Robert Fettgather, PhD, joined Mission College in 1979 and continues to teach psychology courses as an associate faculty member. Robert Fettgsther holds advanced degrees in both psychology and education. In his spare time, Robert Fettgather enjoys the study of human growth and development.

Intelligence is somewhat difficult to define, much less quantify in a test score. We might define intelligence as a kind of general mental ability to learn and apply knowledge. Or as the ability to employ logic and engage in abstract reasoning.  Some believe the essence of intelligence is adaptability (including emotional intelligence) or to understand complex ideas/concepts. Here we look at the challenge of measuring intelligence, but begin with a brief look at aspects of the history of intelligence tests. 

The purpose of early tests of intelligence was to identify children who might have difficulty in school, and it included measures of vocabulary, comprehension of facts and relationships, and mathematical and verbal reasoning

Early intelligence tests were also influential in shaping U.S. immigration policy. These tests for military age adults were used often to justify racial and ethnic discrimination. Indeed, some Eugenicists seized on the army IQ tests to prove to Congress that the races of Southern and Eastern Europe were a threat in strategies that unfairly and inaccurately mis-portrayed minorities- not unlike similar discriminatory practices today.

Today, scores’ calculations for intelligence tests are now based on a direct comparison of a child’s performance with the average performance of a large group of other children his own age. For preschoolers, the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence is administered. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) are used for adults and older children, respectively. Wechsler's test is comprised two parts, verbal and performance

About two-thirds of all children achieve scores between 85 and 115; roughly 96% of scores fall between 70 and 130. Children who score above 130 are often called gifted; those who score below 70 are normally referred to as "intellectually disabled”.  The correlation between children's intelligence test scores and their future grades in school is a positive correlation; about .50 to .60.

Relaxing On The Water

 

An educator from Grass Valley, California who holds a Ph.D. in psychology, Dr. Robert Fettgather serves as an associate faculty in psychology at Mission College in Santa Clara. When not working, Robert Fettgather spends some of his time houseboating. 

Here we consider two points on houseboats-have fun and stay safe!

Houseboating is the use of a boat that is equipped with home amenities while enjoying a getaway on the lake. Several locations in northern California can perfectly accommodate houseboating. Lake Berryessa is one of the largest man-made lakes in California. The Vaca Mountains, the grassy hills that surround the lake, serve as a habitat for diverse species of vegetation, animals, and wildlife like deer, eagles, and hawks. A popular weekend destination for houseboaters, Lake Berryessa lies only 55 miles north of San Francisco. Located just 15 miles from the city of Susanville, Eagle Lake provides the perfect spot for houseboating and trout fishing

Be sure to address safety concerns. Bilge pumps are an important component of most boats. These motorized devices regulate the water levels within the boat. Waterskiing behind a houseboat or swimming and wakeboarding around the houseboat with its engine on is unsafe. The boat's propellers could cause injuries. Although houseboats operate on water, fire outbreaks are still risky. Keeping fire extinguishers, especially those that put out flammable liquid fires, will help prevent flame-induced casualty. Carbon monoxide can be a destructive element in the air inside houseboats. Carbon monoxide detectors warn houseboaters when the gas is in the air. Proper ventilation reduces carbon monoxide in houseboats.

Pitchers Of Note

An associate faculty at Mission College in Santa Clara, California, Robert Fettgather Ph.D. teaches general psychology, abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, and psychiatric interviewing. Dr. Robert Fettgather has co-authored several papers on social issues, such as “Elder abuse as an emerging public health concern: identifying deficiencies in law enforcement policy.” In his spare time, Robert Fettgather enjoys the sport of baseball.

As we enter the baseball play-offs, it is worth pausing on the value of a good and even great pitcher.

The history of Major League Baseball (MLB) dates back to the founding of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs in 1876. For nearly 150 years, the league has developed several individual and team awards to recognize outstanding achievements. The Cy Young Award, for example, is used to honor the league’s most accomplished pitchers every season. The Cy Young Award is named after Cy Young, the greatest pitcher in MLB history. Young began his professional career in 1890 with the Cleveland Spiders of the National League. Between 1901 and 1908, he pitched in the American League, helping the Boston Red Sox win the 1903 World Series. During his first year in Boston, he led the league with 158 strikeouts, 33 wins, and an earned run average (ERA) of 1.62, a feat known as the pitching triple crown. Young won two games during the 1903 World Series and recorded three no-hitters. His all-time league records range from most innings pitched, at 7,356, and most games started, at 815. He pitched nearly 80 shutouts during his career. The Cy Young Award was established in 1956, and for over a decade, the honor was awarded to a single pitcher. Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers was MLB’s first Cy Young winner, going 27-7 during the 1956 season with an ERA of 3.06. In 1966, Sandy Koufax became the first pitcher to win more than one Cy Young Award and consecutive awards.

Gaylord Perry and Roger Clemens remain the only pitchers to win the Cy Young Award at age 40 or older. Starting pitchers are typically the beneficiaries of Cy Young honors. The organizers consider their total wins and strikeouts to choose the recipient. That said, several relief pitchers have also won the award. Most recently, Eric Gagne was named the National League Cy Young Award winner in 2003, winning two games and recording 55 saves. Dennis Eckersley had 51 saves in 1992, and Mark Davis recorded 44 saves in 1989

Ego Integrity

The Institute for Personality and Ability Testing has certified Robert Fettgather as a Stress Management Trainer, and Medical Hypnosis Seminars of the Los Gatos Institute has certified him in Clinical Hypnotherapy.  At Santa Clara University, Graduate Department of Education and Counseling Psychology, Robert Fettgather's studies included Health Education and Behavioral Medicine. Robert Fettgather has completed Hospice Training with Hospice of the Valley.

Here is a quote to reflect upon: "Any span of the cycle lived without vigorous meaning, at the beginning, in the middle or at the end, endangers the sense of life and meaning of death ..." Erik Erikson

How do we experience the last years of the lifespan? For Erikson, the fruition of his seven previous stages is a sense of ego integrity or closure in a meaningful life. Alternatively, to come to a meaningless end is to die in despair. 

Social connection is also important to our last years. No matter how long an older couple has been together, the emotional support that most elders derive from an intimate partnership helps them cope. As you will learn in this Module, changes in roles and relationships are perhaps just as significant as physical ones. And for many older adults, these changes are perceived not as losses but as opportunities to create new roles and to make old age a time of personal and social gains. Moreover, the place where we grow old has importance and many older adults prefer to "age in place",  continuing to reside in their own home or apartment. 

Erikson termed the last of his eight life crises the ego integrity versus despair stage. He thought that the task of achieving ego integrity, the sense that one has lived a successful life that mattered, began in middle adulthood but was most central in late adulthood.

Research suggests Erikson's view that ego integrity is essential to mental health in old age may not be absolute for all elders. And contrary to the stereotype, most older adults are not disengaged from the social world and seem to benefit from social involvement as much as those who are younger.