Hello, all. I'm a psychologist, and am about to measure someone's intelligence using the industry standard, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (fourth edition). My immediate response is something that I remember discussing in a tests and measurements class -- that intelligence is that construct that intelligence tests measure. This circular response is of course quite unfulfilling, and perhaps meaningless, but was said to remind us that even us mental health professionals that even we are not sure what it is.
My strong sense is that it is simply the skills we possess that help us to solve problems and make things turn out the way we want them to turn out, be they making Touchpads do what we need them to do, orin creating our own happiness, or in taking over Western civilization.
More later -- please respond at your convenience, and perhaps we can create a hermeneutic circle -- details on request.
Kurt Weber
La Crosse, WI
"My immediate response is something that I remember discussing in a tests and measurements class -- that intelligence is that construct that intelligence tests measure. "
Yes, this is a similar conclusion I came to, that intelligence tests measure a person's ability to take intelligence tests. This is my inexpert impression based on observations of some people training themselves to take IQ tests, when they seemed to improve their IQ scores by making themselves familiar with certain types of questions and of how to apply their reasoning skills go solve the problem, e.g. the missing number sequence questions. And then there is the issue of specialisms, where - say - a clever plumber may creatively solve problems of a plumbing, or even construction, nature but who would not be able to apply himself to many problems outside of his specialist interest. This all suggests to me that intelligence, as it is generally defined within the context of IQ testing, is something that can be learnt by ... someone who is 'intelligent'!
