preview

The Analysis of the Intelligence of Individuals and Groups Essay

Decent Essays

The Analysis of the Intelligence of Individuals and Groups Much controversy surrounds the subject of intelligence. Intelligence tests were developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century to assess the intelligence of individuals and groups. However, criticisms quickly arose regarding tests due to results being used to justify discrimination between different groups and cultures. Theorists argued that the tests assess verbal, mathematical, and spatial capabilities, but they do not directly examine other abilities that seem to be inherent parts of intelligence: creativity, social understanding, knowledge of one’s own strengths and weaknesses and so on. This perspective led Howard Gardner …show more content…

First, one needs to understand that Gardner’s proposal is a theory and not a proven fact. As a result, after, much revision, he revised his listing of ‘intelligences’ from the original seven to include ‘naturalist’ and ‘existential’ ‘intelligences’. Other scholars, such as Daniel T Willingham, professor of psychology at the university of Virginia, questions the rigorousness of the criteria that Gardner used to identify and formulate the listing of his ‘intelligences’. In this regard, professor Willingham cites Rodden et. al (2003), Mc Ghee (1971) and Wyer & Collins (1992) and argues ‘By these criteria I am also prepared to defend an ‘olfactory intelligence’, a ‘spelling intelligence’, and to sub divide Gardner’s spatial intelligence into near-space intelligence and far-space intelligence.’ Researchers such as Burt (1949), Cattell(1971), Thurstone(1941) discussed many human abilities, including aesthetic, athletic, musical and so on. Notions such as bodily-kinesthetic or musical ability represent individual aptitude or talent rather than intelligence. Another criticism of Gardner’s theory is that his use of the term ‘intelligence’ in defining these abilities, aptitudes or talents is misleading. This serves to ‘hype up’ or give undue prominence to what was basically previous knowledge and propositions put forward by earlier

Get Access