Samantha Collins D8961836, DE100 Investigating Psychology 1, TMA01

Part 1: Using your own words, describe what is meant by the terms ‘intelligence
quotient’ and ‘emotional intelligence’, and why each is useful in psychology, drawing
on the material presented in Investigating Intelligence.

Word limit: 100 words for each description (200 words in total)

Drawing on information provided in Investigating Intelligence, (Byford 2014) Intelligence

quotient can be described as bell-curve in which the average intelligence of a specific group
can be measured, with 100 being the statistical norm across the range, this testing can take
a number of different forms and uses the formula of the mental age score divided by
chronological age and then multiplied by 100. this can be a useful measure in psychology
because although intelligence in itself is an abstract concept, it can be a useful tool to
consider when evaluating a range of different patterns across a cross-section of society
based on each subtest scores.

Emotional intelligence can be described as either a skill, meaning it can be developed, or as

an innate trait, relating to a persons individual ability to recognise and understand emotions
of themselves and others as well as the ability to empathise and express emotions (2014)
this can be a useful measure in psychology as it can be considered that the ability to interact
with others emotionally can be measured as a form of intelligence metrics. Indeed the testing
of emotional intelligence can show strong similarities to testing of intelligence quotient by
testing different parts of emotional intelligence.

Word Count: 203

Byford, J., McAvoy, J. and Banyard, P. (2014) Investigating Intelligence, Milton Keynes, The
Open University.

Part 2: Make sense of data in a table. Answer questions, identify patterns and
interpret some of the information about data presented in a table.

Activity Average emotional Average Average emotional

intelligence: One emotional intelligence: Six
week before intelligence: After months after the
activities began One month activity ceased

Reading 102 110 106

Counselling 100 106 105

session

Computer 101 109 110

game

Walking 102 104 102

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 Samantha Collins D8961836, DE100 Investigating Psychology 1, TMA01

Question 1: From looking at the table, can you tell how many times emotional intelligence
was measured?

Three: before activities began, after one month of activities and six months after activities
ceased.

Question 2: The table shows that:

On average, reading and playing the computer game led to a similar increase in emotional
intelligence score after one month of engaging with the activity.

Question 3: Which of the following conclusions do you think is a better fit for the data in the
table? Also, provide a brief rationale (100 words) for your choice

The table shows that taking part in an activity led to an increase in the average emotional
intelligence score after one month. The nature of the activity did appear to have an effect on
whether this improvement was sustained six months after the activity ceased.

This conclusion is a better fit because data evidenced in the table demonstrates that taking
part in an activity shows an increase in emotional intelligence, the type of activity is shown to
be a factor by the range of increases which vary by activity, with walking showing the least
improvement and return to the initial average score after six months. The Computer game
and Reading show the greatest increase in emotional intelligence after one month by
increasing the average score by 8 points, the Computer Game also shows long-term
improvement increasing after six months which may suggest sustained improvement.

Word Count: 99

Part 3: Reflective component. Reflect on participation in the collaborative activities

forums.

Word limit: 100 words

I have participated once in each of the collaborative activities forums, I find it quite daunting
as there are so many different individuals each with their own point of view, I feel my own
small voice is lost in the crowd somewhat, I also have concerns about how relevant and how
correct what I type is, I have a feeling of imposter syndrome, of not being good enough to
post. I think I could improve this by contributing more often and becoming part of a
discussion rather than just a single post per discussion but I fear being considered
inadequate.

Word Count: 100

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