What is Intelligence?

[A Deo et Rege]

I would like to discuss the aspects of what defines intelligent life, are we the only intelligent beings in existence, or have we set the bar too high. The question at hand is, "what really is intelligence?" I know this is quite a broad question, but it needs a definite answer, and so far not one of the answers given by society has truly satisfied the sceptics who believe that we, as humans, are at the top of the intellectual ladder.


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[numerator-91]

Self awareness + determination
substantial comprehension of our world and our existence
the ability to think both objectively and subjectively (ability to follow logig and reason)
fear of death.
yeah that sounds about right to me.

congratulations on finally getting the forum up.

[ledzeppeman]

I have to disagree with numerator. I believe intelligence is a measure of the logical and spatial reasoning abilities of a being.

As for intelligent life, I believe the measure of intelligent life is determined by the point at which their adaptations and communities level and stop improving. If there is no such point, it could be measured as a rate.

@numerator91
determination isn't a part of intelligence. Einstein was intelligent but was the bottom of his class in school and as apathetic as could be.

Comprehension of the world is something that is usually taught. This statement implies that any human living before 1492 isn't intelligent. If you don't understand what I mean, never mind.

Fear is an emotion. All reasoning is processed in the neocortex area of the brain, no emotion is contemplated. Maybe if you said will to survive, it would have been different.

I mean nothing offensive by this, this is just my opinion.

[A Deo et Rege]

Here are some of the contrasting theories on intelligence:

General intelligence

The oldest theory is that of British psychologist Charles Spearman, who, at the beginning of the 20th century, proposed the existence of general intelligence. He observed that people’s scores on different IQ tests tend to correlate. In other words, somebody who received a high score on one IQ test usually scored high on all other IQ tests, and vice versa. Therefore, he concluded that intelligence tests all measure one common factor, which he called general intelligence or “g". In addition to that, Spearman argued that each test also measures some specific ability, which he termed “s" - vocabulary knowledge or mathematical skills, for example. However, what was of real importance to Spearman was general intelligence, which he believed to be the basis of all intellectual activities.

Crystallized and fluid intelligence

A similar theory by R. Cattell and J. Horn argues that there are two types of intelligence - fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence. Fluid intelligence is one’s biological ability to reason and acquire new information. On the other hand, crystallized intelligence is the set of specific knowledge and abilities that an individual has acquired by learning and experience throughout his life.

Primary mental abilities

In 1938 American psychologist L. Thurstone suggested, that intelligence is composed of seven independent factors, which he called primary mental abilities:

1) verbal comprehension
2) verbal fluency
3) mathematical ability
4) memory
5) speed of perception
6) reasoning skills
7) spatial visualization

Multiple intelligences

Similar to Thurstone’s theory is that of Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner. In 1983, he proposed the existence of multiple intelligences, which are independent from each other. According to him, everybody possesses a certain combination of the following:

1) Linguistic intelligence
2) Logical-mathematical intelligence
3) Spatial intelligence
4) Musical intelligence
5) Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
6) Interpersonal intelligence
7) Intrapersonal intelligence

The Triarchic theory of intelligence

Finally, there is the Triarchic (three-part) theory of intelligence by R. Sternberg. According to him, there are three different types of intelligence. The first one is analytic intelligence, which is the ability to reason. It resembles the notion of general intelligence. The other component of intelligence, as defined by Sternberg, is creative intelligence or the ability to draw upon previous experience in order to solve new problems. The last part of intelligence, Sternberg argues, is practical intelligence, which reflects one’s ability to deal with everyday situations.


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[r33k]

Intelligence is the ability to grasp a concept and rationalize it's meaning to a simplistic thought without the intention of doing so. But thats strictly my opinion

[numerator-91]

I have to disagree with numerator. I believe intelligence is a measure of the logical and spatial reasoning abilities of a being.

As for intelligent life, I believe the measure of intelligent life is determined by the point at which their adaptations and communities level and stop improving. If there is no such point, it could be measured as a rate.

@numerator91
determination isn't a part of intelligence. Einstein was intelligent but was the bottom of his class in school and as apathetic as could be.

Comprehension of the world is something that is usually taught. This statement implies that any human living before 1492 isn't intelligent. If you don't understand what I mean, never mind.

Fear is an emotion. All reasoning is processed in the neocortex area of the brain, no emotion is contemplated. Maybe if you said will to survive, it would have been different.

I mean nothing offensive by this, this is just my opinion.

i was reffering to the ability for an organism to independently do as stated in my above post, i wasn't saying intellegent people do this.

