What is intelligence in simple words: description, differences between men and women, IQ development

The article provides recommendations on how to determine your level of mental abilities and describes the structure of mental abilities.

Speaking about mental abilities, it is worth dwelling on the definition of intelligence. In psychology, there are three different views on the definition of intelligence:

• As an analogue of learning ability, a type of knowledge acquisition (Poloni).
• As the ability to apply existing knowledge in the process of solving current life problems (Piaget).
• As the ability to adapt to new, changing living conditions (Stern).

Wexler tried to combine these complementary formulations by defining intelligence as an ability that combines rational thinking, expedient behavior and effective interaction with the world. To date, there is no consensus on the definition of intelligence in psychology.

There are several such definitions. Thus, intelligence is the name given to the most complex mental abilities of an individual. There is also such a definition: intelligence is a relatively stable structure of a person’s mental abilities, which includes all the knowledge he has acquired, all the experience, as well as the ability to further accumulate and use it in the process of mental activity. The amount of knowledge and range of interests are factors that determine a person’s intellectual qualities. In a broader sense, intelligence refers to a person’s mental abilities, the entire set of cognitive processes inherent in him in the aggregate. In a narrow sense, intelligence is thinking, mind.

It is necessary to distinguish between mental abilities and intelligence. A person’s mental abilities constitute a set of knowledge and skills that he possesses, and this also includes a set of mental actions that a person has formed throughout his life while gaining knowledge. And intelligence is everything that contributes to the successful acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities. This is the summative result of all cognitive processes.

In psychodiagnostics, when measuring intelligence, the structure of a person’s cognitive properties is measured. This structure arises on the basis of hereditary inclinations and is formed in the process of interaction with them.

What is intelligence

Intelligence is the ability to recognize new situations, learn, understand and apply abstract concepts in life (see individual properties of objects and phenomena), use one’s knowledge in accordance with the requirements of the environment.

In the Big Psychological Dictionary the word means (English intelligence; from Latin intellectus - understanding, knowledge)

• general ability to cognition and problem solving, which determines the success of any activity and underlies other abilities;
• the system of all cognitive abilities of an individual: sensation, perception, memory, representation, thinking, imagination;
• ability to solve problems without trial and error “in the head.”

Levels of intellectual activity

There is such a thing in psychology as levels of intellectual activity.

Researchers identify three such levels:

• Stimulus-productive – when mental activity is caused only by the influence of external factors.
• Heuristic is a spontaneous cognitive activity that leads to the discovery of a number of patterns.
• Creative is the highest level of mental activity, at which there is a full penetration into the essence of the things being studied, solving existing problems and setting new tasks.

At the first level, intellectual activity is limited to a given or initially found path. A person can study various phenomena and solve various problems, but only as private ones, without connection with each other. At this level, however, the intellectual can put forward quite bold hypotheses.

At the second level, the researcher can compare disparate phenomena and problems and find something in common in them, identify new patterns. In this case, knowledge occurs empirically.

At the third level, comparing different phenomena and finding what they have in common becomes not just a separate technique, but is itself a problem that requires deep insight into the essence of things. In this case, the researcher uses the theoretical path of knowledge.

Intellectual actions of an individual are divided into levels in another way.

In this case, there are two levels:

• Personal actions at the level of a social individual, while human activity is determined by the task and desired results.
• Actions of a creative person; in this case, the result turns out to be broader than the stated goal and gives rise to new tasks.

The activity of the individual gradually ceases to be a response to the initially set task and takes on a creative character.

The division of the work of the intellect into levels also reflects the history of the development of mental activity in humans. That is, the first people passively solved the problems facing them, formed by nature itself, and strived for biological survival; knowledge was more of an adaptive nature. Subsequently, primitive “scientific” activity appeared, when, through searches, trial and error (empirically), people found new patterns in the structure of the surrounding world and tried to use them in their practice. Finally, at the very latest time, a theoretical science was formed that had a developed methodological apparatus and deep criteria for knowing the truth.

For clarity, you can also use Maslow’s famous pyramid, which reflects the hierarchy of human needs. It shows that the need for creativity and spiritual development is the highest, and to achieve it you need to go through lower levels. In accordance with this, the intellect works: at first it is aimed at achieving pressing goals and solving specific problems (finding food, housing, achieving material well-being), then opportunities arise for learning something new, and at the highest level the opportunity arises for creative activities.

Connection with thinking

Thinking and intelligence are terms that are close in content to each other. These concepts are the hallmarks of a person.

In everyday speech, the concept of intelligence will correspond to the phrase “mental abilities.” The definition of intelligence is the totality of a person’s mental abilities that ensure the success of mental activity.

Thinking is a higher psychological process that is associated with speech, with constant learning of new things, everyday discoveries, and creative activity.

From this we can conclude that thinking is included in the concept of intelligence, that intelligence is a broader concept, with a complex, branched structure.

Structure

Joy Gilferd , a famous American psychologist, developed his own model of the structure of intelligence, which is called “cubic”. According to his ideas, intelligence consists of three blocks:

• operations (includes a list of basic intellectual processes);
• content (includes categorization of information that is intellectually processed by content);
• results (list of results obtained in the process of mental activity).

Its model is called “cubic” because the easiest way to describe it is to use a cube, each side of which is one of the mentioned blocks.

Since Gilferd's theory is flexible and open , about 150 components have already been identified, in one way or another related to intellectual work.

Main functions

General intelligence performs various functions and tasks.

