INTELLIGENCE
(This notes are for M.Ed. students. B.Ed. students don't need this topic in the depth covered as in this.
However B.Ed. students can go through it and understand!!)
Prepared by
SABARISH-P
M.Sc., M.Ed., JRF & NET
Assistant Professor in Physical Science, Arafa Institute for Teacher Education
Attur, Thrissur.
INTRODUCTION:
In contrast to animals
man is considered to be endowed with certain cognitive abilities which make him
a rational being. He can reason, discriminate, understand, adjust and face a
new situation .Definitely he is superior to animal in all such aspects of
behaviour .but human beings themselves are not all alike. There are wide
individual differences. A teacher easily discovers these differences among his
pupils. Some learn with a good speed while others remain lingering too long.
There are some who need only one demonstration for handling the tools properly
while for others even the repeated individual guidance bring no fruitful
result. It is also a common fact that teacher has to meet variety of students
in the class room and has to adjust his/her teaching accordingly. Unless he
/she are aware of the term intelligence the teaching learning will be baseless.
Therefore, it is necessary, to know about the word intelligence and its
measurement for better, efficient classroom transaction.
MEANING OF INTELLIGENCE:
The term intelligence
means’ intellect’ and ‘understanding
‘.Generally speaking, ‘Alertness’,
with regards to the actual situation of life is an index of intelligence.
Intelligence means commonsense or application part of knowledge. Intelligence
is generally guessed from the way a person appears to understand a fact or
group of facts and the manner in which he/she responds to those facts. But in
ancient India our great Rishis called it ‘Viveka’ or ‘vivekathmaka buddhi’.
Intelligence derives from ability to learn and to utilise what has been learned
in adjusting to new situations and solving and solving new problems .The
intelligence may be defined in various ways. The most general definitions
stress versatility (or flexibility of adjustment).
DEFINITIONS OF INTELLIGENCE
A number of
definition s has been evolved by psychologists according to their own concept
of the term intelligence .All the definitions have been systematized by VERNON
and FREEMAN. Vernon classified all the definitions under the broad categories
such as biological, psychological, and operational. Freeman though classified
all definitions of intelligence into three categories but his approach differs
from Vernon.
1. Vernon’s classification
v
Biological approach:-
This category of definitions emphasizes the adaptive nature of human
beings. Man is one kind of organism among a million on earth who adapts to his
environment. According to Vernon, this idea of intelligence is the most
fundamental of all. Intelligence according to this approach is the capacity to
adapt relatively in situations of life. The biological concept of intelligence
is not great use from practical point of view in the study of individual
differences with in a culture.
According to Jean
Piaget,
“Adaptation to physical and social environment “.
v
Psychological definitions:-
The
second category of definitions according to Vernon, are psychological. Few of
the definitions advanced by the experts contained a clear commitment about the
relative effects hereditary and environment influences in the development of
intelligence. Since scores on existing intelligence tests have often been shown
to be susceptible to environmental influences, a consequence of this definition
is that intelligence as defined different from intelligence as measured by
tests.
Stern [1941],”Intelligence is a general capacity of
an individual, consciously to adjust his thinking to new environment “.
Cyril Burt,” Intelligence is the power of
re-adjustment to relatively new situations of life by organising new
psycho-physical combinations”.
v
Operational approach: -
The third
category of definitions of intelligence is operational. Operational definitions
are important to understand the concept of intelligence in clear and definite
terms. Scientific terms are defined not in isolation, as in a dictionary but by
stating the observable conditions under which a sentence containing the term is
true or false. Instead of defining the word by itself, it is defined by giving
the conditions for the truth of a sentence in which the term occurs .such
definitions are called operational, for they frequently state what must be done
in order to make certain observations.
Philip Ewart Vernon [1927], “Intelligence is what intelligence
test measures”.
Boring [1948],” Intelligence is what intelligence
tests”.
Freeman’s classification
v Adjustment
or adaptation ability:-
The definitions of this category lay emphasis on the adjustment ability
of an individual to his environment. The individual is thought intelligent in
proportion to his ability to adjust to new situations and ability to adjust to
new situations and problems of life. The person who is intelligent has no
difficulty in the adjustment. He adjusts in an effective way and can vary his
behaviour according to the situation. A person who is less intelligent is rigid
and less responses to make in the process of social interaction.
The definitions under this category
are:
F. N. Freeman
[1937]-“Intelligence
is represented in behaviour by the capacity of
the individual to adjust himself to new situations, to solve new problems, to
learn”.
Alfred
Binet [1905],”Ability
of an individual to direct his behaviour towards a goal “.
William
James [1907],”It
is the ability to adjust oneself successfully to a relatively new situation”.
v Ability
to learn:-
The definitions of this
category emphasize the importance of an individual’s ability to learn. Learning
ability is an index of one’s intelligence.
Definitions
under this category:
Buckingham [1921],”Intelligence is the learning
ability”.
Calvin, “It is the ability to learn”.
v Ability
to carry on abstract thinking:-
This category of definitions
lay emphasize on the effective use of concepts and symbols in dealing with
situations, especially, presenting a problem to be solved through the use of
verbal and numerical symbols.