[A Deo et Rege]

I tend to lean toward the triarchic theory of intelligence in that I believe intelligence is composed of three main parts: self preservation, cognitive flexibility, and linguistic comprehension. The first, self preservation, is the knowledge of ones mortality and the need to preserve it. The second part, cognitive flexibility, is the ability to confront a new problem and solve said problem no matter the circumstances thereof, and use past experiences in the problem solving process. The third part, linguistic comprehension, is the ability to decode information from ones surrounding and encode said information in a way that can be understood by a second party.

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[numerator-91]

I tend to lean toward the triarchic theory of intelligence in that I believe intelligence is composed of three main parts: self preservation, cognitive flexibility, and linguistic comprehension. The first, self preservation, is the knowledge of ones mortality and the need to preserve it. The second part, cognitive flexibility, is the ability to confront a new problem and solve said problem no matter the circumstances thereof, and use past experiences in the problem solving process. The third part, linguistic comprehension, is the ability to decode information from ones surrounding and encode said information in a way that can be understood by a second party.

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you found a smart way of saying what i was trying to.
nice job on anihalating that No.... thread

[SuperSkunk]

Intelligence is having a problem set ahead of you and being able to figure it out man.

[CHEETZzz]

I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E. is the super computer from Team America.

http://www.spscriptorium.com/Treats/INTELLIGENCE.jpg

[Panther Lite 16]

Would it be safe to assume that intelligence is different and apart from common sense? How does one measure common sense? (Not trying to be a smart-ass here.))

[A Deo et Rege]

Would it be safe to assume that intelligence is different and apart from common sense? How does one measure common sense? (Not trying to be a smart-ass here.))

Well, seeing as common sense is a relative term, and is different for every person it is quite hard to measure; what is common knowledge for one person may not be so for another. That is unless you are speaking of common instinctive knowledge; which is shared by all members of a specific species, i.e. self preservation.


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[a2thae]

Well, deo covered multiple theories of intelligence in detail, let's see if I can cover intelligence in a broader sense.

Intelligence (as I have always pictured) is the ability to reason. If you can reason then you have intelligence. If you are unable to reason, then you fall into a different category. So the analytic intelligence part of the triarchic theory is the only part I see mandatory in intelligence.

[ramalamafafafa]

The desire to think issues through as deeply as possible

[ItsAPoorlyKeptSecret]

Didnt really read what everyone had to say cause it was long and they used what looked like from a glance like lots of big confusing words. So if someone has said this in one way or another i dont know but....

I think intelligence is just that what you showed already by starting this thread. The asking of Why? What? How? simply just by doin that shows intelligence dont you think.

Websters definition: "a)the ability to learn or understand, b) the ability to cope with a new situation"

so you see thats what i think is intelligence. but now if you wanted, i guess the word is IQ, the measure of intelligence then thats the more broader question not just what is intelligence. And that varyies from everyone, every subject, every life experience.

[exial]

Didnt really read what everyone had to say cause it was long and they used what looked like from a glance like lots of big confusing words. So if someone has said this in one way or another i dont know but....

I think intelligence is just that what you showed already by starting this thread. The asking of Why? What? How? simply just by doin that shows intelligence dont you think.

Websters definition: "a)the ability to learn or understand, b) the ability to cope with a new situation"

so you see thats what i think is intelligence. but now if you wanted, i guess the word is IQ, the measure of intelligence then thats the more broader question not just what is intelligence. And that varyies from everyone, every subject, every life experience.

i agree with you.

[Ninja]

are you guys talking about intelligence, or consciousness?
It seems to me that IQ tests and problem solving deal with intelligence while asking "why" deals with consciousness.

[BurnDown]

Originally posted by A Deo et Rege
I would like to discuss the aspects of what defines intelligent life, are we the only intelligent beings in existence, or have we set the bar too high. The question at hand is, "what really is intelligence?" I know this is quite a broad question, but it needs a definite answer, and so far not one of the answers given by society has truly satisfied the sceptics who believe that we, as humans, are at the top of the intellectual ladder.


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<Deo>
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Or maybe we set the bars a little low...if we aren't the only intelligent beings in existence that consider ourselves to be intelligent. Maybe there are are others that think as we do, but have different view of the meaning to "intelligent".

[hydromonster]

intelegence is relative
but there is no doubt we are the most intelegente life forms on this planet
so relatively speaking we are the most intelegent life forms on this planet, at least

[Exploding_viper]

Here are some of the contrasting theories on intelligence:

Multiple intelligences

Similar to Thurstone’s theory is that of Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner. In 1983, he proposed the existence of multiple intelligences, which are independent from each other. According to him, everybody possesses a certain combination of the following:

1) Linguistic intelligence
2) Logical-mathematical intelligence
3) Spatial intelligence
4) Musical intelligence
5) Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
6) Interpersonal intelligence
7) Intrapersonal intelligence

The Triarchic theory of intelligence

Finally, there is the Triarchic (three-part) theory of intelligence by R. Sternberg. According to him, there are three different types of intelligence. The first one is analytic intelligence, which is the ability to reason. It resembles the notion of general intelligence. The other component of intelligence, as defined by Sternberg, is creative intelligence or the ability to draw upon previous experience in order to solve new problems. The last part of intelligence, Sternberg argues, is practical intelligence, which reflects one’s ability to deal with everyday situations.


