize their success. In recent years, we have ob- ated many of the objections to IQ that were so forcefully noted by Stephen Jay Gould in The Mismeasure of Man. Nevertheless, IQ tests are still flawed and those flaws are hereby acknowledged in principle. Yet, in the analysis that follows, individual IQ test scores are not used; rather, average IQ scores are employed. In many cases – though not all – an average IQ is calculated from a truly enormous sample of people. The most common circ- stance for such large-scale IQ testing is an effort to systematically sample all men of a certain age, to assess their suitability for service in the military. Yet, it is useful and prudent to retain some degree of skepticism about the ability of IQ tests to measure individual aptitudes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441900913
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	10/08/2009
Series:	The Springer Series on Human Exceptionality
Edition description:	2009
Pages:	218
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.24(d)

About the Author

R. Grant Steen has written 5 books and 70 research articles, mostly about the human brain in health and disease. He has been a professor of psychiatry, pediatrics, biomedical engineering, and radiology (brain imaging), and he worked for 20 years in clinical research at various medical schools and hospitals. He earned a Doctorate in Biology from UCLA, held a National Research Service Award at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and he has been a faculty member at the University of Washington, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the University of Tennessee, and the University of North Carolina. Dr. Steen now consults and writes about the brain full-time.

Table of Contents

Are People Getting Smarter?.- Human IQ and Increasing Intelligence.- Evolution and Increasing Intelligence.- Brain Development and Increasing Intelligence.- Environment and Increasing Intelligence.- Evidence of Physical Plasticity in Humans.- Evidence of Mental Plasticity in Humans.- Evidence of Cognitive Plasticity in Humans.- Impact of Medical Conditions on Human IQ in the United States.- Impact of Medical Conditions on Human IQ Worldwide.- Medical Interventions for Cognitive Impairment.- Increasing IQ in the United States.- Increasing IQ and Social Justice.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Christopher J Graver, PhD, ABPP-CN(Madigan Healthcare System)
Description: Intellectual quotients are highly sought after by many organizations as a benchmark for everything from identifying Mensa members to qualifying for services related to developmental or learning disabilities. This book explores the nature of IQ testing, changes that have occurred, and conditions that can impact it.
Purpose: The book is part of the Human Exceptionality series and aims to provide readers with comprehensive information about intelligence testing, trends, and current literature.
Audience: Clinical and school psychologists would find this book interesting, but others working in developmental fields also would find it of use. The book is not a how-to manual for administering IQ tests, and it assumes a relative familiarity with testing and psychometrics, as well as the common flaws in IQ tests. The author earned his doctorate in biology and has worked in various academic positions in the departments of radiology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and biomedical engineering. Recent publications have been in the area of neuroimaging, so there is nothing immediately obvious in his CV that would indicate strong credentials to write a book on this topic.
Features: The first chapter begins with a discussion of the Flynn Effect and presents some possible hypotheses. One eccentricity that is immediately apparent is the use of "we," despite the fact that the book has one author. The book goes on to discuss various theories that have been proposed to explain the Flynn Effect and the problems with them. These are well compartmentalized, which makes it difficult to find a common idea and leads to contradictions in the author's reasoning between sections. Just one example is the early discussion of how small brain size is a poor indicator of intelligence, but then in chapter 7, the author states, "We know that people of low IQ are generally likely to have a smaller brain" to support one of his arguments. The author also states that cognitive alterations soon after a trauma are in the definition of PTSD, which is patently not the case according to the DSM-IV criteria for the disorder. Furthermore, he states that the issue of cognitive dysfunction in PTSD is "clear-cut" using only a single, flawed reference for support. It should be noted that the article he cites states that neuropsychological findings in individuals with PTSD are inconsistent. The book does no better when covering medical illnesses that could impact intelligence, as often there are limited references to support the author's conclusions. Additionally, he follows some research-based conclusions with statements such as, "but we will assume," and proceeds to suggest different results with no additional references. There are no introductory or concluding paragraphs to provide clarity and the references appear at the end of the book instead of at the end of each chapter, making for a lot of unnecessary page-flipping.
Assessment: This is a superficial review of the intellectual issues presented. The research support is subpar and opinion is interlaced with the literature. It is a feeble attempt that is certainly not worth the $129 price.

Doody's Review Service

Reviewer:Christopher J. Graver, PhD(Madigan Army Medical Center)
Description:Intellectual quotients are highly sought after by many organizations as a benchmark for everything from identifying Mensa members to qualifying for services related to developmental or learning disabilities. This book explores the nature of IQ testing, changes that have occurred, and conditions that can impact it.
Purpose:The book is part of the Human Exceptionality series and aims to provide readers with comprehensive information about intelligence testing, trends, and current literature.
Audience:Clinical and school psychologists would find this book interesting, but others working in developmental fields also would find it of use. The book is not a how-to manual for administering IQ tests, and it assumes a relative familiarity with testing and psychometrics, as well as the common flaws in IQ tests. The author earned his doctorate in biology and has worked in various academic positions in the departments of radiology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and biomedical engineering. Recent publications have been in the area of neuroimaging, so there is nothing immediately obvious in his CV that would indicate strong credentials to write a book on this topic.
Features:The first chapter begins with a discussion of the Flynn Effect and presents some possible hypotheses. One eccentricity that is immediately apparent is the use of "we," despite the fact that the book has one author. The book goes on to discuss various theories that have been proposed to explain the Flynn Effect and the problems with them. These are well compartmentalized, which makes it difficult to find a common idea and leads to contradictions in the author's reasoning between sections. Just one example is the early discussion of how small brain size is a poor indicator of intelligence, but then in chapter 7, the author states, "We know that people of low IQ are generally likely to have a smaller brain" to support one of his arguments. The author also states that cognitive alterations soon after a trauma are in the definition of PTSD, which is patently not the case according to the DSM-IV criteria for the disorder. Furthermore, he states that the issue of cognitive dysfunction in PTSD is "clear-cut" using only a single, flawed reference for support. It should be noted that the article he cites states that neuropsychological findings in individuals with PTSD are inconsistent. The book does no better when covering medical illnesses that could impact intelligence, as often there are limited references to support the author's conclusions. Additionally, he follows some research-based conclusions with statements such as, "but we will assume," and proceeds to suggest different results with no additional references. There are no introductory or concluding paragraphs to provide clarity and the references appear at the end of the book instead of at the end of each chapter, making for a lot of unnecessary page-flipping.
Assessment:This is a superficial review of the intellectual issues presented. The research support is subpar and opinion is interlaced with the literature. It is a feeble attempt that is certainly not worth the $129 price.

From the reviews: “The 218-page volume is divided into 13 chapters on topics … in human intelligence. … Human Intelligence and Medical Illness should be commended for taking an evidence-based approach to the topic of intelligence … . The book is concise, timely, and generally well written. … Overall, Human Intelligence and Medical Illness is a thought-provoking book that is well worth reading. If you are interested in how to improve human intelligence, then this book is for you.” (Richard E. Mayer, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 55 (4), January, 2010) “This book explores the nature of IQ testing, changes that have occurred, and conditions that can impact it. … to provide readers with comprehensive information about intelligence testing, trends, and current literature. … Clinical and school psychologists would find this book interesting, but others working in developmental fields also would find it of use. … This is a superficial review of the intellectual issues presented.” (Christopher J. Graver, Doody’s Review Service, April, 2010)

From the Publisher