What is the general intelligence factor?
Q: What is the general intelligence factor?
A: The general intelligence factor, also known as g, is a construct from psychology that is the common factor in intelligence tests.
Q: Who first identified the general intelligence factor and how?
A: Charles Spearman, an early statistician and psychologist, first identified the general intelligence factor. He found that school children's grades across unrelated subjects were strongly related to each other and proposed that these relationships reflected the influence of a dominant factor, which he called g for "general" intelligence.
Q: What is the result of measuring intelligence in different ways?
A: Measuring intelligence in different ways results in the general intelligence factor, or g, which is the common factor in intelligence tests.
Q: What factors explain all variation in intelligence test scores according to Spearman's model?
A: According to Spearman's model, all variation in intelligence test scores can be explained by two factors: the factor specific to an individual mental task and g, a general factor that governs performance on all cognitive tasks.
Q: How long has g been a meaningful measure in cognitive testing?
A: After 120 years of cognitive testing, g's central role is still a meaningful measure.
Q: Have other models been proposed to explain intelligence test scores?
A: Yes, other models have also been proposed to explain intelligence test scores.
Q: Is there controversy surrounding g and its alternatives?
A: Yes, there is significant controversy about g and its alternatives.
