Understanding Intelligence: What it is, Where it Comes from, and How it Changes
Catherine Sanderson is the Poler Family Professor and former Chair of Psychology at Amherst College and is often cited as the school’s most popular professor. Her research has received grant funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health. She has published over 25 journal articles in addition to three college textbooks. In 2012, she was named one of the country’s “Top 300 Professors” by the Princeton Review.
Overview
What is intelligence? Is it a function of nature or nurture? Is it a single dimension, or does it include multiple distinct abilities? And how does it change over time? This class describes cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience research that addresses these and other fascinating questions. Professor Sanderson will end this presentation by describing the link between intelligence and creativity, and the evidence for Albert Einstein’s view that “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.”
Professor Sanderson is very enthusiastic in her presentations. I found it very engaging and learned about the topic of intelligence, and perhaps unlearned a few previously held ideas. My biggest takeaways are that they are several ways to define and measure intelligence.