Intelligence

In many studies, intelligence has been defined as whatever intelligence tests measure, which has
tended to be school smarts. But intelligence is not a quality like height or weight, which has the
same meaning to everyone worldwide. People assign the term intelligence to the qualities that
enable success in their own time and culture (Sternberg & Kaufman, 1998).

 In Cameroon’s equatorial forest, intelligence may be understanding the medicinal

qualities of local plants.
 In a North American high school, it may be mastering difficult concepts in tough courses.
In both places, intelligence is the mental potential to learn from experience, solve problems,
and use knowledge to adapt to new situations.
A typical dictionary definition of Intelligence is “the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge.”
Intelligence includes the ability to benefit from past experience, act purposefully, solve
problems, and adapt to new situations. Intelligence can also be defined as “the ability that
intelligence tests measure.” There is a long history of disagreement about what actually
constitutes intelligence.
Eight Types of Intelligence:
In the 1980s and 1990s, psychologist Howard Gardner proposed the idea of not one kind of
intelligence but eight, which are relatively independent of one another. These eight types of
intelligence are:
 Linguistic: spoken and written language skills
 Logical–Mathematical: number skills
 Musical: performance or composition skills
 Spatial: ability to evaluate and analyze the visual world
 Bodily-Kinesthetic: dance or athletic abilities
 Interpersonal: skill in understanding and relating to others
 Intrapersonal: skill in understanding the self
 Nature: skill in understanding the natural world
Gardner believes that each of these domains of intelligence has inherent value but that culture
and context may cause some domains to be emphasized over others. Critics of the idea of
multiple intelligences maintain that these abilities are talents rather than kinds of intelligence.

Theories of Intelligence:

Different researchers have proposed a variety of theories to explain the nature of intelligence.
Here are some of the major theories of intelligence that have emerged during the last 100 years:
Charles Spearman: General Intelligence

British psychologist Charles Spearman (1863–1945) described a concept he referred to

as general intelligence or the g factor. After using a technique known as factor analysis to
examine some mental aptitude tests, Spearman concluded that scores on these tests were
remarkably similar. People who performed well on one cognitive test tended to perform well on
other tests, while those who scored badly on one test tended to score badly on others. He
concluded that intelligence is a general cognitive ability that can be measured and numerically
expressed.

Louis L. Thurstone: Primary Mental Abilities

Psychologist Louis L.Thurstone (1887–1955) offered a differing theory of intelligence. Instead

of viewing intelligence as a single, general ability, Thurstone's theory focused on seven different
primary mental abilities. The abilities that he described include:

 Verbal comprehension
 Reasoning
 Perceptual speed
 Numerical ability
 Word fluency
 Associative memory
 Spatial visualization

Howard Gardner: Multiple Intelligences

One of the more recent ideas to emerge is Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.
Instead of focusing on the analysis of test scores, Gardner proposed that numerical expressions
of human intelligence, such as in the IQ test, are not a full and accurate depiction of people's
abilities. His theory describes eight distinct types of intelligence based on skills and abilities that
are valued in different cultures.

The eight kinds of intelligence Gardner described are:

 Visual-spatial intelligence
 Verbal-linguistic intelligence
 Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
 Logical-mathematical intelligence
 Interpersonal intelligence
 Musical intelligence
 Intrapersonal intelligence
 Naturalistic intelligence
Robert Sternberg: Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

Psychologist Robert Sternberg defined intelligence as "mental activity directed toward purposive
adaptation to, selection, and shaping of real-world environments relevant to one's life." While he
agreed with Gardner that intelligence is much broader than a single, general ability, he instead
suggested that some of Gardner's types of intelligence are better viewed as individual talents.
Sternberg proposed what he referred to as "successful intelligence," which involves three
different factors:

 Analytical intelligence: Your problem-solving abilities.

 Creative intelligence: Your capacity to deal with new situations using past experiences
and current skills.
 Practical intelligence: Your ability to adapt to a changing environment.

Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well
as the emotions of others.

Emotional intelligence is generally said to include at least three skills: emotional awareness, or
the ability to identify and name one’s own emotions; the ability to harness those emotions and
apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving; and the ability to manage emotions,
which includes both regulating one’s own emotions when necessary and helping others to do the
same.

There is no validated psychometric test or scale for emotional intelligence as there is for "g," the
general intelligence factor and many argue that emotional intelligence is therefore not an actual
construct, but a way of describing interpersonal skills that go by other names.

Despite this criticism, emotional intelligence (emotional quotient, "EQ" as it’s sometimes
known) has wide appeal among the general public, as well as in certain sectors. In recent years,
some employers have even incorporated emotional intelligence tests into their application or
interview processes, on the theory that someone high in emotional intelligence would make a
better leader or coworker.

While some studies have found a link between emotional intelligence and job performance,
others have shown no correlation, and the lack of a scientifically-valid scale makes it difficult to
truly measure or predict someone’s emotional intelligence on the job. According to Daniel
Goleman, there are five main elements of emotional intelligence.

 Self-Awareness
 Self-Regulation
 Motivation
 Empathy
 Social Skills