The
definitions under this category are:
Terman,”Intelligence as the ability to carry on abstract thinking
or the
ability to think abstractly”.
Alfred Binet,” Intelligence is a capacity to think well, to judge
well and to be self critical”
Burt,” Intelligence is the ability to judge well, to comprehend
well and to reason well”.
All
the above mentioned definitions convey the meaning of intelligence only in one
aspect. Intelligence has also comprehensive and modern definition
Comprehensive
and Modern Definition of Intelligence
In
view of the lacunae in the various definitions, the following psychologists
have suggested the comprehensive and global ideas on intelligence.
David Wechsler [1944],”Intelligence is the aggregate or
global capacity of an individual to act purposefully, to think rationally and
to deal effectively with his environment”.
Stoddard [1943],”Intelligence is the ability to
undertake activities that are characterized by difficulty,complexity,abstraction,adaptiveness
to a goal, economy ,social values and the emergence of originals and to
maintain such activities under conditions that demand a concentration of energy
and a resistance to emotional forces.
In terms of
definitions, we can access a person’s intelligence in proportion to his ability
to use his mental energy to handle his problems and leading a happy and well
contented life.
Nature of intelligence
The true nature
intelligence can be understood by first defining it to understand its meaning,
discussing the various theories explaining its structure in terms of the
several constituents and factors, and identifying the numerous other aspects
and characteristics related to intelligence and its functioning .the points
regarding the nature of intelligence are:
1. Distribution of
intelligence:-
The distribution of
intelligence is not equal among all human beings. It is a normal distribution
that is governed by a definite principle which states that the majority of
people are the average, a few very bright and a few very dull.
2. Individual differences in
intelligence:-
Wide individual
differences exist among individuals with regard to intelligence. The assessment
of intelligence by various tests has given enough ideas that not only
intelligence varies from individuals to individuals but also it varies in the
same individual from age to age and situation to situation.
3. Intelligence and changes
in age:-
The age at which
mental growth ceases varies from individual to individual. It tends to
stabilize after the age of 10 and is fully stabilized by during adolescence.
The idea that intelligence continues to grow throughout life is not strictly
true. Since intelligence is basically a functions of neurons, its development
and deterioration goes hand in hand with the development or deterioration of
the nervous system. In the majority cases, the growth of person’s intelligence
reaches its maximum sometime between the age of 16 and 20 years after which the
vertical growth of intelligence almost ceases .Horizonantal growth i.e.,
achievement, the realization of the intelligence in terms of accumulation of
knowledge and acquisition of skills etc, may continue throughout an
individual’s life.
4. Intelligence and the
gender:-
The study of
intelligence and the gender have proved that there is no significant difference
between male and female. Sao it can be stated that difference in gender does
not contribute towards difference in intelligence.
5. Intelligence and racial or
cultural differences:-
The hypothesis
whether a particular race, caste, or cultural group is superior to another in
intelligence has been examined by many research workers. It has now been
established that intelligence is not birthright of a particular race or group.
The bright and dull can be found in any race or cultural group and the
differences which are found can be the result of environmental factors and
influences.
6. Intelligence and problem
solving:-
Intelligence
helps a man to solve even complicated and comprehensive problems and
situations. The study of the development of the intelligence has proved that if
a child is brought up in a healthy and proper environment, then his IQ shall be
more than a child brought up in a different environment.
Characteristics of the intelligence
Ø An intelligent person is
capable of facing difficult circumstances, problems and complicated situations
very effectively.
Ø Intelligence helps a man
in learning new things, solve problems and adjust effectively in the
environment.
Ø Due to intellect an
individual keeps himself neat and clean and able to maintain it throughout
his/her life.
Ø The study of intelligence
has proved that both heredity and environment play a vital role for the
formation of intelligence.
Ø Intelligence is orderly
and cumulative but the development ceases at the end of adolescence.
Ø An intelligent person
attends to the task assigned to him very positively.
Ø It is true that an
intelligent person is a very clever person and tries to manage the affairs very
effectively.
Ø An intelligent person
knows how to behave in a particular situation where as it is difficult for
others.
Ø An intelligent person has
sense of discrimination and capacity to proceed in the right direction.
Ø An intelligent person
processes the capacity of rational, original, creative and constructive
thinking which essential ingredient/components of a civilized person.
Conclusion
Intelligence
may be understood to be a mental energy available with an individual who
enables him to cope with his environment in terms of adaptation and dealing
with novel situations as effectively as possible. A more comprehensive picture
of concept of intelligence if certain important factors about its nature are
known, namely that, it is a product of both heredity and environment, it grows
with age and its vertical growth ceases at the age of 16 to 20, it shows a wide
variety of individual differences but factors like gender, race, culture, caste
and colour etc are not found to influence the degree of intelligence.
Intelligence is inborn natural power; with the helps of intelligence we are
capable of overcoming difficulties and problems of life.
REFERENCES:
·
Introduction to psychology-Norman L Munn
·
Theory and practice of psychological testing –Holt, Rinehart
and Winston
·
Advanced educational psychology – S. K .Mangal
·
Advanced educational psychology-B.N.panda
·
Measuring of intelligence of Indian children-John McKenzie
·
Advanced educational psychology- S .S. Chauhan
