Abstract Intelligence does not have an assigned definition. This is to say that no standard definition of intelligence has been offered to date. It is, however, important to note that several theorists have in the past sought to define intelligence and what it entails. While some view intelligence as a general ability, others are convinced that the same entails different abilities. This presentation will concern itself with two major intelligence theories.
¶ … Intelligence
Charles Spearman and his General Intelligence Theory
Spearman, a British psychologist, noted that individuals whose score on one mental ability test was excellent tended to maintain an impressive score in other tests as well (Nevid, 2012). On the other hand, those whose score on one cognitive test was unimpressive tended to perform badly in other tests administered. It is on the strength of this observation that Spearman concluded that being a general cognitive ability, intelligence could be expressed numerically or measured. In the words of Nevid (2012, p. 247), "he reasoned there must be an underlying general factor of intelligence that allows people to do well on mental tests, a factor he labeled 'g' for general intelligence."
It is, however, important to note that Spearman was also convinced that in addition to "g," intelligence included some other abilities that contributed "to performance on individual tests" (Nevid, 2012, p. 274). For instance, as Nevid further points out, the performance of an individual in a test on arithmetic could be dependent on both the general intelligence of the concerned individual and his or her math abilities. Some of the intelligence tests that were developed to measure Spearman's "g" include, but they are not limited to Wichsler and SBIS scales (Nevid, 2012).
Luis Thurstone and his Primary Mental Abilities
Thurstone's intelligence theory differs from that of Spearman on one key front -- it did not view intelligence as a general ability. He was not convinced that a single, dominating, and general factor could "account for intelligence" (Nevid, 2012, p. 274). According to Thurstone (as cited in Comer and Gould, 2012, p. 352), "intelligence is made up of seven distinct mental abilities: verbal comprehension, word fluency, numerical skill, spatial ability, associative memory, perceptual speed, and reasoning." These are the factors he christened primary mental abilities.
Verbal Comprehension: this according to Weiner (2012) is the ability to comprehend verbal material. This ability could be gauged through the use of vocabulary tests (Stenberg, 2008).
Word Fluency: this has got to do with the ability of an individual to produce sentences, words, and other material of a verbal nature rapidly (Weiner, 2012). This could be measured via the utilization of tests that are time-limited (Stenberg, 2008).
Numerical Skill: this in the opinion of Weiner (2012) is the ability to engage in rapid computations. Mathematical tests could come in handy in the measurement of numerical skill (Stenberg, 2008).
Spatial Ability: this is "the ability involved in visualizing shapes, rotations of objects, and how pieces of a puzzle would fit together" (Weiner, 2012). Measurement of this ability could be in the form of tests that require manipulation of objects of a geometric nature (Weiner, 2012).
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