Intelligence and Abilities

Abstract

This chapter is concerned with differences between individuals in their capacity for performing the activities they undertake. It concentrates on the abilities of the individual. Section 10.2 attempts a definition and explanation of some of the main concepts. Section 10.3 tackles the thorny and long-standing debate about the relative contributions of heredity and environment to a person’s level of intelligence and ability. Sections 10.4 and 10.5 are related, in that Section 10.4 is an introduction to factor analysis, the statistical technique on which much of the work on the structure of human abilities (Section 10.5) is based. Section 10.6 considers the question of intelligence and age. This is a topic of some importance for the employment of older workers. In Section 10.7 we discuss an area which will also be touched on in Chapter 12, that of the relationship between intelligence and abilities and performance (e. g. in education and work). Finally, we turn in Section 10.8 to the important question of the measurement of intelligence and abilities and this involves consideration of the design and use of psychological tests.