Intelligence

• Definitions
 According to Wechsler, intelligence is the aggregate or global capacity
of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally and to deal
effectively with his environment.
 The term denotes that combination of abilities required for survival
and advancement within a particular culture.
 Individuals differ from one another in their ability to understand
complex ideas, to adapt effectively to the environment, to learn from
experience, to engage in various forms of reasoning, to overcome
obstacles by taking thought (American Psychological Association)

• Note. No standard definition of intelligence exits. However, some

researchers have suggested that intelligence is a single, general ability.
Other theories of intelligence hold that intelligence encompasses a range
of aptitudes, skills, and talents.
• The experts generally agree that intelligence involves mental abilities such
• 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.
. Spearman’stwo-factortheory
 Developed in 1904 by an English Psychologist, Charles Spearman.

 He proposed that intellectual abilites were comprised of two factors :

one general ability or common ability known as ‘G’ factor and the
other a group of specific abilities known as ‘S’ factor.

 ‘G’ factor is universal inborn ability. Greater ‘G’ in an individual leads

to greater success in life.

 ‘S’ factor is acquired from the environment. It varies from activity to

activity in the same individual.
• Examples of General Intelligence
1.Problem-Solving: A person who excels at solving puzzles also tends to perform
well on logical reasoning tasks.
2.Learning Ability: Someone who quickly understands mathematical concepts may
also learn a new programming language with ease.
3.Academic Success: A student who consistently performs well across multiple
subjects (math, science, and literature) demonstrates high general intelligence.
4.Decision-Making: Effectively analyzing and making sound decisions in unfamiliar
situations, such as solving complex business problems.
• Examples of Specific Intelligence
1.Musical Talent: A pianist with exceptional skills in playing complex pieces but
average ability in other areas like math.
2.Athletic Ability: A soccer player who excels in ball control but struggles with
strategic planning in non-sports contexts.
3.Math Proficiency: A student who is outstanding in calculus but performs poorly
in creative writing.
4.Artistic Skill: An individual with remarkable drawing or painting abilities but
average verbal reasoning skills.
• 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:
• 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
• Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence
• Psychologist Raymon Cattell, along with his student John Horn,
created the theory of fluid vs. crystallized intelligence.
• 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.
• Characteristics:
• Peaks in young adulthood and gradually declines with age.
• Relies on working memory and processing speed.
• Involves problem-solving, logical reasoning, and pattern recognition.
• Examples:
1.Solving puzzles, such as Sudoku or Rubik’s Cube.
2.Identifying patterns in a series of numbers or shapes.
• Crystallized Intelligence
• The ability to use knowledge, skills, and experiences accumulated over time to solve
problems or make decisions. It depends on long-term memory and learned information.
• Characteristics:
• Continues to grow or remains stable with age, as long as learning and experience continue.
• Relies on education, culture, and life experiences.
• Involves verbal ability, factual knowledge, and comprehension.
• Examples:
1. Recalling historical events or facts.
2. Solving a math problem based on learned formulas.
3. Using vocabulary effectively in writing or speaking.
• 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.
• Note. Psychologist Alfred Binet developed the very first intelligence
tests to help the French government identify school children 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.
• How Psychologists and Psychiatrists Measure Intelligence
• 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.