Importance of intelligence

Importance of intelligence

1. concept of intelligence

   • Cognitive tests invariably point to the existence of a general factor that permeates all aspects of cognition.
   • This factor seems to have considerable influence on a person’s practical quality of life.
   • Intelligence as measured by IQ tests is the single most effective predictor known of individual performance at school and in careers.

2. mental age

   • as children grow their mental age grows
   • some work above/below their chronological ages
   • the ratio of mental age to chronological age remains constant
   • This constant ratio of mental age divided by chronological age was given the name "Intelligence Quotient

3. complexitiy seems to corrolate with g showing at least the nature of g, more complex tasks require mental manipulation

   • not corrolated with temperment, differences in personality and psycical stregnth

4. Factor-analytic research on mental tests have suggested a hierarchy of mental abilities (Gottfredson, 1998)

   • the group factors:Verbal ability, mathematical reasoning, spatial visualization and memory
     • Below these are:Skills more dependent on knowledge or experience, such as the principles and practices of a particular job or profession.

5. to a large degree, g is related to personal success and economic prosperity

   • many have tried to diminish g but their research has been outweighed by the empirical support for the practicality of g

6. mental abilities of nearly all kinds are positively linked in the sense that if we are good at one thing, we are also likely to be good at others

   • good vocabulary means good memory and arithmetic
   • Positive manifold