Intelligence Theories - Two factor theory (Spearman), Primary Mental Abilities (Thurston), Structure of Intellect (Guilford) and Multiple Intelligence (Howard Gardner).

1. Suresh Babu G
Theories of Intelligence
Suresh Babu G
Assistant Professor

2. Suresh Babu G
Theories of Intelligence
It helps to understand the structure of
intelligence. They are grouped into two types.
1. Factor Theories
(a) Unitary Theory or Monarchic Theory
(b) Anarchic Theory or Multifactor Theory - Thurston
(C) Spearman’s Two Factor Theory or Eclectic Theory
(d) Thurston’s Group Factor Theory
(e) Vernon’s Hierarchical Theory
(f) Guilford’s Theory of Structure of Intellect

3. Suresh Babu G
2. Cognitive Theory
(a) Cattell and Horn’s Theory of
Intelligence.
(b) Jensen’s Theory of Mental
Functioning.
(C) Campion and Brown’s Theory of
Intelligence.
(d) Sternberg’s Information Processing
Theory of Intelligence.
(e) Garder’s Theory of Multiple
Intelligence.
Theories of Intelligence

4. Suresh Babu G
Spearman’s
Two Factor
Theory
or
Eclectic Theory

5. Suresh Babu G
Spearman’s Two Factor Theory or Eclectic Theory
• This theory was advocated by Spearman.
• According to him, intelligence consists of two
factors – a general factor (g) and a specific factor
(s).
• The g-factor is a sort of general mental ability
running through all the different tasks, while s-
factors is a specific capacity that help the person
to deal with specific problem.

6. Suresh Babu G
• The g-factor remains constant for an
individual while s-factor varies with the
intellectual activity.
• Eg : an individual ‘s performance in
Physics is partly due to his general
intelligence (g) and partly due to some
specific ability for physics (s1) which he
might possess. So the performance in
physics is given by g + s1; or in
mathematics performance be the result
of g + s2 ; in English due to g + s3 and
so on.

7. Suresh Babu G
• The amount of g and s
factors required in an activity
will depend upon its nature.
Different activities require
difference combination of g
and s factors.
• The s-factors are amenable
to such influences as
education and training,
whereas g-factor is largely
innate.

8. Suresh Babu G

9. Suresh Babu G
Primary Mental Abilities - Thurstone
• In 1938, Louis.L.Thurstone, an
American Psychologist proposed a
Group Factor Theory to explain the
intelligence in terms of seven
Primary Mental Abilities.
• He used the statistical technique of
factor analysis to identify and isolate
the element that make up
intelligence.

10. Suresh Babu G
The Seven primary mental abilities identified by Thurstone are
:
1. Verbal Factor (V) is concerned with comprehension of
verbal relations, words and ideas.
2. Spatial Factor (S) is involved in any task in which the
subject manipulates on object imaginatively in space.
3. Numerical Factor (N) is concerned with the ability to do
numerical calculations, rapidly and accurately
Primary Mental Abilities - Thurstone

11. Suresh Babu G
4. Memory Factor (M) involves the ability to
memorize quickly
5. Word Fluency Factors (W) is involved whenever
the subject is asked to think of isolated words at
a rapid rate.
6. Perceptional Factor (P) is the ability to perceive
objects accurately.
Primary Mental Abilities - Thurstone

12. Suresh Babu G
7. Reasoning
(a)Inductive Reasoning (RI) is the ability to draw
inferences or conclusions on the basis of specific
instances.
(b)Deductive Reasoning (RD) is the ability to make
use of generalized results.
8. Problem-Solving ability Factor (PS) is the ability
to solve problems with independent efforts.
(additional added later)
Primary Mental Abilities - Thurstone

13. Suresh Babu G
Guilford’s Theory of
Structure of Intellect

14. Suresh Babu G
Guilford’s Theory of Structure of Intellect (1961)
• J.P.Guilford explained the structure of
intelligence by proposing a three-dimensional
model by using the statistical technique of
four analysis.
• According to this model every intellectual activity
can be described in terms of three different basic
parameters – Operations, Contents and
Products.

15. Suresh Babu G
• Operations refer the act of thinking, Contents
refer to refer to the terms in which we think and
products refer to the ideas we come up.
• Guilford identified 5 operations, 5 contents and 6
products
1. Operations : Evaluation, Convergent thinking,
Divergent thinking, Memory and
Cognition.
Guilford’s Theory of Structure of Intellect

16. Suresh Babu G
1.Operations : Evaluation,
Convergent thinking, Divergent
thinking, Memory and Cognition.
2. Contents : Visual, Auditory,
Symbolic, Semantic and
Behavioral
3. Products : Units, Classes,
Relations, Systems,
Transformations and Implications
Guilford’s Theory of Structure of Intellect

17. Suresh Babu G
Guilford’s Theory of Structure of Intellect

18. Suresh Babu G
• According to this model, a maximum number of factors
in terms of the different combinations of these three
parameters will be 5 x 5 x 6 = 150.
• Each one of these factors has a trigram symbol, one
symbol each from operation, content and product.
• Guilford’s model of the structure of intellect with its
three parameters and 150 specific factors.
Guilford’s Theory of Structure of Intellect

19. Suresh Babu G
Multiple Intelligence
Theory –
Howard Gardner

20. Suresh Babu G
Multiple Intelligence Theory (Howard Gardner)
• The theory of multiple intelligence was developed in
1983 by Howard Gardner of Harvard University.
• Gardner development the theory of multiple
intelligences, which he brought to the world through
his classic work, Frames of Mind, published in 1983,
which originally postulated seven types of intelligence.
• He added a naturalist intelligence and entertained the
possibility of an existential intelligence, thus the total
number being nine.

21. Suresh Babu G
• Multiple intelligences refers to
a theory describing the
different ways students learn
and acquire information.
These multiple
intelligences range from the
use of words, numbers,
pictures and music, to the
importance of social
interactions, introspection,
physical movement and being
in tune with nature.

22. Suresh Babu G
The nine types intelligence are :
1. Bodily – Kinesthetic Intelligence
2. Existential Intelligence
3. Interpersonal Intelligence
4. Intrapersonal Intelligence
5. Logico – Mathematical
Intelligence
6. Musical (Rhythmic) Intelligence
7. Naturalist Intelligence
8. Verbal or Linguistic Intelligence
9. Visual (Spatial) Intelligence

23. Suresh Babu G

24. Suresh Babu G
Educational Implication
• According to Gardner , the implication of the
theory is that learning/teaching should focus on
the particular intelligences of each person. For
example, if an individual has strong spatial or
musical intelligences, they should be encouraged
to develop these abilities
• All seven intelligence are
needed to live life well

25. Suresh Babu G
• The theory of multiple intelligence provide eight
different potential pathways to learning
• Instructional activities should appeal to different
forms of intelligence.
• Assessment of learning should
measure multiple forms of
intelligence

26. Suresh Babu G
Learn Properly