Question

What is the 'g' factor of intelligence?

Answer 1

The ‘g’ factor, or general intelligence factor, was proposed by Charles Spearman. It refers to a single underlying mental ability that influences performance across various intellectual tasks.

According to Spearman, if a person performs well in one type of cognitive task, such as math or reasoning, they are likely to perform well in others as well, due to this general mental ability. The ‘g’ factor represents overall intelligence, while specific abilities, such as verbal or numerical skills, are seen as secondary factors.

In short, the ‘g’ factor is the core of all intellectual performance, affecting how well a person learns, solves problems, and adapts to new situations.