Cognitive psychologyLesson 1 of 1 in the course Thinking and Intelligence

Models of Intelligence and Creative Thinking

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Intelligence has been defined in different ways throughout psychology. Some theories emphasize one general ability, while others distinguish between kinds of thinking and knowledge. This lesson introduces these perspectives and explains why intelligence is more complex than a single test score.

Psychologist Charles Spearman proposed that intelligence includes a general factor, which he called g. In his view, people’s performance across different intellectual tasks is partly related because the tasks draw on a shared general ability. A person who does well in one area may also tend to do well in other areas because of this common factor.

All flashcards

Spearman’s g
A proposed general ability that contributes to performance across different intellectual tasks.
Analytical intelligence
The ability to analyze, evaluate, judge, compare, and contrast.
Emotional intelligence
Understanding and regulating emotions and navigating social relationships.
Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory
A hierarchy that organizes cognitive abilities from general to broad to narrow.
Creativity
The ability to generate, create, or discover new ideas, solutions, and possibilities.

Quiz questions

  1. In Sternberg’s triarchic theory, what does practical intelligence involve?Answer: Applying knowledge and experience to solve everyday problems.
  2. Which statement accurately describes Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory?Answer: It proposes at least eight intelligences and has been criticized for limited empirical support.
  3. How does the Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory organize cognitive abilities?Answer: General abilities are at the top, broad abilities in the middle, and narrow abilities at the bottom.
  4. A team lists many possible ways to reduce classroom waste before judging which might work. What kind of thinking are they using while generating options?Answer: Divergent thinking.
  5. After generating several possible solutions, what does convergent thinking help a problem solver do?Answer: Evaluate options and select a correct or well-supported solution.

Based on Psychology 2e by Rose M. Spielman, William J. Jenkins, Marilyn D. Lovett (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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