THE CONSTRUCT AND MEASUREMENT OF INTELLIGENCE AMONG BRAZILIAN CHILDREN - AN EXPLORATORY-STUDY

This study examines intelligence among Brazilian students on two level s: conceptual and test-related. Data was collected on 214 students ran ging in age from 5 to 11. The study found that intelligence correlates significantly with socioeconomic status, achievement, grade repetitio n, family size and health and school abences. Among the 24 variables e xamined, the three that measure intelligence form a distinct factor. S upport exists for a construct of intelligence that is separate from ot her variables reflecting social class and other family qualities. Both intelligence and SES variables have a substantial influence on achiev ement, suggesting that parent qualities exert at least as strong an in fluence on achievement as does intelligence. However, the interpretati ons of these results also should consider that the existing literature on intelligence among Brazilian children is meagre and the measures u sed in the research were developed in the US and UK, which differ cons iderably from Brazil with regard to linguistic, economic, cultural and educational variables, and cultural traditions.