A PSY 108 Module 7 discussion post of about 350 words comparing human and computer intelligence using a psychological definition of intelligence, research on human learning versus machine learning and the multiple-intelligences debate, with a question for classmates. Searches like "psy 108 module 7 assignment", "psy108 module 7 human versus computer intelligence discussion" and "psy 108 module 7 example" land here.
The PSY 108 Module 7 example, in full
Module Seven Discussion: Human and Computer Intelligence
Re: Smart at the test, lost at the kitchen table
To compare human and computer intelligence, I first needed a standard. An American Psychological Association task force listed what intelligent people do well: grasp complicated ideas, adjust to their surroundings, profit from experience, reason things through and think their way past obstacles (Neisser et al., 1996). By that definition, current computer systems score very unevenly.
Some parts they do impressively. Programs now produce fluent writing, answer many test questions and beat world champions at games like chess and Go. On narrow tasks with clear goals and plenty of data, machines can outperform nearly everyone.
The difference shows up in how learning happens. Lake et al. (2017) argued that people learn new concepts from one or a few examples, build causal models of how things work and use intuitive understanding of physics and other minds, while many machine learning systems need enormous numbers of examples and often fail when a situation differs from their training. A child who sees one giraffe can recognize the next, and can imagine one wearing a hat. People seem to learn by explaining; many machines learn by accumulating. That matters for the definition's phrase about adapting to the environment, since everyday life is full of situations no training set anticipated.
The multiple-intelligences debate adds another angle. Gardner (1983) proposed several distinct intelligences, including interpersonal and intrapersonal abilities. Many psychologists question whether these are separate intelligences or talents, but the idea highlights abilities like reading another person's feelings or understanding oneself, where computers imitate the output without the experience behind it.
My position is that computers today are highly capable at specific kinds of intelligent behavior but do not yet show intelligence in the broad, adaptable sense psychologists describe. That could change, and some researchers expect it to. Either way, judging progress against a clear definition is more useful than judging it by headlines, which tend to announce human-level intelligence every time a machine wins at something new.
Question for classmates: which part of the task force definition do you think computers will match last, and why?
References
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. Basic Books.
Lake, B. M., Ullman, T. D., Tenenbaum, J. B., & Gershman, S. J. (2017). Building machines that learn and think like people. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 40, Article e253. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X16001837
Neisser, U., Boodoo, G., Bouchard, T. J., Jr., Boykin, A. W., Brody, N., Ceci, S. J., Halpern, D. F., Loehlin, J. C., Perloff, R., Sternberg, R. J., & Urbina, S. (1996). Intelligence: Knowns and unknowns. American Psychologist, 51(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.51.2.77
How this PSY 108 Module 7 example is structured
The post begins with a definition so the comparison has a standard. It then compares how humans and machines learn, which is where the research finds the clearest difference. A short paragraph on multiple intelligences broadens the question, and the post states a position before inviting classmates to test it.
Get PSY 108 Module 7 written to your instructions
Send your PSY 108 Module 7 discussion instructions and rubric, and a post comparing human and computer intelligence with APA citations comes back within 24 to 48 hours; the first is free. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Southern New Hampshire University document.
PSY 108 Module 7 questions, answered
What does PSY 108 Module 7 cover?
Later modules in the course often address cognition and intelligence, including how intelligence is defined and measured, and a discussion may ask students to compare human intelligence with the capabilities of computers.
How do psychologists define intelligence?
A widely cited task force report framed intelligence as a cluster of abilities that vary between people: grasping complicated ideas, adjusting to one's surroundings, learning from experience, reasoning and thinking one's way around obstacles.
How does human learning differ from machine learning?
Researchers have argued that people can learn a new concept from one or a few examples, build causal explanations and combine ideas flexibly, while many machine learning systems need very large amounts of data and can struggle when situations differ from their training.