Relational Frame Theory and Human intelligence
Cassidy, Roche and O´Hara has published an article proposing a framework that provides a rationale for the construction of interventions to raise IQ as they are measured by traditional intelligence test. This proposes that training skills in derived relational responding through multiple exemplar training can raise IQ-scores. This article is published in European Journal of Behavior Analysis (2010).
In this article the authors by using relational frame theory (RTF) to decompose the minimalistic construct of intelligence to its component behavior and identify the environment – behavior relations involved. And based on this, it may be that a small variety of arbitrary relations in combination may be sufficient to yield the full gamut of cognitive skills associated with the term intelligence.
Based on the position that relational responding and cognitive abilities may be functionally related the authors deconstruct IQ test to identify the generalized behaviors that are measured. They provide examples from several relational frames or types of relational responding; i.e. Coordination, opposition, etc. and the combinations of those.
And by referring to not yet published research showing interventions to raise IQ-scores the state:
MET involves training children in core relational skills, such as deriving relations in accordance with a wide variety of relational frames and across a vary large number of exemplars. Once such component relational skills are established and sufficiently generalized across novels stimulus sets, a child should be able to respond appropriately to an almost infinite number of similar relational tasks. Consequently, their ability to respond appropriately to the relational task presented in common IQ tests should be enhanced.
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