Charles Spearman's Theory Of Intelligence

The term ‘intelligence’ is broadly defined by many as the mental capacity to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. The word itself has a positive connotation and is used to describe someone with a high intellectual abilities or brainpower. However, there is no standard definition of what constitutes intellectual capacity or brainpower. To find a satisfying answer as to what intelligence is, many psychologists have studied it and came up with different theories that define intelligence. The concept of intelligence is different from culture to culture. In some parts of the world, being intelligent may be knowing how to assemble something, while in other parts of the world it could be having superior cognitive performance. Regardless of the …show more content…
Spearman believed that intelligence can in fact be measured. He helped develop a procedure called “factory analysis” that “enables researchers to identify clusters of test items that measure a common ability” (Myers 432). In doing so, Spearman was able to study people and come to the conclusion that those who get a high score in one test, typically, score high on average on other tests. He called this commonality the “g factor”, which is an indication of someone’s intelligence. Spearman’s idea that intelligence can be measured through various tests caused some controversy because some believed that tests cannot determine how intelligent or unintelligent a person is. One person who had a different idea of intelligence than that of Spearman’s was L.L. Thurstone. His theory focused on seven different “primary mental abilities,” they include verbal comprehension, reasoning, perceptual speed, numerical ability, word fluency, associative memory, and spatial visualization (psychology.about.com). Although both are different theories, they give insight as to what intelligence is and how it is …show more content…
Peter Salovey and John Mayer regard emotional intelligence as “the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions” (Myers 436). Those who are emotionally intelligent are self-aware and are able to control their emotions. To give further insight into emotional intelligence, Mayer, Salovey, and David Caruso designed tests that yielded important results. They found out that people who scored higher on emotional intelligence tests were overall much happier those who did not. “In both the United states and Germany, those scoring high on managing emotions enjoy higher-quality interactions with friends of both sexes” (Myers 437). They are able to lead productive lives, avoid falling into depression, and often give good