Basic concept

Intelligence is the quality of the psyche, thanks to which people are able to adapt to new circumstances and extract valuable experience from them, make life decisions using previously acquired abilities and knowledge, successfully study, work in areas closely related to mental work, engage in complex, heterogeneous activities, requiring the ability to think outside the box.

Intelligence is essentially a complex of various skills, such as the ability to work with information coming from outside, find logical chains, use logical thinking efficiently, and so on.

Despite the fact that there are animals with fairly high intellectual abilities (monkeys, especially chimpanzees and orangutans, dogs, crows, cats, dolphins, pigs, elephants), humans are superior to them in many ways.

Intelligent behavior is characteristic of both developed animals and humans, but usually this definition is applied to animals.

Intellectual behavior to the actions of a creature aimed at solving a life problem, up to the invention of new methods and algorithms based on an analysis of the situation.

They are not directly related to the creature's instincts and pre-existing abilities. Some animals, having developed a certain algorithm, retain it throughout their lives and even share their achievements with their offspring.

The higher the intelligence of the animal, the more noticeable the manifestations of intellectual behavior will be.

Zoologists actively study the intellectual skills of animals through observation and experimentation .

One of the most remarkable evidence of their intellectual behavior is the use of tools to solve a problem (which is usually obtaining a delicacy that is not directly accessible): sticks, stones.

For example, in the famous raven experiment, researchers place two tall, narrow vessels. One is half filled with water, the other with sand. Each container contains a treat.

The crow can't reach him. After a while, she begins to throw nearby stones into a vessel with water, the water level rises, and she takes the treat.

Some animal species (such as chimpanzees) have even been observed making tools suitable for their tasks.

The concepts of “intelligence” and “thinking” are closely related. Intelligence is often referred to as the ability to use thinking.

And thinking is a specific cognitive skill, thanks to which a person learns about the world around him and analyzes it.

But intelligence includes not only the ability to use thinking, but also the ability to use cognitive abilities in general , because without memory, attention, and perception it is impossible to imagine.

History and theories - who introduced the concept of intelligence

The term “intelligence” was first used in the 20th century, introduced by the German psychologist William Stern.

Alfred Bene created IQ tests. The main task is to identify the level of intelligence of schoolchildren, the properties of students’ intelligence, to understand which of them is lagging behind in the program and who needs additional help. The test began to be used very widely, and various variants appeared. Today, such testing is disputed by scientists; not everyone recognizes its reliability and effectiveness.

What do you think about intelligence testing? Have you ever undergone such tests at least once in your life? Share your opinion and experience in the comments.

There are many theories of intelligence, but only a few are the most popular and widespread.

What types of intelligence are there?

A major researcher in the field of intellectual development, Raymond Cattell, believed that intelligence should be divided into two types - mobile and crystallized. The first is based on logical operations, the ability to solve problems that go beyond the limits of existing experience. The second is based on accumulated experience and the ability to use existing knowledge and skills.

There is also a division into emotional and social intelligence. The first is the ability to recognize and understand your own emotions and the emotions of those around you. The second type is the ability to understand people's behavior. Social intelligence is the most important part of a person’s social life; it allows you to interact with other people and build various relationships. Researchers emphasize that the purpose of such intelligence is not depth of understanding, but social adaptation.

The diversity of types and forms of intelligence can be judged, for example, by the cultural characteristics of different peoples. For example, the Negroid race has the most highly developed concrete visual and plastic thinking. The people of Africa are good artists and excellent dancers; they can depict by hand what Europeans are accustomed to depicting only with the help of computer graphics. Drawing and dance in Africa play the role of original “alphabets” from which special languages ​​are composed. European thinking is abstract. Painting and dance in European culture are considered an art, that is, a skill accessible to few; at the same time, the sound-letter alphabet, reasoning in abstract categories, understanding of such phenomena as law, justice, order, etc. are developed. The Asian peoples of the Mongoloid race are carriers of “symbolic” thinking. Their symbolic (hieroglyphic) alphabet and system of allegories have reached a high level of development; the culture is replete with symbols that lack practical meaning and express complex ideas, and rituals and ceremonies play a significant role in behavior.

There are other ways to divide intelligence. Thus, they distinguish between logical and spatial intelligence, and the latter is divided into physical, social, spiritual, creative, and emotional.

Structure of human intelligence

The structure represents the following components of intelligence:

• general intelligence (a set of mental properties that ensure the success of any activity);
• verbal and nonverbal human intelligence (nonverbal intelligence is based on visual-effective thinking, verbal intelligence is based on the use of verbal and logical forms);
• private intellectual skills (school knowledge, level of general erudition, generalization, abstract thinking, etc.).

Intelligence levels

Intellectual level is the same IQ. According to the data obtained as a result of the survey, intelligence levels are presented in the table.

Odds information

Contrary to popular belief, it is extremely difficult to measure intelligence because, as mentioned, it consists of many different abilities.

And even existing tests created by famous psychologists cannot be considered an ideal measurement method: they often measure only some of the components of intelligence.

They are convenient to use to identify people with insufficient intellectual abilities, which helps in diagnosing some diseases, but they are difficult to find geniuses with their help, since genius is also a complex structure consisting of many components.

The most well-known tests that reveal IQ are:

• Hans Eysenck test;
• Raven's test (Raven);
• Wechsler test.

Tests showing IQ levels have been repeatedly criticized by various researchers, for example, mathematician Viktor Vasiliev, who found errors in the Eysenck questionnaire.

It has also been noted that IQ level weakly correlates with the likelihood that a person will achieve success in life and be happy.

