General intelligence, also known as g factor, refers to a general mental ability Psychologists contend that intelligence is genetic, or inherited, and others claim that it is largely influenced by the surrounding environment.Īs a result, psychologists have developed several contrasting theories of intelligence as well as individual tests that attempt to measure this very concept.

Some researchers argue that intelligence is a general ability, whereas others make the assertion that intelligence comprises specific skills and talents. Galton’s study of intelligence in the laboratory setting and his theorization of the heritability of intelligence paved the way for decades of future research and debate in this field. Operationalization is an important process in research that involves defining an unmeasurable phenomenon (such as intelligence) in measurable terms (such as reaction time), allowing the concept to be studied empirically (Crowthre-Heyck, 2005). Thus, Galton operationalized intelligence as reaction time.

Galton theorized that because quickness and other physical attributes were evolutionarily advantageous, they would also provide a good indication of general mental ability (Jensen, 1982). Galton was interested in the concept of a gifted individual, so he created a lab to measure reaction times and other physical characteristics to test his hypothesis that intelligence is a general mental ability that is a produce of biological evolution (hello, Darwin!). These questions evaluate the three components of intelligence.The study of human intelligence dates back to the late 1800s when Sir Francis Galton (the cousin of Charles Darwin) became one of the first people to study intelligence. Now we have shown that IQ is meaningless too,” Dr Highfield said. Genetic differences do not map on to traditional measurements of skin colour, hair type, body proportions and skull measurements. “We already know that, from a scientific point of view, the notion of race is meaningless. Studies over the past 50 years based on IQ tests have suggested that there could be inherent differences in intelligence between racial groups, social classes and between men and women, but these conclusions are undermined by the latest findings, Dr Highfield said.

Reliability of intelligence tests