Intelligence defined
Shelly Smith
position paper edu 201
Wisconsin Lutheran College
In today’s society the term intelligence has two widely accepted, yet contradicting, definitions. The first in which is defined as, “Knowledge of an event, circumstance, ect., received or imparted; news; information.”(Dictionary.com, Unabridged) While this definition focuses on the amount of knowledge an individual possesses, the next definition focuses on a different factor. “capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meaning, ect.” (Dictionary.com, Unabridged). The second definition, unlike the first, focuses on the ability and potential to uphold knowledge opposed to measuring the amount of actual information. Taking both terms into consideration, it is no surprise that the two terms have sparked controversy among many on; 1) how intelligence should be defined, and 2) how intelligence should be measured.
For years experts in the field of intelligence have struggled to agree upon a single, catch all, definition for intelligence. “For example, in a 1921 symposium the American psychologistsLewis M. TermanandEdward L. Thorndikediffered over the definition of intelligence, Terman stressing the ability to think abstractly and Thorndike emphasizing learning and the ability to give good responses to questions. More recently, however,psychologistshave generally agreed thatadaptationto the environment is the key to understanding both what intelligence is and what it does.” (Human intelligence, Encyclopedia Britannica) In short, disagreeing on how to define intelligence is not a new occurrence. In 1921 Psychologists Lewis M. Terman and Edward L. Thordike debated on how intelligence should be defined. Terman believed intelligence should be used to describe one’s ability to think abstractly or critically. On the other hand, Thorndike believed intelligence should be measured by the content and intellect one possesses. However, in today’s society specialist agree on one mutual factor of intelligence which states that the ability to understand and adapt to one’s environment is crucial to understand both what intelligence is and what it does.
In the past, intelligence was determined purely on knowledge alone. As one might predict, children then scored extremely low. Alfred Binet, a French psychologist noticed this and developed a test to accurately gauge a child’s intelligence. “The more influential tradition of mental testing was developed byBinetand his collaborator, Theodore Simon, in France. In 1904 the minister of public instruction in Paris named a commission to study or create tests that would ensure thatmentally retardedchildren received an adequate education.” (Encyclopedia Britannica)Many still believe that the IQ tests, developed in the 20th century are not only valid, but essential. The idea of a test to assess intelligence was developed by Alfred Binet, along with his collaborator, Theodore Simon to accurately assess children who were deemed mentally retarded, when in actuality were just not as developed as adults.
The fundamentals of age playing as factor laid by Binet was then integrated into Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory. Piaget’s theory revolved around mental age and the developmental stages of children which coincides with their cognitive development, or mental stages. In summary, Piaget felt to accurately gauge an individual’s intelligence; age must be taken into consideration. Gardner on the other hand felt, “Intelligence is much more than IQ because a high IQ in the absence of productivity does not equate to intelligence.” (Gilman, The theory of multiple intelligences) In fact, in the definition given by Gardner he stated, "Intelligence is a bio psychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture" (Gardner) Gardner also felt that there were different medians of intelligence, all in which should be taken in account when assessing an individual’s intelligence. The ultimate flaw of Gardner’s multiple intelligences, when implemented correctly, means that intelligence cannot be tested as testing would skew the results as it favors a particular intelligence.
There are many skeptics of Gardner’s relatively new theory. Many believe that intelligence is a principle that should have the ability to be assessed.
With such a variety of progressions made, to communicate my personal opinion I will begin with Benit, as well as Piaget in regards to age and cognitive development being a factor. It is hard to deny that a child’s intellect, whether it be defined by standard knowledge (which it was in the time of Benit) or ability to learn, is inferior to that of an adult. This leads me to my personal view on the definition of intelligence itself. As I previously stated, a young child will be unable to comprehend as much as a developed adult. Therefore, not only is the IQ test beneficial (as it takes into account both the mental age and physical age of the individual) but also a somewhat accurate reflection of an individual’s potential to learn. This leads me to Gardner and MI. Though Gardner’s theory does have many flaws, I believe the MI’s are extremely valid when teaching and individualizing lessons. However, I also believe that the ability to assess (accurately and without bias) intelligence is essential.
In conclusion, Intelligence, both in its definition and assessment has evolved over time as advancements in psychology has been made, and even though there are many generalizations that have been accepted throughout the years there are still multiple arguments of validation on each side.
References
Gilman, L. (n.d.). Human intelligence: the theory of multiple intelligences. Indiana University. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from
human intelligence. (2011). InEncyclopædia Britannica. Retrievedfrom
Intelligence.(n.d.).Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved October 27, 2011, from Dictionary.com website:
Jackson,R..(2007). Retooling Education: Testing and the Liberal Arts.Academic Questions,20(4),332-346.Retrieved October 28, 2011, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID:2226576061).
IQ= Intelligence Quotient
MI= multiple Intelligences