The type of intelligence that can be measured using the above tests is called psychometric . Its manifestations are quite simple to identify and record.

Data:

1. It is extremely important that a person at the formation stage (during pregnancy and childhood) receives a sufficient amount of iodine . The average IQ in regions where children and pregnant women do not receive enough iodine is 10-15 points lower than in regions where this problem does not exist.
2. People with a high IQ are more likely to suffer from mental illness , especially anxiety disorder.
3. Marilyn vos Savant is an American woman with the highest IQ in the world: 228. She is a journalist and writes books.

The degree of development of emotional intelligence (EQ) is of great importance. People with developed EQ find it easier to interact with others, adapt in society and achieve success at work.

Signs of High Intelligence

High intelligence is most likely to be found in people who have the following skills, abilities, and qualities:

• a person’s ability not to be constantly distracted by extraneous things, to focus his attention on one thing, to devote himself completely to the task;
• nocturnal lifestyle, biorhythm - owl;
• easy adaptation to environmental conditions, the ability to quickly change one’s behavior depending on the situation;
• lack of fear of admitting ignorance of something (not knowing and not being able to is not scary, because you can learn it);
• curiosity, ability to admire;
• openness to all new ideas and opportunities, the ability to consider alternative solutions and points of view;
• the ability to enjoy being alone with oneself;
• good self-control, the ability to plan everything ahead, set specific goals;
• developed sense of humor;
• the ability to empathize, the ability to put oneself in the place of the interlocutor;
• the ability to see parallels and associations that others do not notice (for example, both a shoe and a pencil leave a mark);
• An intelligent person can be seen doing routine work, so he thinks about more important tasks;
• a sign of a high level of development - thoughts about the purpose, meaning of life, a conscious approach to what is happening.

Intellectualization in psychology

Intellectualization is one of the forms of psychological defense in which a person closes himself off from his sensory sensations and begins to perceive what he feels on an intellectual level. This helps reduce the influence of emotions on behavior and decisions, and act more wisely and correctly.

But any protective mechanisms of the psyche negatively affect how an individual perceives reality and himself . In this case, intellectualization leads to the fact that the individual ceases to realize the importance of his emotional state.

People who actively use such defenses have difficulty expressing emotions , which complicates interaction with others, especially in the case of close social relationships (love, friendship).

It is considered an integral part of the personality of schizoids (both schizoid accentuation and schizoid personality disorder are implied).

Read about the symptoms and treatment of emotional personality disorder here.

What indicator indicates “backwardness”

A person's mental abilities may be reduced. A number of symptoms indicate this:

• inability or low ability to think in abstract categories (select);
• inability to generalize and systematize received information;
• lack of critical thinking;
• the habit of thinking specifically, narrowly;
• small, poor vocabulary;
• paucity of emotions;
• increased suggestibility, knowledge;
• remarkable stubbornness.

Is it possible to improve intelligence?

Human intelligence can be adjusted, it can be improved, enriched, and developed.

What factors influence mental abilities?

High intelligence is not always given by nature. Intelligence is influenced by many external factors.

Heredity and the structure of the brain affect a person’s thinking and intellectual arsenal. For example, the processing of information depends on how efficiently the frontal lobes work.

The child's intelligence is influenced by how the mother ate during pregnancy. If the mother ate properly and avoided bad habits, then with an increased probability she will give birth to an intelligent person.

If parents have the talent of education, then they will grow up an intellectually developed child. He will be interested in new knowledge, show interest, and study diligently.

Research shows that children who do not have siblings are more intellectually developed than children from large families. This is due to the fact that parents pay much more attention to one child and invest more in him than in several children.

If a child suffers from diseases such as Down syndrome or phenylketonuria, or has other developmental features, then the likelihood of intellectual retardation increases.

Age differences

The foundation of intelligence is laid between 5 and 7 years. Its full potential is revealed closer to the age of 20. But even after 20 years, intelligence can develop, but at a much slower pace.

A person’s mathematical abilities develop at the age of 30-35. If by this time he had not achieved significant success in mathematics, then now he is unlikely to achieve it.

Doctors and scientists in the natural sciences demonstrate their peak intelligence at 42-45 years of age.

Psychologists and philosophers reach their full potential closer to 50-55 years of age.

But there are also abilities that develop throughout life and can manifest themselves even in old age. These are artistic abilities that relate to different areas of art (dancing, painting, singing, acting).

Do intellectual abilities decline in older people?

Elderly people are susceptible to senile diseases that negatively affect the brain (sclerosis, dementia, senile dementia). But if you engage in your intellectual development, then you can maintain a lively and inquisitive mind until old age.

Gender differences

The intellectual differences between men and women have always been a subject of heated debate and discussion. Since ancient times, it was believed that women are less developed than men.

Laws and traditions did not allow women to engage in many activities, including intellectual ones. Because of this, the myth began that women are less developed in this regard than men. This practice also exists in countries where women are in a degraded position. Her intelligence is indeed lower, but the reason is banal - lack of opportunity to learn.

However, studies have shown that men's brains are no better than women's. Women are better able to understand some types of intellectual activity than men.

That is, differences in brain structure between men and women do not determine the degree of intelligence. Both a woman and a man can do the same job equally successfully.

Just because a man's brain weighs more does not make his intelligence sharper. Elevated hormone levels also have an ambiguous effect on intelligence; it can reduce or increase it.

Speaking abstractly, a man who has good intelligence is no different from a developed woman.

