The Nature of Intelligence

This set of flashcards covers key concepts related to the nature of intelligence, including theories, definitions, and statistical methods.

General Cognitive Ability (g)

The overall mental capacity that underlies performance across various subjects.

Factor Analysis

A statistical method used to determine how much variables are related to each other to find clusters called 'factors.'

Correlation Coefficient

A statistical measure ranging from -1.0 to 1.0 that indicates the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables.

Lower-order Specialized Abilities (s)

Specific abilities related to certain tasks or subjects, distinct from the general ability (g).

Apprehension of One's Own Experience

The ability to size up a situation and determine what is important to focus on while solving problems.

Mental Energy in the Cortex

The concept that more intelligent individuals have greater mental energy available for cognitive tasks.

Primary Mental Abilities

Seven factors proposed by Louis Thurstone that make up intelligence: word fluency, verbal comprehension, numeric abilities, spatial visualization, memory, perceptual speed, and reasoning.

Thurstone's Theory

Contradicted Spearman's theory of general intelligence (g) by suggesting that intelligence consists of multiple distinct primary mental abilities rather than a single factor.