Theories of Intelligence
Theories of Intelligence
Intelligence encompasses an individual’s capacity to reason as well as self-awareness about different issues. Different presuppositions help in measuring and explaining intelligence. Consequently, there are various theories of intelligence. The unitary theory of intelligence stipulates that an individual’s intelligence is evident through his thought process and actions. According to the unitary theory, it is possible to detect an individual’s intelligence through his style of thinking (Braten, 2010). Some people can reason quickly while others cannot.The quality of an individual’s reasoning is also a critical aspect of consideration in the unitary theory of intelligence. This applies to adults as well as children.
Apart from the thought process, another perspective that serves as a vital component of the unitary theory of intelligence is individual’s actions. Different individuals have different behavioral attributes. Aspects such as temperament and interactions with other people serve as vital indicators of an individual’s behavior. Based on the unitary theory of intelligence, such behavior can help in illustrating an individual’s intelligence. This perspective helps in highlighting the differences in intelligence levels among individuals. However, this theory has some weaknesses because it does not provide concrete evidence pertaining to the correlation between the different variables and an individual’s intelligence (Gonida, 2006).Another notable theory of intelligence is the multifactor theory of Thorndike.
This model presupposes that intelligence is a combination of numerous factors. The extent of correlation between these factors helps in determining an individual’s intelligence. Speed is the first component of consideration in this theory. In essence, the speed of task completion by an individual affects his intelligence (Braten, 2010). This is because attitude can influence an individual’s speed of task completion. The range of tasks that encompass activities can also influence the level on intelligence. Some tasks encompass an extensive range while others do not. This is a paramount yardstick towards assessing an individual’s intelligence. The difficulty (level) of tasks also serves as a vital benchmark for evaluating intelligence. Depending on an individual’s intelligence, he might complete a difficult task with relative ease even if it is complex. The summation of these factors helps in identifying the actual level of intelligence for an individual. It is not possible to obtain an accurate measure of an individual’s intelligence (Gonida, 2006).
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of intelligence tests is dependent or two factors. Validity and reliability are vital yardsticks for determining whether an intelligence test is effective or not. Higher levels of validity show that an intelligence test is effective. This also applies to reliability. An intelligence test is effective it demonstrates high standards of reliability. There sre different issues pertaining to reliability of some types of intelligence tests. For instance, most IQ tests appear to rely heavily upon an individual’s intellectual ability than actual intelligence. Intellectual capacity is not necessarily a measure of intelligence (Braten, 2010).Whereas an individual might be academically gifted, he or she is not necessarily intelligent. Some tests such as aptitude tests overemphasize upon an individual’s intellectual capacity. Consequently, the tests ignore other vital aspects of intelligence such as reasoning capacity. There are various attributes that help in enhancing the validity of intelligence tests. Firstly, the test should demonstrate the capacity to examine an individual based on numerous platforms.
For instance, the test must not only focus on intellectual abilities but also other perspectives like communication skills. It is vital to assess an individual’s ability to interact with different people. Apart from communication skills, a reliable intelligence test should demonstrate the capacity to examine an individual’s character. Character is a critical aspect that serves as an indicator for an individual’s intelligence. It is thus an essential component for inclusion in intelligence tests.Another vital aspect for inclusion in intelligence tests pertains to problem solving skills (Shiraev, 2010). It is fundamentally crucial for intelligence tests to have the capacity to predict an individual’s ability to solve problems. This mostly applies to working environments where employees encounter different challenges from time to time. It is thus vital to ascertain that individuals have the relevant pedigree of solving problems. Consistency is another vital perspective that helps in evaluating the effectiveness of intelligence tests. Some intelligence tests are highly inconsistent. High levels of inconsistency can undermine the effectiveness of intelligence tests (Gonida, 2006).
Conclusion
The paper evaluates two theories of intelligence as well the effectiveness of intelligence testing. Whereas the unitary theory of intelligence emphasizes on behavior and thought process, the multidimensional model encompasses numerous attributes. According to the unitary theory, it is possible to detect an individual’s intelligence through his style of thinking. Some people can reason quickly while others cannot. The quality of an individual’s reasoning is also a critical aspect of consideration in the unitary theory of intelligence.For instance, most IQ tests appear to rely heavily upon an individual’s intellectual ability than actual intelligence. Intellectual capacity is not necessarily a measure of intelligence. Different individuals have different behavioral attributes. Aspects such as temperament and interactions with other people serve as vital indicators of an individual’s behavior. Based on the unitary theory of intelligence, such behavior can help in illustrating an individual’s intelligence.
References
Braten, I. & Stremse, H. I. (2010). Implicit theories of intelligence, British Journal of Educational Psychology, 75(4).
Gonida, E. (2006). Implicit theories of intelligence, The American Journal of Psychology, 119(2).
Shiraev, E., & Levy, D. (2010). Cross- Cultural Psychology, Boston, MA: Allyn Bacon.
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