What do you think about the differences in intelligence between men and women? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Abilities and Intelligence

The problem of abilities and intelligence in modern society goes beyond narrow professional psychological problems and acquires social significance. On the one hand, it underlies a person’s self-determination, his self-realization, often causing both intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts and creating tension in the event of non-realization of certain abilities. On the other hand, it provides society’s need for labor resources whose orientation and qualifications correspond to the stage of development at which society is located. The relationship between these two sides of one problem also conceals many conflicts, since the needs of society for certain types of activities and a person’s abilities for them often do not coincide.

abilities represent the main condition for the effectiveness of his implementation of a particular activity. Abilities are discovered in the process of activity, and in this regard, experts distinguish two sides of abilities: passive - until a person begins an activity, it is impossible to judge the presence of abilities, active - something prompts a person to engage in a certain type of activity. Closely related to the latter is the concept of inclinations towards certain types of activities. A.V. Orlov believes that inclination should be understood not as any, but as a well-defined, internally motivated predisposition to activity, when not only the goals achieved are attractive, but also the process of activity itself. Addiction acts as a “need attitude” towards an activity to which a given person is particularly partial. V.N. Myasishchev notes such a feature of the inclination as tireless attention to the chosen activity, unquenchable love for it, this undying passion

Specific features of the tendency of E.P. Ilyin denotes as follows: a) as an incentive to activity, the inclination always corresponds to the content of the activity (it is internally motivated by its content, type of activity; for example, when choosing a sport, the inclination to work of an “explosive” nature leads to sprinting, the inclination to various activities, to playing sports games, etc.); b) addiction is most often determined by stable typological features of the properties of the nervous system, the level of brain activation, it is a stable vector for choosing the type of activity; c) activity in accordance with inclination is always personally significant, occupies an important place among a person’s values, contributes to the formation of the personality’s orientation, a certain vision of the world; d) the inclination, when choosing an activity adequate to it, develops into persistent interest; e) in the absence of activities that correspond to the inclination, a person becomes bored and dissatisfied with his activities. Consequently, it can be assumed that in conditions of non-realization of a person’s inclination towards a certain type of activity, negative reactions are possible, and since nature does not tolerate emptiness, the place of boredom and dissatisfaction can be taken by socially disapproved manifestations of personality. Therefore, in the consulting process, it is of particular importance to assist the client in the timely identification of certain abilities and the development of a strategy for their implementation.

There are general and special abilities. General abilities are relatively stable personality properties, which are manifested in the success of mastering knowledge, in mastering and implementing various types of activities. Special abilities are personality traits that allow one to achieve significant results in a particular type of activity.

General abilities include cognitive, or mental, psychomotor and spiritual. Psychomotor abilities are manifested in the implementation of sensorimotor processes and motor actions. The main indicators of psychomotor abilities are: speed, strength, tempo (number of movements in a certain period of time), rhythm, coordination, accuracy and ease, plasticity and ease.

Spiritual abilities represent the individual uniqueness of a person’s mental processes, manifested in relation to the surrounding world, to the problems of surrounding people. There are such spiritual abilities as empathy, compassion, the ability to self-knowledge and self-awareness, the ability to see the beautiful, reflect the harmony of the objective world, the ability to be grateful and do good. The criterion of spiritual abilities is action.

Cognitive abilities are a tool of human cognitive activity and cognitive activity. These include abilities associated with the level of development of cognitive mental processes: perception - perceptual abilities, memory - mnemonic, attention - attentional, thinking - mental, imagination - imaginative abilities. The totality of cognitive abilities constitutes the basis of intelligence.

V.N. Druzhinin proposed to consider general abilities as an integral work of the psyche in operating with knowledge. In this process, he highlighted knowledge acquisition, knowledge application and knowledge transformation (Figure 2.1).

Rice. 2.1. Scheme of general abilities according to V.N. Druzhinin

Learning ability characterizes the ability to acquire knowledge and the leading motivation for this process is a person’s cognitive activity (“I want to know everything”). Creativity is characterized by the ability to transform knowledge and is associated with imagination, the generation of hypotheses, and a tendency to fantasize. The leading motivational direction for its implementation is the desire for self-realization and creative activity. The ability to apply knowledge, as an output characteristic in this scheme, is identified with the ability to solve problems based on existing knowledge, or intelligence . The leading motivation in the implementation of intellectual abilities is achievement motivation and adaptive behavior in the environment.

All the identified types of general abilities largely correlate with each other, but, of course, there is no complete correspondence. A person who has a pronounced ability to acquire knowledge, which is confirmed by academic performance, is not always able to apply his knowledge in real life (“excellent student syndrome”), a high level of intelligence does not yet indicate a person’s creative capabilities, the ability to find a new, non-standard solution. In this discrepancy in the expression of different types of abilities lie many social problems of clients: the holder of a “honorable diploma” may be unable to solve practical problems in work, a pronounced intellectual may lose to people with a lower level of intelligence, but with creative abilities. Such inconsistencies lead a person to internal conflicts (high level of aspirations and low level of achievements, unjustified expectations), the collapse of life plans and, as a result, a negative attitude towards life.

The ability to learn is quite clearly manifested in the process of learning activities. Learning success can be predicted by studying the level of development of cognitive mental processes (perception, attention, memory, imagination, thinking) using age-appropriate test methods. In case of problems associated with learning, it is recommended to use techniques to develop these processes. Thus, for the development of attention and memory, the method of developing eidetic memory has proven itself well.

