Intelligence, in vocational psychology dictionary

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Dictionary of Vocational Psychology

Intelligence

Intelligence is generalized competence in learning and performing tasks requiring mental effort. Tests of intelligence are therefore extremely useful as predictors of an individual's ability to acquire and exercize skills required in the course of education and work. Intelligence is therefore a very useful and general construct, but also a controversial one, because some charge that tests of intelligence (also called IQ tests, from Intelligence Quotient) necessarily discriminate between racial and other groups due to group differences found in scores (and thus fuel bigotry), and because obtaining a low score on a test may lead an individual to lose self-esteem (Herrmann & Cadwallader, 2000). Nevertheless, and despite the best effort of critics to make the construct go away, it appears to be here to stay. Intelligence appears to have many facets or factors, the most important of which is g or the general ability factor. In addition to specific factors such as spatial ability, reasoning, and knowledge (or crystallized ability), some authors have proposed the existence of social abilities. There exists evidence that intelligence is not fixed but increases in absolute levels to young adulthood and then declines (at least for some factors) thereafter; this represents a generalization of a complex set of data. Even when compared to others of a given age (as is the case with IQ scores generated through major intelligence tests), there is evidence that an individual's relative position on intelligence test scores compared to others of the same age is not fixed through life but can change substantially over time. Intelligence appears to be influenced both by genetic and environmental factors.

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