The Concept Of Intelligence And How It Has Developed Over The Years

You have probably heard someone say or even say to yourself, “My baby is very smart”. But have you really stopped to think about what the term intelligence means? Have you ever wondered if it is a single general intelligence or if there are several types?

Here we give you the answers to these questions. In the article below, we explore what the concept of intelligence consists of and how it has evolved over the years.

What does the term intelligence mean?

According to psychologist Howard Gardner, the term intelligence means “the ability to solve a problem or create products that are important in a cultural context”.

But when talking about intelligence, one must remember the three basic characteristics:

1. Intelligence is based on both innate and learned factors. It is affected by the interplay between innate traits, the biological potential one inherits from one’s parents, and the learning opportunities that arise during life. In this sense, it is important to point out that the plasticity of the brain, or the brain’s ability to form connections between neurons, enables a person to adapt and acquire new cognitive abilities. And this enables the optimization of intellectual capacity to reach its maximum potential.
2. Intelligence is dynamic.  It changes and is affected by the environment in which the person develops. Therefore, the intellectual capacity is based on individual experiences as well as on family, school and culture as well as social and economic impact.
3. There are several different types of intelligences. Experts believe that there are currently eight different intelligences. Even though everyone is independent, everyone interacts with the rest and they reinforce each other.

However, this has not always been the general perception. Do you know how the definition of intelligence has evolved over time? We explain it below.

The concept of intelligence and its development

The concept of intelligence in the 19th century

During the 19th century, the first studies on intelligence took place, where the following researchers excelled:

• Broca, who managed to locate the language area in the brain. This was the first demonstration of the possibility of physical localization of brain functions.
• Galton, who studied individual differences in human intelligence and the importance of inheritance in intelligence.
• Wundt, who studied mental processes through introspection; in other words through reflection on one’s own thoughts.

The concept of intelligence during the early 20th century

At this time, experts assumed that intellectual capacity was unique, permanently stable, and quantifiable. Thus, they began to develop tests to assess intelligence. In this the following authors distinguished themselves:

• Binet, who developed the first psychometric test to measure intelligence, with tests of linguistic, logical-mathematical content and memory.
• Stern, who proposed the concept of intellectual coefficient (IQ) in order to understand the results of the first intelligence tests.

Development of the concept during the 20th century

At this time, an interesting debate on the concept of intelligence began:

• That intelligence is a complex thought structure according to the cognitive perspective.
• At the same time, it was argued that a strong hereditary component affects intelligence so that a person’s nature determines the intellectual potential and limitations.
• Finally, that intelligence is a set of different capacities or factors according to the factor perspective.

The concept of intelligence today

In 1983, Gardner proposed the theory of multiple intelligences, which is still valid today. Thus, this author confirmed the existence of eight different types of intelligence :

1. Linguistic
2. Musical
3. Visual / Spatial
4. Physical / Kinesthetic
5. Social
6. Self-awareness
7. Logical-mathematical
8. Natural intelligence

As stated earlier, these eight intelligences are interconnected and used to varying degrees. Therefore, we can briefly say that each person has their own intelligence profile; each is more competent in some disciplines and less in others.

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