Intelligence
Intelligence and Personality: Intelligence: Definition, Determinants and
Measurement. Theories of Intelligence: Spearman, Thurstone, Guilford,
Robert Sternberg, Gardner and PASS Model of Intelligence.
Definition
“Ability to learn from one’s experience, acquire knowledge and use
resources effectively in adapting to new situations or solving problems”-
Sternberg and kaufman, 1998
“Aggregate/ global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, think
rationally and to deal effectively with the environment”- Weschler
THEORIES OF INTELLIGENCE
• SPEARMEN G FACTOR (
Spearmen in 1904 saw intelligence as 2 different abilities
G FACTOR- (General intelligence) Common to everyone.
Ability to reason and solve problems
S FACTOR- (Specific Intelligence) task specific abilities in certain
areas such as music, art, business, etc.
CRITICISM:
Oversimplified theory
Doesn’t have empirical evidence.
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence
(1983)
• Gave 7 different kinds of intelligence, later added 2 more.
• Studied savants.
Sternberg’s Triarchich Theory.
(1985)
Sternberg theorized 3 types of intelligence.
• ANALYTICAL/ COMPONENTIAL:- “Book Smart” . Ability to break
down problems into components parts, or analysis for problem
solving.
• CREATIVE/ EXPERIENTIAL INTELLIGENCE:- Ability to deal with new
and different concepts and to come up with new ways of solving
problems
• PRACTICAL / CONTEXTUAL INTELLIGENCE :- “Street Smart” Ability to
use info to get along in life. They are tactful, know how to manipulate
situation to their advantage.
STRUCTURE OF INTELLECT MODEL -
GUILFORD
• The Guilford Structure of Intellect (SI) Model is a psychological framework developed by J.P.
Guilford in the 1950s to understand the complexity of human intelligence. It expands on
earlier theories of intelligence by proposing that intelligence is not a single, unified ability, but
rather a collection of distinct cognitive abilities. According to Guilford, human intelligence can
be understood in terms of three dimensions:
• 1. Operations
• This dimension refers to the mental processes or functions involved in intelligence. There are
five primary operations:
• Cognition: The ability to acquire, understand, and recall information.
• Memory: The ability to retain and retrieve information.
• Divergent Production: The ability to think creatively and generate multiple solutions to
problems.
• Convergent Production: The ability to arrive at a single, correct solution to a problem.
• Evaluation: The ability to assess or judge the quality of ideas, solutions, or information.
2. CONTENT
Content refers to the type or form of the information being processed. There are four primary types of
content:
• Figural: Concrete, visual, or spatial information (e.g., shapes, patterns).
• Symbolic: Abstract, mathematical, or numerical information (e.g., numbers, symbols).
• Semantic: Verbal or linguistic information (e.g., words, concepts).
• Behavioral: Information related to actions or interpersonal relationships (e.g., social behaviors).
3. PRODUCTS
The six types of products in Guilford’s model represent how we organize, process, and apply
information. Each product type addresses a different aspect of intellectual functioning:
• Units: Basic pieces of information (e.g., a single word or number).
• Classes: Groupings of related items (e.g., animals or numbers).
• Relations: Connections between concepts (e.g., cause and effect).
• Systems: Complex, interacting elements (e.g., ecosystems, organizations).
• Transformations: Changes or manipulations of existing information (e.g., solving math problems).
• Implications: Consequences or potential outcomes (e.g., effects of an action or decision).
THUESTONE PRIMARY MENTAL
ABILITY
• The Thurstone Theory of Intelligence is a psychometric approach to understanding human
intelligence, developed by L.L. Thurstone in the 1930s. Thurstone proposed that intelligence is not
a single, unified ability but rather a collection of several distinct cognitive abilities or "primary
mental abilities." His theory was a significant departure from the then-dominant view that
intelligence could be described as a single, general factor (g-factor), as proposed by Charles
Spearman.
• Key Features of Thurstone's Theory:
• Primary Mental Abilities: Thurstone identified seven primary mental abilities that he believed
constituted human intelligence. These are:
• Verbal Comprehension: The ability to understand and use language, including vocabulary and
reading comprehension.
• Example: Understanding the meaning of a word or interpreting a passage of text.
• Word Fluency: The ability to quickly generate words related to a particular topic or within a
given set of rules.
• Example: Coming up with as many words as possible starting with the letter "S" in one
minute.
• Number: The ability to perform arithmetic operations and understand numerical relationships.
• Example: Solving problems like 45 + 27 or figuring out percentages.
• Associative Memory: The ability to recall and connect pieces of information,
particularly when they are linked in some way.
• Example: Remembering a person's name when you meet them again, or
recalling a specific fact when given a clue.
• Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately perceive visual details,
often in terms of pattern recognition or similarity.
• Example: Spotting the difference between two similar pictures in a timed
task.
• Spatial Visualization: The ability to visualize and manipulate objects in space.
• Example: Mentally rotating a 3D shape or finding the missing piece in a
puzzle.
• Inductive Reasoning: The ability to derive general principles from specific
observations or patterns.
• Example: Recognizing a pattern in a series of numbers or letters and
predicting the next one in the sequence.