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A Philosopher's Reaction to Intelligence Tests

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2009

W. Mays
W. Mays
Affiliation:
University of Manchester
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Extract

I DO not have to apologize for entering upon a discussion of intelligence and intelligence tests; it is a field which comes within the purview of philosophy as well as psychology. Any method of testing intelligence is therefore of common interest, especially as the methodology employed is usually based upon some definite theory as to its nature. The very word intelligence covers a wide range of meanings and psychologists seem to select sections of this range at will in accordance with their particular interest. It may include most of the behavioural activities of man, or be narrowed down so that it refers to certain quantitative or relational aspects of experience. To take the case of the factor analyst, after his concept of intelligence has been analysed and classified into g's and s's, it becomes not a description of the mind, but rather a closed cognitive model of it.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy , Volume 29 , Issue 110 , July 1954 , pp. 231 - 243
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Philosophy 1954

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