The problem of intelligence is currently the most controversial and worries, as already mentioned, not only specialists, but also the general public. The use of intellectual tests that reveal individual differences in abilities thereby differentiates people into those who are more capable and those who are less capable. Such differentiation in the modern world has serious consequences and is associated with significant ethical problems. Even La Rochefoucauld once sarcastically about.

The term “intelligence,” in addition to its scientific definition, which also today largely depends on the theoretical positions of a particular author, according to V.N. Druzhinin, “like an old cruiser with shells, has become overgrown with an endless number of everyday and popular interpretations.” Currently, there are two main approaches to defining intelligence: 1) intelligence is what intelligence tests measure; 2) intelligence is what ensures effective adaptation in a complex environment.

The measurement approach to determining intelligence has a long tradition. Its essence lies in the design of tasks: the level of intelligence is determined on the basis of the success of solving various types of problems, close to those that a person solves in everyday life. A supporter of this approach is G. Eysenck. The disadvantage of this approach is the fact that modern intelligence tests use not only a ratio scale, which assumes an absolute reference point, but also an interval scale, which does not have an absolute reference point.

It is impossible to define intelligence outside of the diverse forms of interaction between an individual and the environment. Therefore, the definition of intelligence through adaptive activity is finding more and more supporters. In line with this direction, intelligence is defined as a certain ability that determines the overall success of a person’s adaptation to new situations by solving a problem on the internal plane (“actions in the mind”) with the dominant role of consciousness over the unconscious.

Currently, there are a large number of intelligence tests, the structure and content of which are largely based on the theoretical views of their authors on the understanding and structure of intelligence. The Raven's Progressive Matrices test, based on Spearman's theory, which distinguishes the G-factor as a general ability and factors of specific abilities, reveals the level of development of the general G-factor. The Wechsler test also diagnoses general intelligence (G-factor) and its components - verbal and non-verbal intelligence.

G. Eysenck's extra-factor model of intelligence also belongs to the school that emphasizes the importance of the G-factor. Based on his model, G. Eysenck developed a battery of intellectual tests aimed not only at determining the client’s IQ, but also allowing work on the development of intellectual abilities, which is especially important for counseling.

The model proposed by R. Cattell can also be classified as a hierarchical model. In the concept of R. Cattell, the G-factor consists of two common factors - fluid

(“free”) intelligence and
crystallized
, or “coherent” intelligence. Crystallized intelligence evaluates the totality of knowledge and intellectual skills acquired by an individual in the process of socialization, and is a measure of mastery of the culture of the society to which the individual belongs. Fluid or “free” intelligence, according to R. Cattell, is independent of involvement in culture; its level is determined by the general development of the “tertiary” associative zones of the cerebral cortex and manifests itself when solving perceptual problems (when the subject is required to perceive and find the ratio of elements) . To measure fluid intelligence, R. Cattell developed a culturally free intelligence test. It is known that while fluid intelligence declines with age, crystallized intelligence remains intact in the later stages of life. Knowing this fact is very important when counseling on the problems of old age.

Tests of the structure of intelligence are based on the model of L. Thurstone, who denied the existence of a common basis for intellectual actions and identified several unrelated intellectual factors (spatial thinking, computational abilities, verbal abilities, etc.). Among the most used tests of the structure of intelligence in Russia is the R. Amthauer test.

J. Guilford's three-dimensional model of intelligence is also close to the factor model. In the model he developed, each factor of intelligence is formed by a combination of one of the types of intellectual operations, the area in which it is performed (content), and the result obtained. Guilford distinguishes five types of operations , constituting the first change in his model: understanding information

(C),
memorization
(M),
divergent thinking
, or production of logical alternatives related to the presented information, multivariate search for a solution to a problem (D),
convergent thinking
, or production of a single logical consequence, search for one correct solution (N) and
evaluation
- comparison and evaluation of information units according to a certain criterion (E).
The second dimension is defined in terms of the content and forms of information: figurative
(F),
symbolic
(S),
semantic
(M) and
behavioral
(B).
The third dimension represents the result of applying a certain intellectual operation to specific content and appears in the form of: elements, units
(U),
classes
(C),
relations
(R),
systems
(S),
transformations
(T) and
implications
(I). Thus, the existence of 120 intelligence factors is assumed. Thanks to the research of J. Guilford, the term “social intelligence” has gained true reality, characterizing the integral intellectual ability that determines the success of communication and social adaptation; he developed a test for the study of social intelligence.

Guilford's great merit is also the identification of divergent and convergent thinking. Convergent thinking is aimed at finding a single correct result and is diagnosed by traditional intelligence tests, while divergent thinking is associated with the generation of many solutions based on unambiguous data and is the basis of creativity. of creativity became widespread . Test materials are being developed to study creativity, but the validity of most currently available creativity tests has not been proven. To identify creativity, the so-called natural tasks (writing poetry, stories, assembling a mosaic, etc.), as well as the biographical method, are more suitable. Personal characteristics of creative people were identified, such as attaching high value to aesthetic qualities, breadth of interests, energy, independence of judgment, autonomy, self-confidence, the ability to resolve paradoxes or reconcile clearly opposing conflict elements.

An analysis of the biographies of creative personalities shows that creative abilities are more often developed among the first-born in the family and children who lost their parents early. In addition, creativity is associated both with heredity and with the regulation of the environment: the less regulated the child’s environment, the greater the chance of creativity in his activities.

When consulting creative individuals, it should be taken into account that creativity requires a relaxed, free environment. In addition, many studies show that strong motivations for achievement, social approval, and competitive motivation block the self-actualization of the individual and make it difficult to demonstrate creative abilities.

