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Criticism of Spearman Two Factor Theory on Intelligence
Charles E. Spearman is a researcher who has put out a variety of hypotheses on intelligence. “Intelligence is the capacity of the organism to adjust itself to an increasingly complex environment,” said British psychologist Charles Spearman.
In 1904, Spearman created his two-factor hypothesis of intelligence. The “g factor” or “general intelligence” hypothesis is the name of the theory. His thesis was that a person who performed well in one area would also perform well in related disciplines, and the opposite is also true.
Criticism of Spearman Two Factor Theory on Intelligence
Criticism on the concept
The two-factor hypothesis was questioned by British-American psychologist Raymond Cattell, a student of Spearman, who claimed that the concepts of “fluid intelligence” (Gf) and “crystallised intelligence” may better explain the nature of intelligence (Gc). The capacity to accurately interpret and make use of information or knowledge, as well as acquiring new abilities, is referred to as fluid intelligence. Fluid intelligence also refers to all the knowledge, skills, experiences, and talents that a person has learned over his or her life. Cattell argued that tests that solely address the “g” factor disregard the other intelligence components that are covered by the fluid intelligence and that the “g” factor was more accurately represented as “Gc” (crystallised intelligence).
Criticism on the approach of cognition analysis
This idea, according to American psychologist Howard Gardner, exclusively considered intellectual aptitude. He has included other aspects of intelligence in his theory of intelligence, including body-kinesthetics, naturalist intelligence, and musical intelligence. These aspects should also be seen as a key component of intelligence. There are many people who struggle in school but excel in other areas like art, athletics, and music. He said that the “g” factor ignored other types of intelligence and solely highlighted academic intellect, such as verbal and logical intelligence.
Criticism on factor analysis technique
Another issue with Spearman’s two-factor theory is that it only considers the factor analysis method of assessing intelligence. He paid little attention to the intelligent cognitive processes. The “g” component in Spearman’s hypothesis ignores a number of additional tasks, including perception and emotional intelligence.
These are some of the objections levelled about Spearman’s Two Factor Intelligence Theory. These objections are directed at the idea since it primarily emphasises academic intelligence while ignoring other intelligence-related elements.
