Contrary to Howard Gardner’s theory (which suggests nine different intelligence types), terms like “general mental ability” and “IQ” refer to a single, broad kind of intelligence. General intelligence has been extensively discussed by psychiatrists, psychologists, and other experts over the past century. 

The short definition would be that GI refers to one’s efficiency in learning new matters and solving problems. According to studies, broad mental capacity can have an impact when it comes to successful memorization and being able to connect what you learn with empirical data. 

As suggested, the so-called “g factor” influences everyday tasks. By determining yours, you can figure out more innovative methods for studying or doing homework. Let’s take a look.

What’s General Intelligence All About?

There are numerous definitions that all point to a single conclusion – general intelligence involves an array of cognitive abilities, including spectral, verbal, numerical, mechanical, and spatial. 

The best example for you to understand is taking a skilled pianist and giving him a guitar. They probably won’t play it as well as professional guitarists, but as they have a much broader sense of rhythm and musical patterns, they will probably be more successful than someone with no musical experience. 

It is quite interesting how being superb in one area doesn’t mean that you don’t have a broad mental ability. In fact, psychologists, such as Charles Spearman, suggest that doing well in just one sphere will help you be equally successful in all others. This can be effectively applied to classes and studying for something that isn’t initially of interest to you.

How To Measure General Intelligence

As a student, you are probably interested in finding whether the “g factor” works for you. Why? Because implementing broad mental capacity can positively affect your grades and overall academic success. There are various tests that you can do, of which the Stanford-Binet is the most frequently applied one.

The updated versions of this test segment it into a few sections (up to 10 areas) and allow students to understand better the areas in which they excel. According to the standard scoring, the average GI is between 84-115, while 115-129 scores stand for bright/above average. 

From there, 130-144, 144-159, 160-179, and anything above refers to the fact that you are gifted (moderately, highly, exceptionally, or profoundly).

Does It Affect Academic Success?

The most important thing that we want to suggest is that GI isn’t a crucial factor for your academic success. Yes, it can be of great help when it comes to problem-solving and quickly learning new concepts, but you have to apply other methods/techniques and invest effort to become successful. In other words, the “g factor” doesn’t work on its own. 

Concluding Thoughts

Today, there are two groups of psychologists/psychiatrists – the first group advocates for general intelligence, while the other supports Howard Gardner’s theory of nine intelligence types. 

Performing multiple tests and putting those into practice is probably the best way to figure out the area in which you excel. This will allow you to apply it to your studying and your everyday routine.