Four groups of children with different levels of development of creativity and intelligence were identified, differing in their ways of adapting to external conditions and solving life problems (Druzhinin). Children with high intelligence and high creativity

, were confident in their abilities, had an adequate level of self-esteem, had internal freedom and at the same time high self-control.
Showing great interest in everything new and unusual, they have great initiative and maintain personal independence of judgment and action. Children with a high level of intelligence and low creativity
strive for school success, experience failure extremely hard, and are dominated not by the hope of success, but by the fear of failure. They avoid risk, are reserved, secretive, do not like to express their thoughts publicly, and distance themselves from their classmates. They have few close friends. They do not like to be left to their own devices and suffer without external adequate assessment of their actions, results, and activities.

Children with low intelligence but high creativity

often find themselves in a “outcast” situation.
They have difficulty adapting to school requirements and often have outside interests (clubs, hobbies, etc.). They are more anxious, suffer from a lack of self-confidence and an inferiority complex. Teachers often characterize them as dull and inattentive because they are reluctant to complete routine tasks and cannot concentrate. Children with a low level of intelligence and creative abilities
outwardly adapt well, stay in the “middle class”, have adequate self-esteem and are satisfied with their position. The low level of subject abilities is compensated by the development of social intelligence and sociability.

Diagnostics and testing

It is customary to assess a person’s intelligence using various methods:

1. Cattell's Intelligence Test. The questionnaire consists of 862 questions on various topics (personality, character, temperament, work, business, etc.).
2. Guilford Social Intelligence Test. Makes it possible to assess a person’s communication skills and adaptability. Most questions are presented in the form of pictures.
3. Wechsler test. The author of the test believed that it was worth moving away from the standard understanding of intelligence. There are many more factors that influence a person's intelligence. It is considered one of the most famous and used.
4. Raven's progressive matrices test. Measures logical thinking and a person’s ability to process information.
5. Amthauer Structure of Intelligence Test. Intelligence is measured as a set of psychological characteristics of a person. Consists of several parts and is devoted to different aspects of thinking. The purpose of the test is to determine the ability to create combinations, counting abilities, and the ability to concentrate on a goal.
6. Bennett Test of Mechanical Comprehension. Evaluates a person’s level of technical preparedness, his ability to learn, and spatial thinking. 30 minutes are allotted for testing.

IQ

Intelligence quotient is the famous IQ, which today is most often detected using the Eysenck test. Used in schools, universities, and when applying for jobs. Allows you to identify a comprehensive assessment of mental development. The test subject will have to solve 40 tasks, the complexity of which gradually increases.

Intelligence quotient: methods of determination

Intelligence quotient - the famous IQ - determines the degree of development of a person’s mental activity. It is sometimes used to evaluate the mental abilities of animals in comparison with humans. Researchers have even determined the IQ of creatures such as the earthworm.

The coefficient is determined using special tests that allow you to find out various factors, for example:

• Level of intelligence development in comparison with the average person (of the same or middle age);
• The “intellectual age” of a person in comparison with his biological age;
• The presence or absence of mental pathology.

Creating IQ tests is a rather difficult task. Their results should be described by the so-called “normal distribution” of indicators, or Gaussian distribution. This means that 50 percent of people would have an IQ between 85 and 115, and 25 percent of people would have an IQ below 90 and above 110. An IQ value of less than 70 is defined as mental retardation.

How to increase IQ in an adult

To make your intelligence noticeably above average, it is important to maintain active brain activity, but do it correctly:

1. Solve problems, equations, add and subtract large numbers in your head.
2. Train your own memory (memorize poems, song lyrics, passages of prose works).
3. Follow the basic rules of a healthy lifestyle (eat right, give up bad habits, play sports, walk in the fresh air more often).
4. Find a balance between work and rest, give your brain a break, get enough sleep.
5. Make a healthy daily habit of reading at least a few pages a day. This makes the brain work, expands horizons, expands vocabulary, and increases the level of education.
6. Find intellectual entertainment. These include visiting libraries, interesting lectures and seminars, going to museums, solving crosswords and puzzles, and reading scientific literature.
7. To learn foreign languages. This trains memory and improves brain activity.
8. Change your long-term habits. For example, on weekends, don’t lie on the couch in front of the TV, but go camping with tents with the whole family. In the morning, go to work a different way. Instead of the usual cutlets, cook a dish for dinner, for example, Mongolian cuisine.
9. Learn new skills. If you have long wanted to learn how to dance ballroom, then you should enroll in a dance class. For those interested in history, join an archaeological group. For those who write poetry, visit the literary lounge.

Are you improving your own intelligence? What exercises do you use to do this? Share with other readers in the comments.

Intelligence Intellectual Intellectual

Intellectuality as a personality quality is the ability to coordinate, accumulate knowledge, help people acquire it, and make the development of the mind the main life priority.

Einstein was once asked what he saw as the main difference between his own intelligence and the intelligence of other people. He thought for a moment and then replied: “If people are looking for a needle in a haystack, most of them stop as soon as they find it. But I continue my search, finding a second, third and perhaps, if I’m very lucky, even a fourth and fifth needle.”

If the social structure is represented as a pyramid, then intellectuality will be its top. Intellectuals help people gain knowledge. This is the head of society. Renewing themselves, constantly being in development, in the pursuit of new knowledge and truth, they become teachers, mentors of society.

