Intelligence Concepts and Theories

Intelligence Definition

• Intelligence is defined as the ability to learn, effectively meet environmental demands, and understand and control one's mental activities (metacognition).
• Metacognition is the ability to understand and control one's mental activities.
• This involves thinking about one's thinking.
• Studying, for example, is a method of meeting academic demands, while knowing when to stop studying and when one is ready for a test is an aspect of metacognition.

General vs. Specific Intelligence

• Spearman's g Factor: Spearman developed a statistical method (factor analysis) to determine if test items correlate within distinct clusters.

• People who do well on vocabulary tests often do well on reading comprehension (verbal reasoning cluster).

• Other clusters include logical reasoning, spatial reasoning, and mechanical reasoning skills.

• g factor: A general intelligence factor underlying all mental abilities. A bright child generally scores higher across all intelligence aspects than a dull one.

• s factor: Specific intelligence factors tied to individual mental abilities or competencies.

• Example of two-factor view: A person might be extremely knowledgeable but struggle significantly with tasks like driving a car or making friends, but excelling in specific areas like languages, musical instruments, and other specialized topics. This exemplifies the g factor not being solely academic. It also demonstrates the ability to understand one's environment

Theories of Intelligence

• Thurstone's Primary Mental Abilities: Challenged the idea of a general intelligence factor, proposing seven distinct, unrelated mental abilities. He believed the differences between individuals arose from variations in these primary mental abilities.

• A later reevaluation showed that skills were not completely independent. Note - these original abilities are not considered the definitive set of primary mental abilities

• Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences: This theory, which grew from Thurstone, suggests multiple independent intelligences rooted in various brain regions.

• Brain damage can be localized, highlighting specific areas of intelligence rather than overall cognitive collapse.

• Savant syndrome (as seen in autism) demonstrates people with general cognitive impairment display extraordinary talents in specific areas.

• Examples include incredibly detailed artistic skills after limited exposures to stimuli. An artist for example, may produce a detailed piece of art after a quick visual observation.

• Gardner's theory emphasizes cultural relevance: Intelligences are measured in contexts relevant to specific cultures.