llectual abilities.
In contrast, the opposing group of psychologists, the splitters, believe that "intelligence is composed of many separate mental abilities" which operate more or less independently (Weinberg, 1989, p. 99)." One splitter, Howard Gardner, maintains that humans have multiple intelligences. According to Gardner, each of these individual cognitive abilities develops along a separate path and is affected by its own form of perception, learning, and memory.
Thirdly, the information-processing model is yet another approach used to define intelligence. This construct involves "detailed, step-by-step analysis of cognitive processes." Thus, it attempts to explain the specific mechanisms responsible for intelligent behavior. The information-processing model states that intelligence can only be understood in terms of a person's sociocultural context. This purposeful behavior is thought to consist of two general skills. These include the ability to deal with new tasks and the capacity to learn from experience. Finally, a person's intelligence is also related to their capacity for managing new information. Researchers have attempted to analyze these different cognitive components through mental testing (Weinberg, 1989, p. 99).
According to the psychometric tradition, intellectual ability can be quantified. One of the first investigators to attempt such measurement was Francis Galton. He tried to evaluate both biological and physiological aspects of cognition. It was Alfred Binet and his associates, however, who first devised the intelligence quotient (IQ) test. These tests employ a single index of intelligence for the prediction of such things as school and job performance. Unfortunately though, IQ tests often do not accurately predict life outcomes. Thus, many psychologists argue that the tests do not evaluate a person's "entire repertoire of adaptive behavior (Weinberg, 1989, p. 100)."
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