In ancient times, in many spiritual traditions, the division of people was carried out according to their intellectual, psychophysical inclinations, that is, the classification was natural. On the basis of this natural division of people according to qualities, there were four different classes in society. The first estate is the estate of intellectuals, that is, people who devoted themselves to the development of the mind, the intellectual and spiritual development of society, that is, in fact, they were spiritual leaders. The second estate is the ruling class estate and the military estate. The third estate is people engaged in business or the production of some material assets. This mainly included people engaged in agriculture, farming, raising animals and various plant crops, as well as people engaged in trade, banking and other types of business activity. And finally, the fourth estate - people belonging to the category of employees and workers. That is, this is the largest category of people in society. According to this division of society into classes, intellectuals occupied the most honorable place in the social hierarchy.

Intellectual and intellectual are different concepts both in meaning and in the time of existence and in the forms of manifestation. Intellectuals - proletarians of mental work - tend to clearly demonstrate their personality quality - intellectuality and, above all, this is expressed in devotion to the search for truth. They are not satisfied with a superficial vision of the world. They strive to uncover cause-and-effect relationships and patterns of development of phenomena.

Being peaceful by nature, intellectuals have the ability to forgive, be generous and condescending towards attacks on themselves. Tolerance and respect for people are integral behavioral characteristics of intellectuals.

Intelligence is another matter. When I hear: “You are an intelligent person,” I have the feeling that I have betrayed someone. The intelligentsia is a destructive Russian invention of gathering into one rotten pile of empty-headed people, projectors and nobodies. These are people who are incapable of anything and, at the same time, capable of everything - betrayal, treason against the Motherland, its robbery. The word “intellectual” was introduced into speech by the second-rate writer P.D. Boborykin in the 60s of the 19th century and still causes controversy about who it specifically represents in the social order.

The philosopher N. Berdyaev in “The Origins and Meaning of Russian Communism” writes that the intelligentsia “... could include people who are not engaged in intellectual work and who are not particularly intellectual in general. And many Russian scientists and writers could not at all be counted among the intelligentsia in the strict sense of the word. The intelligentsia rather resembled a monastic order or a religious sect with its own special morality, very intolerant, with its own obligatory worldview, with its own special morals and customs, and even with a peculiar physical appearance, by which one could always recognize an intellectual and distinguish him from other social groups. Our intelligentsia was an ideological, not a professional and economic group...”

Intellectuals are afraid of belonging to the intelligentsia like the devil from incense. When the Russian historian-ethnologist, orientalist and unconditional intellectual L.N. Gumilyov was asked: “Lev Nikolaevich, are you an intellectual?” And Gumilev soared: “God save me!” The current intelligentsia is such a spiritual sect. What’s typical is that they don’t know anything, they can’t do anything, but they judge everything and don’t accept dissent at all.”

The intellectual, in his angry tirade, needed to replace the word “current” with “always” in order to get to the point. Yesenin’s unlucky friend Galina Benislavskaya ended her note to Erlich remarkably: “You are an intellectual, not a person, that’s what.”

IN AND. Lenin famously scoffed at the intelligentsia, “believing themselves to be the brains of the nation. In fact, she is not a brain, but a piece of shit.” Mao Tse-Tung called the intelligentsia “the most mentally underdeveloped part of the nation.” White Guard and monarchist Ivan Solonevich: “The Russian intelligentsia is the most terrible enemy of the Russian people.” Minister of Internal Affairs Plehve (later undermined by “intelligent” terrorists) said: “That part of our public, popularly called the Russian intelligentsia, has one, predominantly inherent feature: it fundamentally and, moreover, enthusiastically perceives every idea, every fact, even rumor directed to discredit the state, as well as the spiritual-Orthodox authorities, but is indifferent to everything else in the life of the country.”

Unlike intellectuals, who only know how to talk floridly, engage in populism and rock the political boat of their country, intellectuals make self-sacrifice, giving their whole lives in order to bring true knowledge and goodness to this world.

“Sportsman of the Revolution” Boris Savinkov considered himself an intellectual. The Bolshevik Radek, who intelligently squandered the money of Russian workers and peasants in European restaurants, allocated for the purposes of the Comintern, called him “Hamlet” at his trial. Hamlet was pretty shabby. A talker and a poser, a lover of delicious food and squeezing beauties. As Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich wrote, Savinkov “knew how to look for hysterical young men, enamored of his eloquence and ready to die for the revolution. And they really died, and in the meantime Savinkov safely made it to Paris to continue his pleasant life. There he fought all existing governments, sitting every day from 12 to 2 in the Larue restaurant and washing down the memories of his miraculous escapes with a bottle of excellent Bordeaux.”

“Hamlet” confessed to an acquaintance in 1918: “Revolution and counter-revolution are indifferent to me. I'm hungry for action! My only desire is to give jobs to the self-satisfied slackers who hang around in the outskirts doing nothing.” And he gave work... Shots thunder and bombs explode. The Social Revolutionaries are ahead here - so much so that all other parties are trailing far behind. The sad list is long: Ministers of Internal Affairs Sipyagin and Plehve, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, Minister of Education Bogolepov. And besides them - 33 governors, governor-general and vice-governor, 16 city governors, heads of security departments, police chiefs, prosecutors, assistant prosecutors, heads of detective departments, 24 heads of prisons, prison departments, district and prison guards, 26 bailiffs, police officers and their assistants, 7 generals and admirals, 15 colonels, 68 attorneys, 26 security agents. And besides, several hundred simpler people - policemen, soldiers and simply those who accidentally found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In 1922, the Bolsheviks faced the full question: what to do with intellectuals? IN AND. Lenin did not look for a reason to shoot and proposed replacing the death penalty with deportation, considering that it would be better to get rid of intellectuals “without explanation.” L. Trotsky wrote: “We deported these people because there was no reason to shoot them, but it was impossible to tolerate them.” Logical and cynical, neither subtracting nor adding. M. Osorgin in “How they left us” writes: “….– How do you want to leave? Voluntarily and at your own expense? - I don’t want to at all. - He was amazed. - Well, how can you not want to go abroad! But I advise you voluntarily, otherwise

you will have to sit for a long time. There is no need to argue: he agreed voluntarily.”