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<Deo>
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i like these two

[Phoenix Fire]

Communication and Coordination.
Simple view of intelligence.

[CHEETZzz]

i liked my answer best :p

[hydromonster]

tons of animals have forms of comunication...even ants do
and we have very little coordination compared to most animals

[Phoenix Fire]

Please contribute something then, hydro.

[hydromonster]

intelegence is basically the ability to learn and try things diferently to see if the outcome is better
animals have been hunting and eating the same way since they came to be
but humans have gone from cave men to space men in a very short period of time(relatively) because we try new things and aply old things to new things

there for we are intelgent but other animals are not

[Phoenix Fire]

We should just put them all together :P

[hydromonster]

how do you propose we do that?

[Phoenix Fire]

We eat waffles.

[hydromonster]

sounds good to me
waffle house has the best waffles ever

[Phoenix Fire]

Fuck that, I make the best waffles.
Hash waffles with blackberry honey syrup.

[hydromonster]

no way
blueberry syrup
i make terrible waffles though

[therebelsoldier]

Intelligence is the ability to identify and recognize the differences within everything, even if there as muniscule as ther period at the end of this sentence.

[ramalamafafafa]

Necro Posting Fuck....

[Phoenix Fire]

I was gonna call him a necrophiliac for fucking an old post, but he actually contributed something, confused me.

[ramalamafafafa]

Good point....

[Phoenix Fire]

Unlike our current post about his post.....

[MrSoul]

Personally, Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences makes the most sense to me. But the truth is, nobody actually knows what the fuck intelligence actually is in the first place; so we can't say for certain what it is. And considering the fact that there is no actual way to test for intelligence due to bias in the testing itself, it's safe to say that we never will know what intelligence is.

[SuperMonkeyKing]

Intelligence is the ability to understand everything

[Turamarth4]

I suppose that I am a late commer in this discussion, and I have by no means read ALL of the posts here, so please pardon me for possibly repeating the idea of a previous post. I meant no harm.

However, I would like to assert that, in my opinion, intelligence is, at its most fundamental and truest level, simple sentience. Videlicet, when a specimen (I am not simply limiting this to biological life forms) attains a knowledge of its existence and is able to hold on to that knowledge in such a way and for even the briefest amount of time to change itslef or the environment in which it exists. Someone earlier aptly asserted that intelligence is knowledge + determination. While I do not wholly agree to this, it forms a fundamental structure for my argument. The only problem I see is this: to what do we ascribe intelligence? Is it simply carbon based lifeforms such as we are, or is it possible that intelligence is afforded to all things in some way or another. Think of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. When a particle is viewed, it is in one place, when at the same time, we know it is not there only but exists almost simultaneously in all places within its orbit at once. Is the appearance of the electron a measure of its actual location, or is it a manifestation of a primitive (for lack of a better word) form of intelligence? Perhaps we glean intelligence from some form of collective consciousness which resides as an inherent property of the zero-point energy which permeates all things...

I cannot say for sure...comments?

[cougarkitty]

Intelligence is the ability to understand everything

This is an unfair statement for no known being can understand EVERYTHING and as for IQ tests they are only relevent to the country of origion. This has already been proved in the USA when they tried giving their IQ tests to the Irish when they first started emmigrating and found that the Irish had lower IQs to the americans, but that was because the irish didn't understand some of the questions.

Many people would say that I myself am not intelligent when you look at my exam results, but that is because i'm dyslexic and for me an exam is just a simple memory test to see how much of a subject you can remember. Not good for me as my dyslexia affects my memory :( But when it comes to a practical subject i'm top of the class. My brain just processes and stores information differently to others. I spend christmas holidays doing 5000 piece jigsaws without the box to help and complete them in a day or two, but i cant spell or doing mental mathmatics or even basic times tables. :p

And for someone else to say that animals are not intelligent is stupid. Animals know when danger is near, dogs can s***l cancer in humans without even being trained to do so. I've seen a dog open its kennel cage then release all the other dogs and then open the door to the food store and you're going to tell me that dog isn't intelligent?! Hell that dog is smarter then some of the people i went to school with!

