Intelligence, Essay Example

Intelligence can be a controversial concept at times. We have all witnessed those individuals who seem to grasp things so much quicker than anyone else. Does that mean they are more intelligent? To what extent can intelligence be taught and on what levels can it be measured? Intelligence is comprised of many areas and cannot be measured accurately without considering all potential facets.

Intelligence is simply defined as the ability to rationalize thoughts and reasoning. This is ones capacity to act purposefully in an environment. There are also cognitive associations with intelligence such as memory, perception, problem solving, action, attention, and language. Intelligence also includes the ability to learn from past experiences. It also includes ability to control impulse, show empathy, implement social competence, and overall self-motivation. Learning the broad extent of what facilitates intelligence helps in understanding the vast concept of it.

IQ testing was originated in the early 1900’s as a means of testing a person’s intelligence. However there is some question to the credibility of the IQ test. First there is a said bias, being that it is geared only towards the white upper-class males. The test does not take into consideration gender, culture, class, and race, which are important consideration with intelligence. It also only measures a specific area of intelligence, not measuring other important areas that should be considered. The IQ test incorporated with other test that measure emotional intelligence, ability, and resilience could be a very useful tool in predicting ones potential success. Regardless of how it is measured or defined, understanding the broad concept can help in understanding what exactly intelligence is.