Department Of Telecommunication HAZARA
UNIVERSITY MANSEHRA.
ASSIGNMENT # 1
Topic: Intelligence
PSY100_Psychology
Submitted to:
Ms. Nida
Submitted by:
Hammad Zia
Roll# 305-230009
Section: Telecom. 2nd
Submission Date:
11th December 2023
What Is Intelligence?
Despite substantial interest in the subject, there still isn't a consensus
among experts about the components of intelligence or whether accurate
measurements of intelligence are even possible.
Although contemporary definitions of intelligence vary considerably, experts
generally agree that intelligence involves mental abilities such as logic,
reasoning, problem solving, and planning. Specifically, current definitions tend
to suggest that intelligence is the ability to:
Learn from experience: The acquisition, retention, and use of knowledge
is an important component of intelligence.
Recognize problems: To use knowledge, people first must identify the
problems it might address.
Solve problems: People must then use what they have learned to come up
with solutions to problems.1
Research on intelligence plays a significant role in many areas including
educational program funding, job applicant screening, and testing to identify
children who need additional academic help.
Main Theories of Intelligence in Psychology
Given the intense interest in the concept of intelligence, some of the
field's greatest minds have explored it from numerous angles. Following are
some of the major theories of intelligence that have emerged in the last 100
years.
Major Types of Intelligence Theories
• General intelligence
• Primary mental abilities
• Multiple intelligences
• The triarchic approach to intelligence
General Intelligence:
British psychologist Charles Spearman (1863–1945) described the
concept of general intelligence, or the "g factor." After using factor analysis to
examine mental aptitude tests, Spearman concluded that scores on these tests
were remarkably similar.
People who performed well on one cognitive test tended to perform well
on other tests, while those who scored badly on one test tended to score badly
on others. He concluded that intelligence is a general cognitive ability that
researchers can measure and express numerically.2
Primary Mental Abilities
Psychologist Louis L. Thurstone (1887–1955) focused on seven primary
mental abilities rather than a single, general ability. 3 These include:
Associative memory: The ability to memorize and recall
Numerical ability: The ability to solve mathematical problems
Perceptual speed: The ability to see differences and similarities among
objects
Reasoning: The ability to find rules
Spatial visualization: The ability to visualize relationships
Verbal comprehension: The ability to define and understand words
Word fluency: The ability to produce words rapidly
Multiple Intelligences
Among more recent ideas about intelligence is Howard Gardner's theory of
multiple intelligences. He proposed that traditional IQ testing does not fully and
accurately depict a person's abilities. He proposed eight different intelligences
based on skills and abilities that are valued in various cultures:4
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: The ability to control body movements
and handle objects skillfully
Interpersonal intelligence: The capacity to detect and respond
appropriately to the moods, motivations, and desires of others
Intrapersonal intelligence: The capacity to be self-aware and in tune with
inner feelings, values, beliefs, and thinking processes
Logical-mathematical intelligence: The ability to think conceptually and
abstractly, and to discern logical or numerical patterns
Musical intelligence: The ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch,
and timbre
Naturalistic intelligence: The ability to recognize and categorize animals,
plants, and other objects in nature
Verbal-linguistic intelligence: Well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity
to the sounds, meanings, and rhythms of words
Visual-spatial intelligence: The capacity to think in images and visualize
accurately and abstractly
What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?
The Triarchic Approach to Intelligence
Psychologist Robert Sternberg defined intelligence as "mental activity
directed toward purposive adaptation to, selection, and shaping of real-world
environments relevant to one's life."
Although he agreed with Gardner that intelligence is much broader than a
single, general ability, he suggested that some of Gardner's types of intelligence
are better viewed as individual talents. Sternberg proposed the concept of
"successful intelligence," which involves three factors:5
Analytical intelligence: The ability to evaluate information and solve
problems
Creative intelligence: The ability to come up with new ideas
Practical intelligence: The ability to adapt to a changing environment
Other Types of Intelligence
Of course, there are many other theories on the types of intelligence
humans possess.
Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence
Psychologist Raymon Cattell, along with his student John Horn, created
the theory of fluid vs. crystallized intelligence.6 Fluid intelligence involves the
ability to solve new problems without relying on knowledge from previous
experiences.
According to the theory, a person's fluid intelligence declines as they get
older.7 Crystallized intelligence, on the other hand, increases with age—this
type of intelligence is based on concrete facts and experiences.8
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (sometimes called EQ) refers to a person's ability
to regulate emotions, and use their emotions to relate to others. Signs of
emotional intelligence include strong self-awareness, empathy, embracing
change, and managing emotions in difficult situations.9
Intelligence (IQ) Testing
Efforts to quantify intelligence took a significant leap forward when
German psychologist William Stern first coined the term "intelligence quotient"
(IQ) in the early 20th century.
Psychologist Alfred Binet developed the very first intelligence tests to
help the French government identify schoolchildren who needed extra academic
assistance.
Binet was the first to introduce the concept of mental age: a set of
abilities that children of a certain age possess.10
Since that time, intelligence testing has emerged as a widely used tool
that has led to many other tests of skill and aptitude.
However, IQ testing continues to spur debate over its use, cultural biases,
influences on intelligence, and even the very way we define intelligence.
How Psychologists and Psychiatrists Measure Intelligence
Experts use a variety of standardized tests to measure intelligence. Some
are aptitude tests administered in a group setting such as the Scholastic
Assessment Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT). Others are IQ
tests given to individuals.
IQ test scores average around 100. Most children with intellectual
disabilities (85%) score between 55 and 70. Severe disabilities usually
correspond to still lower scores.11
The following is a brief history of IQ tests as they were developed:
Binet-Simon intelligence scale: This was the first IQ test ever made, and
was developed in 1905 by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon.
Stanford-Binet IQ test: This was psychologist Lewis Terman's adaptation
of the Binet-Simon test. Scores are based on a person's mental age
divided by their chronological age (mental age/chronological age x 100).
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS): This was the first intelligence
test for adults, developed by David Wechsler in 1939. It was the first to
use standardized normal distribution in scoring and is commonly used
today. It is divided into verbal and performance measures. Like most
modern tests, it scores on a bell curve.
Other tests that psychologists and psychiatrists use today include the
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, the Kaufman Assessment
Battery for Children, the Cognitive Assessment System, and the Differential
Ability Scale.
What Is an IQ Test?
The study of the human mind is difficult, in part, because the most
important tool in the effort is the same as the subject itself.
As humans, researchers bring not only their knowledge and expertise, but
also their biases, experiences, cultural backgrounds, and beliefs to the table; like
all scientific experts, they must combat their own humanness to strive for
objectivity.
In addition, there's the sheer complexity of the human mind and the
challenges in measuring a trait that has so many conflicting definitions and
nuances. No single standard for intelligence or its quantification as yet exists.
It's no surprise, then, that important questions about intelligence and IQ
testing remain unanswered, at least in part. Some of these include:
Are intelligence tests biased?
Is intelligence a single ability, or does it involve multiple skills and
abilities?
Is intelligence inherited, or does the environment play a larger role?
What do intelligence scores predict, if anything?
To explore these questions, psychologists continue to research the nature,
influences, and effects of intelligence.12 Their ongoing findings resonate across
society, from education and the workplace to medical and behavioral diagnostic
and therapeutic approaches.
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American Journal of Psychology. 1904;15(2):201. doi:10.2307/1412107 3.
Thurstone LL. Primary Mental Abilities. Chicago: University of Chicago Press;
1938.
4. Gardner H. Frames of Mind, The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Basic
Books; 2011.
5. Sternberg RJ. Beyond IQ, A Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence. CUP
Archive; 1985.
6. Horn JL, Cattell RB. Refinement and test of the theory of fluid and crystallized
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doi:10.1037/h0023816
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11.HealthyChildren.org. Children with intellectual disabilities. American Academy
of Pediatrics.
12.Richardson K, Norgate SH. Does IQ really predict job performance?. Applied
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