Intelligence can be shown in a number of ways by almost anything. Just because it's not showing its intelligence in a way you want them to or would expect it to dosen't mean its not intelligent. How do we know that dogs aren't smarter than us but they just don't want to show it and then be subjected to a million tests?

[SuperMonkeyKing]

This is an unfair statement for no known being can understand EVERYTHING and as for IQ tests they are only relevent to the country of origion. This has already been proved in the USA when they tried giving their IQ tests to the Irish when they first started emmigrating and found that the Irish had lower IQs to the americans, but that was because the irish didn't understand some of the questions.

Many people would say that I myself am not intelligent when you look at my exam results, but that is because i'm dyslexic and for me an exam is just a simple memory test to see how much of a subject you can remember. Not good for me as my dyslexia affects my memory :( But when it comes to a practical subject i'm top of the class. My brain just processes and stores information differently to others. I spend christmas holidays doing 5000 piece jigsaws without the box to help and complete them in a day or two, but i cant spell or doing mental mathmatics or even basic times tables. :p

And for someone else to say that animals are not intelligent is stupid. Animals know when danger is near, dogs can s***l cancer in humans without even being trained to do so. I've seen a dog open its kennel cage then release all the other dogs and then open the door to the food store and you're going to tell me that dog isn't intelligent?! Hell that dog is smarter then some of the people i went to school with!

Intelligence can be shown in a number of ways by almost anything. Just because it's not showing its intelligence in a way you want them to or would expect it to dosen't mean its not intelligent. How do we know that dogs aren't smarter than us but they just don't want to show it and then be subjected to a million tests?

I think you miss the point. There is no such thing as absolute understanding, thus there being no such thing as absolute intelligence.

I can apply my theory to your dogs.

A dog may know how to feed itself, open doors, sit etc. but you give it a simple mathematics problem they won't be able to sort it out. where as with chimps and dolphins, if trained to do so they can do this. This is because the Dogs brain is very basic, thus it only has basic thoughts. This can be shown through dog's lack of hazard perception, such as a fast moving car or a snake.

This can also be applied to your individual situation of dyslexia. Your brain is constructed differently to the "average" brain. So perceived intelligence (assessed by tests) is generally a lot lower than your fellow class mates, although it most likely is higher.

[GunMetal]

I think Intelligence is just understanding, I also think the environment you have grown up in effects this.

[cougarkitty]

Ok SuperMonkeyKing I may have missed your point, but this thread is to discuss "what is intelligence".

but the point you've just made is that there is no absolute intelligence. So can there still be intelligence even if it's not absolute, and if so what is intelligence?

[SuperMonkeyKing]

Ok SuperMonkeyKing I may have missed your point, but this thread is to discuss "what is intelligence".

but the point you've just made is that there is no absolute intelligence. So can there still be intelligence even if it's not absolute, and if so what is intelligence?

I'm well aware of the subject title. When I say there is "no absolute intelligence", I mean that everyone can't know everything, even the sum of the world's intelligence doesn't mean shit. It is not a 'power of the brain' situation, but rather the ability of a single mind to understand something.

E=MC2 is a perfect example of this. Although it is a simple equation, it takes a large amount intelligence (remembering intelligence is relative) to comprehend. In this situation you could determine ones intelligence by determining whether they could understand it or not.

Pretend our Understanding is a piece of string, and the only way we can measure it is with an rule. In this case the rule could be an IQ test or even our example above(although this would be like only having one notch on the rule).

An IQ test does this by providing a test with little or no prior knowledge to the contents of the test, and any prior knowledge being irrelevant. This is why I (with an IQ of 158) get relatively low grades at school. It is a general misconception that intelligence is measured by tests, but they instead test your ability to retain certain knowledge.

[Durandal4]

It appears to me that all of don't have an agreement on what we have as a definition of intelligence, so instead of continuing this ramble, I will tweak the topic to something a little less general: Innate Intelligence.

In 1906, psychologist Daniel Palmer created the idea of Innate Intelligence, an idea that each living organism comes with a form of intelligence that is required for survival, similar to instinct. It's the section of intellect that allows an organism to organize and repair itself from disease, infection, laceration or other bodily harm.

In 1952, Robert Yerkes made an attempt to "measure" innate intelligence and then replicate it (two intelligent parents have intelligent children). In his testing, he gave IQ tests to soldiers to pick out their highest rank achievable. Unfortunately, his test was strictly based on Western Culture and therefore anyone from outside the US (immigrants) were considered "stupid", thus giving the world the idea that Americans were the most intelligent beings on earth.

My question is, is it possible to truly measure innate intelligence? How does an experimenter go about testing someone's intellectual ability without creating biased from what the subjects learned based on their cultures and upbringing? From what I understand, it's impossible.