Individual Differences

Chapter 5 discussed that intelligence is defined in a variety of ways. Of those ways, the most notable, for me, was that what defines intelligence is culture specific, meaning that intelligent behavior in one culture may not necessarily be perceived as intelligent in another culture. These variations in cultural observations and opinions are influenced by factors within the environment. These factors can either impact individuals positively or negatively. 

The chapter goes on to explain that history has provided that in the US specific ethnic groups have consistently performed better than other on intelligence tests. I think it is within reason to assume we all know which ethnic groups typically perform well on these tests and those who do not. These differences in performance, according to experts, are largely due to environmental and economic circumstances. Lower socio-economic groups usually have poorer nutrition, they have less access or exposures to varieties of literature and toys, and their overall educational experiences are not up to par with their higher socio-economic counterparts. 

Incorporating some of my opinions adapted from semesters of  coursework for my impending Global Studies degree, I wanted to share the shift in thought, or transfer of knowledge, that I experienced as I read this chapter. Within the global community, the concept development is almost exclusively shaped by Western thought. As a result, states in the Global South are defined developmentally but the factors that Westerners believe encompass development. This dynamic is one of globalization's fundamental flaws because it disregards the vast differences between cultures, language, environment, etc. that exist not only between the West and the South but also with the states themselves. Thus, development cannot simply be confined to Westerners' experiences and observations, but rather the concept should be fragmented to address and include the thoughts and ideas of those who are currently exempt from their own developmental agency and global participation. 

This is relevant to our chapter because it is important to acknowledge that different cultural groups have different views about what exactly intelligence is and because of that they might stress different abilities in their children. For example, the text provided, that in Western cultures strong verbal skills equate to higher intelligence; however, amongst Japanese and the Inuit peoples in Quebec, talking in abundance is associated with immaturity and lower intelligence. While environmental and cultural influences vary, the reading from this week claims that intelligence a factor significant to students' performance in the classroom regardless of its nature or origin.