Intelligence

Intelligence

Introduction

Intelligence is a construct that has been proposed by psychologists to underlie much of human behavior and is a significant factor contributing to an individual's ability to do some things more or less well. Most would agree that some children are better at math or language arts than others, or that some hockey players or musicians are gifted in comparison to their peers. It might be argued that some individuals are born that way, whereas others have the benefit of good environments and learning opportunities that can build on their basic abilities (Thorndike, 1927). The intelligence test, and resulting intelligence quotient or IQ, is a means for assessing and measuring intelligence, with the results often used to classify or select persons or predict such outcomes as school achievement.

Discussion

Comparing and Contrasting “Measurement of Intelligence” by E. L. Thorndike and “Intelligence: Foundations and Issues in Assessment” by Linda Gottfredson and Donald H. Saklofske

In an effort to understand human principles of learning or laws, Thorndike distinguished several key elements that predisposed human learning; these were later added to by educational psychologists. According to Thorndike, readiness is just that, a state of readiness on multiple levels to engage in learning. Exercise is necessary to grasp simple to complex learning tasks. Effect occurs for most students within environments they find satisfying versus those that are deemed unsatisfactory. With regard to primacy, ideally, early or primary learning should be positive, effective, and the basis for all future learning. Human memory is indeed fallible; consequently, those things learned more recently can be recalled more readily and effectively than earlier learning. The importance of intensity is that, comparable to experiential learning, students tend to learn when involved firsthand in the learning experience, and particularly when the learning is accompanied by vibrant and intense teaching pedagogy and praxis (Thorndike, 1927).

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