Validating Theories of Intelligence

A research strategy for validating theories of intelligence is described, which can be seen in any standardized test of intelligence, because even the most factorially pure tests yield composite IQ or mental age scores.

Abstract

This chapter describes a research strategy for validating theories of intelligence. The strategy is required by the wide acceptance of two simple ideas. The first is that intelligence develops: Behavior becomes increasingly complex and abstractly organized with age. The second idea is that individual differences in intelligence are general: People who perform relatively intelligently in one situation are likely to perform relatively intelligently in other situations. Even though some people use specialized forms of knowledge and specialized ways of thinking, a person must behave effectively in general to be termed intelligent. In the Piagetian argument, an instructional experiment has not influenced intelligence unless it has changed a wide range of uninstructed behaviors as well as the instructed ones. The idea can be seen in any standardized test of intelligence, because even the most factorially pure tests yield composite IQ or mental age scores.