On two “philosophical ships”, not corrupt intellectuals, but the best minds of Russia were forcibly sent into exile. Oddly enough, most of the ships had doctors. The Bolsheviks carefully counted those who disagreed with the new order, to whom they gave life. Doctors - 45, professors and teachers - 41, economists, agronomists, co-operators - 30, writers - 22, lawyers - 16, engineers - 12, politicians - 9, religious figures - 2, students - 34. Such accounting reflected what was happening in the summer and autumn 22 years when trains and ships transported intellectuals outside Russia or deep into the country into exile.

Who were these terrible intellectuals - the enemies of the Soviet regime? German steamship «

Oberburgomaster Haken
,
which left Petrograd on September 29, 1922, had on board: philosophers N. Berdyaev, S. Frank, M. Ilyin (Osorgin), S. Trubetskoy, M. Novikov, N. Tsvetkov and others. People were already world famous back then. If it is customary to laugh at philosophers, then why should we be so afraid of them? But some of them had already been subjected to endless arrests and intimidation. The second German steamship "Prussia", which left Petrograd on November 16, had on board: philosophers N. Lossky, L. Karsavin, I. Lapshin (author of many books, translations, articles in the Brockhaus and Efron dictionary), as well as university professors and students and others.

Many exiled intellectuals, while abroad, became among the outstanding scientists of the 20th century: Pitirim Sorokin became the “father” of American sociology; Nikolai Berdyaev had a significant influence on the minds of all thinking Europe, founded the Religious and Philosophical Academy, publishes the magazine “Put”; S.N. Bulgakov headed the Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris, L.P. Karsavin organized the Russian Scientific Institute, N.O. Lossky created outstanding works in emigration on ethics and theory of knowledge, which influenced the development of many philosophical schools.

In “The Red Monarch” A. Bushkov writes: “After October, intellectuals were either destroyed or sent abroad - but the intelligentsia of all stripes most generously settled down under the Bolsheviks, since their worldview was perfectly suited to the slogans of “world fire” and “new folk art.” " And they ruled the roost for almost twenty years, until Stalin took it up, as it should... Solzhenitsyn aptly printed it in his article “Obrazovanshchina”: “The intelligentsia managed to rock Russia to the point of a cosmic explosion, but failed to control its wreckage. Then, looking around from the emigration, the intelligentsia formulated an excuse for themselves: it turned out that “the people are not like that,” the people deceived the expectations of the intelligentsia.”

The intellectual Bakunin knew thoroughly what the intelligentsia represented: “The despotism of the intelligent and therefore privileged minority, which supposedly understands the real interests of the people better than the people themselves, is especially terrible. Firstly, representatives of this minority will try, at all costs, to place the lives of future generations in the Procrustean bed of their ideal. Secondly, these twenty or thirty intellectual scientists will squabble among themselves.” Back in 1971, the famous sociologist and publicist N.Ya. Danilevsky wrote: “Without a popular basis, the so-called intelligentsia is nothing more than a more or less numerous collection of rather empty individuals who have received an education drawn from outside, have not digested or assimilated it, but are only grinding in their heads, babbling with their tongues current thoughts that are in currently under the vulgar label of modern.”

Intellectuality is morally pure; its thoughts and actions are necessarily dominated by pure ideals and culture. Intellectuals are often unpretentious; they are characterized by contentment, contentment with what they have at a given time. The greed for knowledge and the need to search for truth crowd out restless thoughts about material well-being. IN. Ruzov says: “To be an intellectual you need to immediately rise above the external environment. You need to immediately understand - if there is - good, if not - oh well. The idea should not be bribed. An idea cannot be bribed. That is, some new order cannot come from the city administration, and the teacher’s opinion may change on this matter. New rules have been released for the Russian language, and that’s it. And so they said that everything would be like this now. Not cakes, but cakes. But intellectuals will still have their ears hurt. He will still know that it is not cultural. But God forbid, he made a deal with his conscience, he annulled himself as an intellectual. That is, all these years of study are in vain, all this development of the mind is in vain, all these disasters are in vain. As soon as he made a deal because of the salary, he immediately canceled everything, as an intellectual, no one will respect him anymore. Therefore, such people, they simply quit, leave if something changes. The publicans are rushing about.”

The priority of knowledge makes intellectuals merciful, easy to communicate, and alien to hypocrisy and duplicity. That is, the nature of intellectuality is inherent in the integrity of the individual. Intellectuals have truthfulness because they are not inclined to deviate from the truth and do not falsify facts, even if this may somehow be detrimental to their own interests. In the highest sense of the word, truthfulness manifests itself in the fact that a person strives for absolute truth, for knowledge. Intellectuality goes hand in hand with sacrifice. Having devoted his entire life to some higher spiritual goal, the intellectual sacrifices himself to the altar of the great path.

Petr Kovalev Other articles by the author: https://www.podskazki.info/karta-statej/