psychology chapter: Intelligence

Intelligence

The ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations.

Charles Spearman

British psychologist who proposed the g-factor—a single general mental ability underlying all intellectual performance.

g-factor (General Intelligence)

A general mental ability that influences performance on all types of cognitive tasks; Spearman’s idea of overall “mental horsepower.”

s-factor (Specific Abilities)

Abilities that apply to particular tasks or skills, such as musical or mathematical ability.

Howard Gardner

Harvard psychologist who developed the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, proposing that intelligence exists in several independent forms.

Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Gardner’s idea that people possess different kinds of intelligences—linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.

Robert Sternberg

Psychologist who proposed the Triarchic Theory of Intelligence—analytical, creative, and practical intelligence.

Analytical Intelligence

Ability to analyze, evaluate, and solve academic or logical problems.

Creative Intelligence

Ability to deal with new situations using existing knowledge and imagination.

Practical Intelligence

Common-sense or “street-smart” ability to handle everyday tasks effectively.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions and those of others.

Crystallized Intelligence

Knowledge and skills gained from experience and education; increases with age.

Fluid Intelligence

Ability to reason quickly and think abstractly; decreases with age.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

Numerical score representing intellectual performance compared to the average (mean = 100).

Roots of Intellectual Disability

Biological or environmental causes of low intellectual functioning, such as genetics, brain injury, malnutrition, or prenatal toxin exposure.

Intellectual Disability

Condition marked by IQ below 70 and significant limitations in daily functioning.

Giftedness

Exceptional intellectual or creative ability, often defined as IQ of 130 or higher.

Standardization

Establishing consistent procedures and norms for administering and scoring a test.

Norms

Average test scores established from a large sample; used to interpret individual results.

Reliability

The consistency of a test’s results when repeated under the same conditions.

Validity

The accuracy of a test—whether it measures what it is intended to measure.

Achievement Tests

Measure what a person has already learned or mastered (e.g., school exams).

Aptitude Tests

Predict a person’s future performance or ability to learn new skills.

Cultural Fairness in Testing

Efforts to create tests that minimize the influence of language or cultural background on scores.

Nature vs Nurture in Intelligence

Debate over whether genetics (nature) or environment (nurture) plays a greater role in intellectual ability—modern research shows both contribute.

Twin and Adoption Studies

Research comparing twins and adopted children to estimate genetic and environmental influences on intelligence.

Flynn Effect

The worldwide rise in average IQ scores over time, likely due to better nutrition, education, and technology.