Mapping the Dimensions of General Intelligence: An Integrated Differential-Developmental Theory

Abstract

We present a theory of mental architecture and development focusing on general intelligence (g). The theory integrates psychometric and developmental theories of intelligence into an overarching framework. The paper first focuses on the composition of g. It is shown that g involves attention control, flexibility, working memory, cognizance of mental processes, and inference. We then present a model of intellectual development involving four cycles - episodic, realistic representation-based, rule-based, and principle-based thought - and summarize several studies showing how the processes involved in g interact in each cycle. We then present research aiming to increase intelligence. Finally, we discuss the implications of this theory for psychometric, cognitive, and developmental science and show how it solves long-standing theoretical and practical problems not solved by other theories, such as the decreasing likelihood of attaining high intelligence, the differentiation of abilities with development, and the training fade-out problem.

The developmental trinity of mind: Cognizance, executive control, and reasoning

“…Integrating over different traditions of research, Demetriou and colleagues suggested that cognitive development occurs in four cycles, with two phases in each (Demetriou et al, ; Demetriou & Spanoudis, , ). Moving across cycles is associated with the emergence of new forms of representation; changes within cycles are associated with increasing awareness of them, skill in using them, and in their alignment and interlinking.…”

“…A differentiation between mental processes is possible at 8–10 years. In this phase, awareness of different mental processes allows children to shift flexibly between them (e.g., to remember you need to observe carefully and rehearse; to sort you need to follow a sorting rule; Demetriou et al, ; Kazali, ). Children in this phase understand that more difficult items require more study time, if they are to be successfully stored and recalled (Tsalas et al, ).…”

Mind-Personality Relations from Childhood to Adolescence

“…Specifically, intelligence is a three-level hierarchical structure involving three types of systems: (i) several broad domains of ability, such as spatial, verbal, and quantitative reasoning; (ii) domaingeneral systems of inferential and representational processes, such as fluid intelligence (Gf; basically inductive reasoning allowing processing of similarities and relations at increasing levels of abstraction) and crystallized intelligence (Gc; knowledge and skill systems crystallizing learning and experience that may be activated for understanding and problem solving; (ii) a general factor (g) mainly associated with processing efficiency, attention control, mental flexibility, and working memory (Carroll, 1993;Flynn, 2009;Jensen, 1998;Hunt, 2011). Cognizance was recently added as a major background process of g. This includes self-monitoring of mental and behavioral processes, representation and awareness of them, and systematic modification of them, including metarepresentation which generates new mental and behavioral constructs (Demetriou & Spanoudis, 2018, 2018a, 2018b.…”

Mind-Personality Relations from Childhood to Adolescence

“…New representations emerge in the first phase of each cycle and their integration dominates in the second. Transitions across cycles is driven by increasing mental self-awareness and self-regulation (Demetriou & Efklides, 2018;Demetriou et al, 2018b).…”

“…Executive control, the ability to focus on stimuli, plan action, and flexibly change focus as needed, is a strong example. In current models of intelligence, it is a central component of Gf (Blair, 2006;Demetriou et al, 2017Demetriou et al, , 2018aDemetriou et al, , 2018b. In personality, it may be involved in two different, often orthogonal, dimensions.…”