Table of Contents One Versus Many Theorists Table Links Home

Intelligence might be defined broadly as facility at solving problems. Clearly, such facility is related to the competencies described in Cognitive Social Theories. The heritability of intelligence has been shown by many studies in Behavior Genetics.
 

Intelligence: One Versus Many

There are basically two camps on the theory of intelligence: those who believe in one unilinear construct of general intelligence (g), and those who believe in many different intelligences. Binet founded the French school of intelligence, in which intelligence tests were regarded as a practical means of separating the bright from the dull. Intelligence quotient (IQ) was regarded as simply an average of numerous dissimilar abilities, not as a real thing with definite properties that could be studied. Galton founded the English school of intelligence, in which it was believed that intelligence is a real faculty with a biological basis and could be studied using reaction times on simple cognitive tasks.

The English school took a huge step forward with Spearman's invention of factor analysis. Using this technique, Spearman found that all tests of intelligence have positive correlations (loadings) on the general factor and called this factor general intelligence, or g. However, Thurstone later disputed the prominence assigned to general intelligence by rotating the factors. In this way he found several primary mental abilities, instead of the one found by Spearman.

PROPONENTS OF ONE GENERAL INTELLIGENCE		PROPONENTS OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
Galton Spearman Eysenck Jensen		Thurstone Gardner Sternberg

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"A Brief Review of Creativity"
This paper defines creative achievement, describes the mechanisms and personality bases for it, and suggests directions for future research. By Johanna E. Dickhut.

"One Intelligence or Many?--Alternative Approaches to Cognitive Abilities"
This paper discusses two approaches to the study of intellect, one holding that there is only one general intelligence, and the other that there are diverse kinds of intelligence. By Han S. Paik.

How is intelligence related to one's overall life chances?
This figure relates intelligence to job prospects, ease of learning, and overall life chances. By G. Scott Acton.

What are two structural models of g?
This is a discussion of two structural models of intelligence: the hierarchical model and the bifactor model. By G. Scott Acton.

"APA Task Force Examines the Knowns and Unknowns of Intelligence"
Here is the official statement on intelligence by the American Psychological Association.

"A Brief Analysis of The Bell Curve"
This paper in Psybernetika reviews some of the challenges to the controversial book, The Bell Curve. By Julian Paul Keenan.

"The Bright Stuff"
Here is an interview with Howard Gardner in CIO Magazine on his theory of multiple intelligences. By Christopher Koch.

"Challenging g-Mania in Intelligence Research"
This paper discusses the utility of considering the lower-level facets of a hierarchical model of intelligence in predicting real-world criteria. By Werner W. Wittmann and Heinz-Martin Süß.

"The g Factor: The Science of Mental Ability"
This Psycoloquy article, which is followed by many peer commentaries, is a survey of the field of intelligence by a leading expert. By Arthur R. Jensen.

"Mainstream Science on Intelligence"
This article in the Wall Steet Journal summarizes the state of knowledge in the field of intelligence research. By 50 signatories.

"The Philosophy of Intelligence: An Outline of Theories"
This is an overview of several early theories of intelligence. By Deanne Robbins.

"The Role of Intelligence in Modern Society"
This article is a scholarly discussion of intelligence in American Scientist. By Earl Hunt.

"Sensory Discrimination as Related to General Intelligence"
This Intelligence article investigates the relation between the basic information processing functions of sensory discrimination and general intelligence. By G. Scott Acton and David H. Schroeder.

"Skeptic Magazine Interview with Robert Sternberg on The Bell Curve"
The furor over The Bell Curve continues in this interview in Skeptic Magazine. By Frank Miele.

"The Structure of Success in America"
This article in The Atlantic Monthly chronicles the rise of Educational Testing Service, the organization responsible for the SAT, GRE, and other tests. The followup article is called "The Great Sorting." By Nicholas Lemann.

"Two Views of The Bell Curve"
Here are two reviews of The Bell Curvein Contemporary Psychology: one in favor, by Thomas J. Bouchard, Jr., one opposed, by Donald D. Dorfman.

"Which Traits Predict Job Performance?"
This article in the APA Monitor maintains that both personality and intelligence contribute to job performance. By Beth Azar.

Classics in the History of Psychology
This website links to classic works on intelligence by major theorists. By Christopher D. Green.

Google Web Directory: Intelligence
This page contains numerous links to websites on intelligence rank-ordered by popularity. By Google.

History of Influences in the Development of Intelligence Theory & Testing
This website includes an interactive map of the influences of major personages and a list of hot topics in the field of intelligence. By Jonathan Plucker.

Institute for Applied Psychometrics
This website features discussions of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory of intelligence (aka., Cattell-Horn Gf-Gc theory and the Carroll tri-stratum theory). By Kevin S. McGrew.

IQ: A Structure for Understanding
This website is an overview that draws in part on the American Psychological Association Task Force's statement on intelligence. By Timothy C. Bates.

Open Directory: Intelligence
This page contains numerous links to websites on intelligence ordered alphabetically. By the Open Directory Project.

Sir Francis Galton F. R. S.
This website, dedicated to the Victorian polymath who initiated the London School of intelligence, contains most of Galton's writings. By Gavan Tredoux.

Structural Equations Modeling
This website covers an advanced statistical methodology used to study intelligence and other phenomena. By Ed Rigdon.

Test Your IQ
This website features intelligence tests (just for fun--validity is not guaranteed). By Lars Sondergaard.

Theory into Practice Database
This website introduces the following learning theories: (1) Gardner, (2) Guilford, (3) Sternberg. By Greg Kearsley.

Suggested Readings
A list of suggested readings on this topic is also available. By G. Scott Acton.

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Last modified January 1999
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