Theories+of+Intelligence

How do we define intelligence? What makes one person more intelligent than another? Is it a measure of what you know or how you perform? Psychologists have tried to define intelligence with no absolute agreement. Some feel that intelligence can be demonstrated in a single form, and others claim it to be of multiple forms. One point of agreement on intelligence is that it is socially constructed. According to Sternberg & Kaufman, 1998, a culture determines “intelligent” whatever quality makes a person successful in that given culture. Intelligence is relative to a particular culture. Let’s consider a general definition of intelligence as a person’s cognitive abilities: thinking, reasoning, and problem solving, which can be based on his/ her experiences.

The question of intelligence starts with Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) who believed that intelligence was a matter of genetics. Say for example, your parents were intelligent; you would most likely be intelligent, also. He based this conclusion on a study of select number of families. One criticism of his study was that he studied only males. Nevertheless, his work laid the groundwork for further studies of intelligence.

In the early twentieth century, Charles Spearman studied intelligence using factor analysis. Factor analysis is a statistical method that is used to show the relationship between variables. As the study of intelligence continued, later theorists believed that a single factor theory oversimplified intelligence, and so the multiple theories developed which include those of L.L. Thurston, Sternberg, and Gardner. The focus of this assignment is to explain the various theories and determine what factors may have influenced their original hypothesis.


 * What to do:**
 * 1) Review the text pages 405-528.
 * 2) Click the links below to read more about the theories: Thurstone, Theories of Intelligence,Spearman, Sternberg,and Gardner
 * 3) In a format of your choosing (short answer format, visual, bullets, etc.) compare the four theories. Do not copy Table 10.2.
 * 4) Which theory do you think offers the most plausible explanation of intelligence? Include any criticisms these theories may have. From the tenets of each theory, speculate on the source of intelligence: nature or nurture?