Intelligence is a general mental capability that involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend ideas and language, and learn (Intelligence). Some researchers such as Charles Spearman have proposed that intelligence is a single quantity or concept, but others such as Howard Gardner assert that intelligence really consists of a set of relatively independent abilities. While there is much debate over the validity of the two theories,

The questions seen on the test prove to be inventive and good quality (Brown YEAR). Although the goal of the test is not to reflect an entire curriculum, it aims at "focus[ing] deliberately on skills and conceptual strategies of knowing rather than upon the content of the knowledge," (Brown YEAR). Thus, the Bristol Tests aim to gauge a student's capabilities of knowledge and methodologies of storing and retaining that

intelligence theories of Charles Spearman and Howard Gardner. There were three sources used to complete this paper. There have been many ideas presented to the world about the theory or intelligence and while some of them have received lukewarm reviews there are two in which the world took a long hard look and decided they might be possible. It is interesting to note that the theories of Charles Spearman and

The standard IQ tests based on the work of Alfred Binet and Lewis Terman are also based on the idea of a single-ability measure of intelligence. Multiple intelligence The idea of a single g factoring intelligence, however, has numerous critics. As early as 1938, psychologist L.L. Thurstone criticized the narrowness of Spearman's model. Thurstone argued that mental abilities such as verbal comprehension, spatial visualization and reasoning were distinct forms of intelligences

He hypothesized that certain parts within the brain could map with certain areas of cognitive functioning, such as social, cognitive, or creative functions. To prove this, Gardner cites cases of brain damage that leads to the loss of some, but not all, cognitive functions. On this basis, one could also say that Spearman's test findings, while all located in the brain, relate to different parts of the brain and

He stated that people are simply good at a variety of skills, although some individuals may have higher levels of specialized intelligences more in the spheres than others. ("Charles Spearman," Major Theories of Intelligence, 2004) in other words, a gifted musician can also be a gifted poet, but these are still different intelligences -- Spearman, in contrast, would suggest the two are interrelated. Spearman also came up with another term